Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi have opened exploratory talks to acquire West Ham United, according to reports. The couple, through their investment firm PCP Capital Partners, have been seeking fresh football investments since leaving Newcastle in the summer of 2024. Their interest in West Ham comes after the club was recently relegated from the Premier League to the Championship.
Staveley's Track Record at Newcastle
Staveley, alongside the Reuben brothers, played a key role in the Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed takeover of Newcastle United in October 2021. During her two-and-a-half years at the club, Newcastle transformed from a relegation-threatened side to a team that reached a cup final and qualified for the Champions League. Staveley was widely regarded as the public face of the ownership.
This rags-to-riches challenge appeals to Staveley, who sees similar potential in West Ham. The club boasts a 62,500-capacity London Stadium and won the Europa Conference League as recently as 2023.
New Global Fund and Ambitions
Speaking to Spear's Magazine, Staveley revealed that her focus has been on raising a new sports and media fund. "Our main focus has been on the raising of our new sports and media fund and investing that money," she said. "It's a global fund. We've got some fantastic general partners. We've got the Reuben Brothers with us again which is really exciting."
Staveley emphasized her desire to replicate the Newcastle journey: "We're very proud of the work we did with PIF that we did with Newcastle and we're trying to kind of replicate that journey. So we're looking for really opportunistic assets that you can buy well, invest well, eventually exit."
She added that the key to football success is getting the right football results: "Anyone going into football, I can tell you it's really tough. It's hard work, it is exhausting - there are great highs and great lows but you've got to get the buying right, you've got to get the selling right, you've got to get the investment right."
Interest in Other Clubs and West Ham's Appeal
Staveley confirmed that PCP Capital Partners has looked at multiple clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur. "We've looked at a lot of clubs including Tottenham, but we are looking at clubs around the Premier League and the UK, Europe and you know we're hoping and we really want to be buying and going in and investing into a club again very soon hopefully," she said.
When asked about West Ham, Staveley replied: "Maybe, there are amazing clubs around. Again, great brands, same thing, same story. Both my husband and I were attracted to building a business where we can take a brand that isn't doing so well, a club that isn't performing well, get it on the right road and bring that forward."
West Ham's Current Ownership
West Ham's ownership is currently led by majority shareholder David Sullivan (38.8 per cent), Daniel Kretinsky (27 per cent), and other investors including the Gold Family Trust (25.1 per cent). Sullivan stepped down as joint-chairman and director earlier this month ahead of allegations concerning his personal life being published in the press.
