A stake of up to 10% in the Premier League football club West Ham United has been put up for sale, providing the latest test of international investors’ appetite for a slice of one of England’s top-flight clubs.
Sky News has learnt that Vanessa Gold, daughter of the late businessman David Gold and a joint-chair of West Ham, is working with bankers at Rothschild to sell a chunk of her family trust’s 25% shareholding.
One prospective investor who has been alerted to the deal said on Tuesday that Ms Gold was expected to sanction the sale of up to 10% of last year’s Europa Conference League winners.
A number of funds are said to have been sounded out in recent days about a potential deal.
Football industry insiders said any transaction was likely to value the Hammers at a premium to the roughly-£650m price put on the club by the sale of a 27% stake to the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in 2021.
That would reflect West Ham’s repeated ability to sell out the 62,500-capacity London Stadium, and last season’s triumph in European club competition for the first time.
The Hammers, managed by David Moyes, sit in ninth position in the Premier League table, having lost 1-0 at home to Everton at the weekend.
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Like many top-flight clubs, West Ham have a syndicate of wealthy shareholders.
Mr Kretinsky retains the stake he bought two years ago, while David Sullivan owns just under 39% and the financier Tripp Smith holds 8%.
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One source said a number of sports investment funds which focus on owning minority stakes were expected to be interested in buying a stake of about 10% in the club.
Image: West Ham football club co-owner David Gold died earlier this year
In a statement issued following an enquiry from Sky News, Ms Gold said: “I would consider selling a proportion of our shares to the right partner.
“I have spoken to each of the other three major shareholders at West Ham United: David Sullivan, Daniel Kretinsky and Tripp Smith, who have been very supportive.
“Any transaction to purchase some of our shares will be with my father’s legacy at the forefront of my mind which, of course, prioritises his beloved West Ham United.
“I have appointed Rothschild & Co to advise us on any discussions and will keep the other shareholders, the club and our supporters updated on any significant developments.”
The process to offload the stake comes amid continuing interest in owning a piece of the world’s richest domestic football league.
In September, Liverpool announced that Dynasty Equity, a US-based private equity firm, had bought a small minority stake in the club.
There is also ongoing scrutiny of the ownership of clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, while Everton has announced its proposed sale to 777 Partners – a deal which has yet to receive regulatory approval.
The latest flurry of takeovers and minority deals comes as the Premier League prepares to sell its next cycle of domestic broadcast rights, the lion’s share of which are currently held by Sky News’ parent company.
A new financial redistribution deal that will see Premier League clubs hand hundreds of millions of pounds over a six-year period to their lower-league counterparts remains under discussion.
The government is expected to include legislation to establish an independent football regulator in next week’s King’s Speech.
A spokesman for West Ham declined to comment, while Rothschild also declined to comment.
A man has died after suffering cardiac arrest onboard a boat attempting to reach the UK.
The vessel turned back towards Equihen beach on the French coast yesterday morning.
A nurse tried to resuscitate the man but was unsuccessful.
Image: Pic: PA
French authorities have now launched an investigation into the circumstances.
A spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has criticised authorities on both sides of the Channel.
Jacob Burns said: “Yet again we have a tragedy in the Channel, that is the consequence of the deadly, costly and ineffective security policies implemented by the UK and France.”
Image: Pic: PA
Later on Saturday, a lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover.
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Photographs showed them huddled under blankets and orange life jackets on board.
“The opportunity of tomorrow and what’s on offer is the best thing in football,” the England captain said. “I think we don’t necessarily carry the weight of it and how much it means to people, but we’re aware of it because it means the same to us.”
So often they were only watching other nations making finals.
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England’s first was the men winning the 1966 World Cup.
Image: England manager Sarina Wiegman reacts to defeat against Spain at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. Pic: Reuters
Image: Lauren James looks dejected after their World Cup defeat, but is confirmed fit for Sunday’s revenge match against Spain. Pic: Reuters
Now, in Basel, comes the chance for revenge against Spain – even though no one in the England camp is saying that, publicly at least, in Switzerland.
Especially knowing how challenging a task it is coming up again against Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putella – the recent winners of football’s biggest individual honours.
Image: England fans celebrating after England beat Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Given England’s history against Spain, it could be a nerve-wracking time for England fans. File pic: Action Images/Reuters
But this is Spain’s first Euros final.
And there is some fear from the world champions at England’s grit and resolve to produce comebacks late in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang’s goals integral to the fightbacks.
Image: England celebrate their semi-final win against Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Michelle Agyemang has propelled England to the Euro 2025 final with two vital goals. Pic: AP
Spain captain Irene Paredes reflected yesterday on how the Lionesses can flip a result late on.
But she was also discussing how their World Cup win was tarnished by the on-pitch kiss that led to former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales being convicted of a sexual assault on striker Jenni Hermoso.
It sparked a wider clamour in Spain for improved rights and respect for women.
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Spain’s players struggle for respect
“Since then [2023] we took big steps forward,” Paredes said.
“I think this idea is disappearing from society. I still believe we have to continue opening doors… we’re a reference for boys and girls in society, but we still have things to do.”
It is a reminder that while tonight is about collecting silverware, both England and Spain know that emerging as champions can drive further growth in women’s football back home.
Amid it all, they’ll try to savour just what reaching a final means and how rare they are – until recently for English and Spanish women.
A woman who thought she was being injected with Botox was left unable to swallow and doctors thought she had suffered a stroke – after she contracted a life-threatening illness from a potentially illegal product.
Nicola Fairley is one of dozens of people who have developed botulism linked to unlicensed anti-wrinkle injections.
She had the procedure done with her regular beautician after winning a Facebook competition for three areas of “Botox”.
Image: Nicola Fairley
“Within two or three hours my forehead and the sides of my eyes had started to freeze,” Nicola says.
“At first I thought ‘amazing’, that’s what I wanted – then it just carried on.”
Nicola was eventually sent to A&E in Durham, where she met several other patients who all had similar symptoms.
Doctors were stumped. “They thought I’d had a stroke,” she says.
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“We all had problems with our eyes, some of us with our breathing. I couldn’t swallow – they put me on nil by mouth because they were worried I would choke in the waiting room.”
Image: Doctors were worried Nicola could choke after she was injected with a suspected illegal product
It turns out all of the patients had recently had anti-wrinkle injections containing botulinum toxin.
Health officials believe they were imported, illegal products.
Botulism – the disease they caused – is so rare many doctors never see it in their entire careers.
It can cause symptoms including slurred speech and breathing problems, and can be deadly.
The disease is so unusual, and so many cases were coming in, that doctors exhausted their stocks of anti-toxin and had to ask hospitals as far away as London to get more.
The UK Health Security Agency has so far confirmed 38 cases of botulism linked to cosmetic toxin injections, but Sky News has been told of several more.
The outbreak began in the North East but cases have now been seen in the East of England and East Midlands as well.
There are only a handful of legal botulinum toxin products in the UK – of which Botox is one.
But cosmetic treatments are largely unregulated, with anyone allowed to inject products like fillers and toxins without any medical training.
Cheap, illegal products imported from overseas are easily available.
Image: Dr Steven Land
‘It’s the Wild West’
Dr Steven Land runs Novellus Aesthetics clinic in Newcastle upon Tyne. He worked for decades as an emergency medicine doctor before moving into aesthetics.
He says he has been warning health officials of an outbreak for years.
“It’s the Wild West,” Dr Land told Sky News.
“Because anyone can do this, there is a lack of knowledge around what is legal, what’s not legal, what is okay to be injected.
“These illegal toxins could have 50 units, 5,000 units or rat poison – there could be anything in there.”