West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has released a statement denying that both he and his business partner David Gold are seeking to sell shares in the London club.
A report by the Daily Express this morning said that the pair were seeking to sell a stake in the club to recoup some of the money they have invested in West Ham, although they were seeking to remain board members. Speaking to West Ham’s official website today, Sullivan denied the claims as “utterly false”:
“It is no secret that both David Gold and I see our long term futures as custodians of West Ham United.We have never once viewed West Ham United as a short term project and plan to be here for many, many years, bringing further progress to the club on and off the pitch, and success to our loyal supporters. It disappoints me to see an article published that is so utterly false.”
West Ham were reportedly the subject of a £650million bid last summer, but soft drinks manufacturer Red Bull have subsequently denied that they were the bidder. In January, Red Bull’s Global Head of Soccer Oliver Mintzlaff told ESPN that he can “”completely rule it out” after being asked about any future offer for the club.
Sullivan and Gold have been owners of West Ham since they bought a majority share in the club back in 2010.