Vanessa Gold has announced that she has reached an agreement to transfer her family’s 25.1 per cent holding in West Ham United to a new investor group led by former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley. The transaction involves Staveley, her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, PCP Capital Partners and Ashland Forest Capital Partners, who together will acquire the Gold family’s stake. A legally binding agreement has already been signed, but the sale is still subject to a pre‑emptive rights process that gives existing shareholders the opportunity to purchase the shares before the deal is finalised. The consortium’s statement confirmed that the purchase agreement is in place, yet it stressed that the pre‑emptive process remains active.
Under this mechanism, current shareholders may exercise their rights to buy the shares in two rounds, ensuring that any party wishing to increase its holding can do so before the new owners take control. The group declined to comment further while the legal procedures are underway.
This development follows a series of negotiations that have been unfolding over the past months. In June, West Ham announced that Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, through his EP Group vehicle, was poised to become the club’s largest shareholder after agreeing to acquire the Gold family’s stake.
At that time, the plan was for Kretinsky to boost his holding to roughly 43 per cent, surpassing David Sullivan’s 38.8 per cent share. However, the transaction never reached completion, and the club’s ownership structure remained in flux.
Sullivan, who has been a long‑time co‑owner, issued a statement expressing disappointment at the Gold family’s decision to explore other buyers. He reiterated his commitment to the club and indicated that he was reviewing all options, including exercising his own pre‑emptive rights to retain a larger proportion of the shares.
Vanessa Gold, speaking in her own statement, reflected on her three‑year tenure as joint‑chair and director following the death of her father, David Gold, in 2023. She described her role as an honour and highlighted her father’s lifelong dedication to protecting and championing West Ham. Gold said she had taken great pride in continuing that legacy and thanked the staff, players and supporters for allowing her to serve the club. She explained that an earlier agreement with Kretinsky on 12 June would have made EP Group the single largest shareholder, but that deal fell through along with other alternatives that had been discussed.
Consequently, she has now settled on selling the family’s shareholding to the Staveley‑led consortium. Gold stressed that the sale remains subject to the pre‑emptive rights process, and she wanted to be transparent with fans about the current status and her intentions. Gold added that her primary aim throughout the negotiations has been to secure the right leadership and ownership structure to enable West Ham to reach its full potential and re‑establish itself as a top‑flight mainstay.
She expressed confidence in Staveley, Ghodoussi and PCP Capital Partners, noting their deep experience in football club management and their ability to guide West Ham toward sustained success. Amanda Staveley is no stranger to high‑profile football deals. She brokered the Saudi‑backed consortium that bought Newcastle United from Mike Ashley in October 2021, a transaction that reshaped the Premier League landscape.
Staveley and Ghodoussi later oversaw Newcastle’s rapid rise from relegation candidates to Champions League participants, and the club captured the Carabao Cup in the summer of 2024 before their departure. West Ham United, meanwhile, suffered relegation at the conclusion of the 2023‑24 season and will be looking to bounce back immediately.
Their first Championship fixture is scheduled against Burnley on 16 August, a match that will serve as an early test of the squad’s resolve and the club’s ability to regroup under the current ownership framework. In a formal club statement, West Ham confirmed that it is aware of Gold’s provisional agreement with the Staveley‑led consortium. The club outlined the pre‑emptive rights process, explaining that existing shareholders will have a chance to acquire a proportional share of the 25.1 per cent stake in the first round, with any remaining shares available in a second round.
The entire procedure is expected to last around two months, during which time the ownership structure will remain unchanged. The club also reassured supporters that day‑to‑day operations will not be affected by the ongoing transaction.
Preparations for the upcoming season are proceeding with focus and diligence, and the club thanked its fans for their continued loyalty during this period of uncertainty. West Ham reiterated that no further comments will be made until the pre‑emptive rights process has concluded. Overall, the situation highlights the complex nature of football club ownership in the modern era, where multiple parties often vie for strategic stakes, and legal mechanisms such as pre‑emptive rights play a crucial role in protecting existing shareholders.
As the pre‑emptive process unfolds, West Ham supporters will be watching closely to see whether the current consortium secures the shares or if existing owners, like Sullivan or Kretinsky, decide to step in and reshape the club’s future trajectory.