Shaq rumored to be interested in West Ham investment
Former NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is reportedly eyeing a potential piece of West Ham. Reports out of England claim that the superstar became enthralled with the club after a recent visit across the pond. According to the assertions, Shaq attended a match at West Ham’s London Stadium during the 2023/24 campaign. The former basketball star had a great time at the game.
Assuming the deal does get finalized, Shaq would be next in a long line of American Premier League investors. Clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United are all currently owned by billionaires hailing from the United States.
However, prominent American sports stars have flocked to England to invest in soccer teams as well. For instance, LeBron James became a minority owner of Liverpool back in 2011 after purchasing 2% of the team. He then increased his shares of the Reds a decade later. NFL stars such as Tom Brady and J.J. Watt also invested in English clubs in 2023 as well. Brady bought a small portion of Birmingham City and Watt invested in Burnley.
Select shares of West Ham are currently for sale
While rumors are circulating regarding Shaq’s interest in West Ham, team insiders claim to be unaware of a potential deal. Sources supposedly say that there are no current discussions between the two sides. This, however, does not necessarily mean that the retired NBA star will not eventually make a move.
A portion of the Hammers is up for sale. Vanessa Gold owns these shares. West Ham, unlike many other big European teams, has an array of owners. David Sullivan is currently the club’s top shareholder with a 39% stake in the team. Nevertheless, several other investors hold fairly significant chunks of the top-flight team as well.
The Gold family, led by Vanessa, reportedly owns just over 25% of West Ham. This makes the current co-chair of the club the third-biggest investor at the helm. Despite her position with the Hammers, potential investors would be purchasing at least a portion of Gold’s stake in the club.
A potential move for a slice of Hammers makes sense for Shaq
While West Ham ownership is actively shopping shares of the team, a deal is not close. Investors are also not expected to take over a majority stronghold of the club either. This means that an investor such as Shaq would seemingly work out well. The popular American figure likely could not afford to buy the entire team but would be able to purchase select shares.
Along with raking in serious money during his NBA career, Shaq has also made several successful business ventures off of the court. The beloved basketball star was reportedly an early investor in Google and Ring doorbells. He also currently owns several restaurant franchises including Papa John’s, Krispy Kreme and Five Guys.
Outside of the business aspect of the club, West Ham is embracing significant changes ahead of the 2024/25 season. Team officials recently chose not to offer former manager David Moyes a new contract. As a result, the Hammers then hired former Real Madrid and Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui to take the reins. The club will play two summer friendlies in the United States before beginning their Premier League campaign against Aston Villa on August 17.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.