Kretinsky Eyes West Ham Top Stake Through Talks for Gold Family Shares

Q: Relegated and needing £150 million, which of West Ham's star players will be sold off to ensure survival?

West Ham are expected to cash in on Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes, with Crysencio Summerville also widely seen as a likely sale, as the club tries to raise about £150 million after relegation. The clearest names emerging from reporting are Bowen and Fernandes. Bowen, the captain and one of the club’s most valuable assets, is seen as difficult to keep in the Championship, with Premier League interest building. Fernandes is regarded as the biggest potential fee-generator: reports value him at roughly £80 million to £85 million, and clubs including Manchester United, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have been linked. Summerville is also expected to be sold, with Aston Villa among the clubs mentioned. Beyond those headline names, West Ham are likely to listen to offers for other senior players such as Konstantinos Mavropanos, Jean-Clair Todibo, Alphonse Areola and Tomas Soucek, while Lucas Paqueta has also been cited in some assessments as a possible major sale if the club needs to accelerate fundraising. The broader picture is that West Ham probably cannot meet their financial targets with one transfer alone. Reporting suggests four or five first-team players may need to go, and the club may have to make 8 to 12 disposals overall while also cutting a wage bill that is far too high for the Championship. So the short answer is that Bowen and Fernandes are the standout stars most likely to be sold, with Summerville close behind and further departures likely.

3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 11

Daniel Kretinsky has opened initial talks to buy West Ham United shares from Vanessa Gold, a move that could make him the club’s largest shareholder ahead of David Sullivan.
Vanessa Gold inherited the stake from her father after his death in early 2023, putting a significant block of shares in play for any ownership reshuffle.
People familiar with the matter said the Gold-family stake is only one of several options Kretinsky is considering, and the discussions remain ongoing with no deal decided.
A successful purchase would deepen the Czech billionaire’s influence at the London club by elevating him from investor to its biggest shareholder.