By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
Former Newcastle United owner Amanda Staveley has refused to rule out making a bid for West Ham United.
Staveley, who heads up PCP Capital Partners, was giving an interview to Spears when she was asked directly if she would be making an offer for West Ham.
Smiling, she answered cryptically:
“Maybe. You don’t know.”
She added:
“We’ve looked at a lot of clubs, including Tottenham, but we are looking at clubs around the Premier League and the UK, Europe. We really want to be buying, going in and investing into a club again very soon.”
London Stadium Visit Confirmed
Staveley was present at the London Stadium earlier this week and was given a tour, something Claret & Hugh have been able to confirm with three different sources.
Prolonged negotiations with former Newcastle recruitment chief Steve Nickson – a highly valued member of the team at St James’ Park during Staveley’s time there – have only added to rumours that a bid could be imminent.
Whether that proves to be coincidence or something more remains to be seen.
£1 Billion Of Backing
Staveley was also involved in the deal which saw Manchester City sold to Abu Dhabi and is hugely experienced when it comes to brokering Premier League takeovers.
It is understood she has sourced around £1 billion worth of financial backing in preparation for whichever club she eventually targets.
Joining Forces With Kretinsky?
At this stage, however, it remains unclear whether any plans involving West Ham would be alongside Daniel Kretinsky or entirely separate from the Czech billionaire.
What has become increasingly clear over the last few days is that the ownership picture at West Ham remains fluid.
And with David Sullivan’s shareholding still unresolved, it would be unwise to dismiss anything out of hand.
After all, Staveley’s answer wasn’t “No”.