West Ham are surely the mystery club at the centre of a major new claim from Sky Sports’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol.
West Ham have been making big headlines again regarding a potential takeover.
Speculation the Hammers could change hands or be subject to a buy-in has been ever-present since the move to the London Stadium nine years ago.
A leading Times journalist revealed there could be a change of ownership at West Ham in an update last month.
The latest claims of a US bid for West Ham have more substance than usual, though.
West Ham takeover talk reignites
Because West Ham have confirmed the US bid talks which, it has been reported, could result in a coup to overthrow David Sullivan from the inside.
Because the man greasing the wheels for the US West Ham bid was unmasked as the club’s existing stakeholder Albert Tripp Smith – who already owns an eight per cent stake.
After former Hammers co-owner David Gold and his daughter Jacqueline sadly passed away, his surviving daughter Vanessa put the family’s stake in the club up for sale in October 2023.
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That has only just exited probate recently, hence the acceleration of interest and early talks with the US bidder.
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
It has been revealed that mounting debts at Gold’s company Ann Summers is forcing them to sell their entire 25.1 per cent stake in the Hammers.
A top club source has revealed a billionaire co-owner of an NFL outfit is looking at a West Ham takeover.
It comes on the same day pressure was piled on Sullivan after a shock Millwall Saudi takeover revelation.
However, there may now be another twist to that particular story that wouldn’t go down well with the Hammers’ arch rivals.
Because West Ham are surely the mystery club Kaveh Solhekol claims want Saudi billionaire talks.
Saudi investors are reportedly in shock early talks with Millwall.
And world famous billionaire face of boxing Turki Alalshikh is at the heart of a potential deal.
West Ham the mystery club Solhekol claims want Saudi talks?
Turki Alalshikh, who has a personal net worth of around £2.5bn, has been looking to invest in an English club for around two years.
News Millwall could be in line to benefit from the Saudi gravy train has raised eyebrows – and tensions – among West Ham fans.
Surely, many Hammers supporters have pondered, it should be their club investors are looking at.
Especially given West Ham are in the Premier League, have a huge fanbase, a 62,500-seater stadium and a quarter of the club is officially on the market.
Well perhaps the Hammers are courting Turki Alalshikh too.
Because Solhekol has made a fascinating new claim and all roads point to West Ham.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
“Championship clubs and at least one Premier League club have approached Saudi Arabian billionaire Turki Alalshikh seeking investment,” Solhekols said.
“The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority has a wide range of business interests but has never invested in English football. That could be about to change with a growing number of Championship clubs attempting to attract Saudi investors to help them win promotion to the Premier League.
“Alalshikh has become one of the most influential powerbrokers in sport after staging some of boxing’s biggest bouts. Until last week he also owned Spanish club Almeria. He bought them in a £20m deal in the summer of 2019. Ownership of the club was transferred to Saudi investment group SMC last Friday.”
This surely has the Hammers written all over it.
Any of the so-called big six can be instantly ruled out of the equation as the mystery Premier League club asking for Turki Alalshikh’s investment.
Both promoted clubs, Burnley and Leeds, have ambitious American owners who would not be looking to sell after returning to the top flight.
All roads point to West Ham after Turki Alalshikh plea
And the other promoted club is yet to be decided, ruling them out.
Saudi-backed Newcastle already have the richest owners of any sporting institution on the planet.
Indeed Turki Alalshikh is merely an advisor to their ultimate supremo, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Aston Villa have wealthy, ambitious owners and are a club on the up-and-up, which discounts them.
Evangelos Marinakis is deeply passionate about Forest and has helped get them back into Europe – so he is going nowhere.
Brighton and Brentford are two of the best run clubs in the Premier League and not looking for any outside influence.
Fulham, Bournemouth and Everton also have ambitious American owners – ruling them out too.
Wolves and Palace might be potential possibilities in this so-called mystery.
But all ends up it looks like it could be the Hammers given the circumstances – with West Ham in need of an injection of funds with £80m losses looming in their next accounts.
One to watch perhaps for the Hammers.