Daniel Kretinsky Sells Stake in West Ham to Jakub Havrlant

West Ham co-chair Daniel Kretinsky has sold just over 2% of his stake in the club to Czech businessman Jakub Havrlant, a move that may hinder Amanda Staveley's attempts to invest in the team.

Vanessa Gold, the other co-chair and daughter of a former owner, confirmed plans to sell the Gold family's shares to a consortium led by Staveley. This sale is complicated by a pre-emption rights clause that allows existing shareholders to match offers for shares.

Kretinsky, who acquired 27% of West Ham in 2021, had previously faced challenges in finalizing a deal with Gold due to allegations against majority shareholder David Sullivan. The recent sale to Havrlant positions Kretinsky to potentially acquire Gold's 25.1% stake without exceeding a 50% ownership threshold, which would require him to make an offer for the entire club.