Charles Sale in the Daily Mail says that West Ham United are the most likely club to be targeted by the Qatari Investment Authority (QIA).
Talking to a member of the investment group, who also happens to be leader of the World Cup 2022 organising committee, Sales quoted Hassam Al-Thawadi as saying that an investment at a Premier League club is “likely”:
“I can see it happening down the road. It’s likely. There’s such a passion for football and the Premier League in particular. Everyone on the street has an opinion.”
The QIA already own the Olympic village, and it would seem a logical next step to invest in the club that has taken residence at the nearby local stadium. Qatar already own one football club in Paris Saint-Germain but it doesn’t necessarily follow that the QIA wants to buyout another club, rather they maybe more keen on a sponsorship deal, with naming rights to the London Stadium or Tottenham’s new White Hart Lane mooted.
West Ham owners David Gold and David Sullivan have always vehemently denied links to Qatari investment in the past but it looks almost inevitable that the QIA will make some attempt at investing in the future considering Al-Thawadi’s comments and their investment already in the local area around the ground.
