One of the most famous billionaires in sport has piled pressure on West Ham chief David Sullivan after a shock Millwall Saudi takeover revelation.
Many West Ham fans were watching the climax to the Championship season hoping arch rivals Millwall would finally get promoted to the Premier League.
There is no more bitter a rivalry in the country than West Ham and Millwall.
But the Hammers and Lions have spent so long in different divisions, games against one another are few and far between.
Millwall couldn’t quite manage to make the play-offs, though, and will have to go again next season.
Hammers fans disillusioned after woeful season
Meanwhile West Ham have endured a torrid campaign and were it not for the three relegated teams being so bad, would have run the risk of reuniting with Millwall in the Championship.
Many Hammers fans are disillusioned with the club.
Especially as West Ham insist money is tight due to PSR, meaning it is going to be difficult to make the necessary investment to make improvements to the team which are sorely needed.
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Meanwhile a host of Premier League rivals such as Aston Villa, Newcastle, Everton, newly-promoted Leeds, Brighton, Palace and now Spurs to name but a few are primed to spend big.
Photo by James Chance/Getty Images
Photo by James Chance/Getty Images
In the absence of Millwall, West Ham’s rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur has grown more intense over the years.
Seeing Spurs win the Europa League, thereby qualifying for the new format Champions League and securing a £100m payday, has added further salt to West Ham’s wounds this week.
Chelsea may pour some more in for good measure as they look to win the Conference League too.
The season and success for rival clubs has left Hammers fans feeling disgruntled as resentment towards the owners bubbles to the surface once again.
Now the pressure has piled on West Ham chief David Sullivan after a shock Millwall Saudi takeover revelation.
Pressure on West Ham chief after Millwall Saudi takeover claim
It has been revealed that a US investor has been in talks to buy the Gold family’s 25 per cent stake in West Ham.
The man greasing the wheels for the US West Ham bid was unmasked as the club’s existing stakeholder Albert Tripp Smith.
West Ham have confirmed the US bid talks.
It’s been claimed Chelsea part-owner Mark Walter could be involved too as part of a coup at West Ham by Tripp Smith, which would target the Gold family’s 25 per cent share to add to his eight per cent – but then also purchase Daniel Kretinsky’s 27 per cent stake too.
That, it was claimed, could then give the Tripp Smith and Guggenheim US consortium a controlling 60.1% share of West Ham to outvote the remaining shareholders – chiefly majority owner Sullivan.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
It was also claimed Kretinsky who, recent reports stated, is considering selling his Hammers stake, could ‘probably be persuaded to sell’ if someone doubles the £168.75m he invested in 2021.
Pressure is already building among fans, who have launched a petition for Sullivan to sell up and leave West Ham.
That pressure will ratchet up even further after staggering news from Millwall overnight.
Because Saudi investors are said to be in shock talks with the Championship club and world famous billionaire Turki Alalshikh – who has become the face of boxing – is at the centre of a potential deal.
Turki Alalshikh has a personal net worth of around £2.5bn – but access to much more with his Saudi and sporting connections, which include being an advisor to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Daily Mail reports talks have been held between Turki Alalshikh and Millwall over investment in the Championship side.
Billionaire Turki Alalshikh in talks with West Ham’s rivals Millwall
It is claimed the billionaire has been looking to invest in an English club for around two years.
Last month Hammers News reported that a US consortium want to invest big in West Ham’s neighbours Leyton Orient.
Their plans include a state-of-the-art training ground among other things.
News Millwall could now get an ambitious takeover will undoubtedly put pressure on Sullivan to sell up at West Ham amid the US takeover claims.
Turki Alalshikh taking over Millwall would make a Premier League reunion with the Hammers much more likely.
But seeing their fiercest rivals backed by Saudi money will have many West Ham fans fearing they could soon be left behind with Kretinsky seemingly uninterested in a full takeover.