Kretinsky, who bought his initial stake in West Ham in November 2021, and Gold, whose late father David was Sullivan’s long-term business partner, said their vision for West Ham’s future is being backed by fellow shareholders Tripp Smith, Daniel Harris and Terry Brown.
“We are taking these steps because West Ham needs to be truly united at this moment in its history,” they said.
“We expect to finalise this transaction in the next couple of weeks.
“Once the agreement is complete, group EP and the Gold family have also agreed to vote jointly on key matters and to support the strategy targeting an immediate return to the Premier League.”
Despite failing to keep West Ham in the Premier League, manager Nuno Espirito Santo has agreed to remain in his job to try and gain promotion from the Championship, a feat he achieved with Wolves in 2018.
It remains to be seen what the immediate impact of the deal will have on Nuno’s squad.
West Ham lost £104.2m in the financial year to 31 May, 2025 and are heading for another substantial deficit this year.
It was anticipated a number of their leading players would leave the club, including Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who is attracting strong interest from Manchester United, although they are unwilling to spend the £80m West Ham are thought to want for him.
Given his personal wealth – he also owns a significant stake in supermarket chain Sainsbury’s – Kretinsky has the funds to inject into West Ham if needed and, together with Gold, is determined to return to the top flight at the earliest opportunity.
However, the pair are also wanting to rebuild relationships with the club’s fans, who have previously launched repeated protests against Sullivan and former vice-chair Karren Brady over the running of the club.
“Our goal is to stabilise West Ham, retain as many of our key players as possible and, under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, secure an immediate return to the Premier League,” said the statement.
“We are also committed to engaging with our fans and all business partners to build a stronger future for our club.
“We believe that a strong coalition – of fans, players, management and the board – is essential to securing the bright future this club deserves. We are absolutely committed to playing our part.”
