Vanessa Gold has agreed to sell her family’s 25.1% holding in West Ham United to a consortium led by former Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley, her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, and PCP Capital Partners, in partnership with Ashland Forest Capital Partners. The group said a legally binding agreement has been signed, though the sale remains subject to a pre-emption process that gives existing shareholders the option to buy the shares instead.
Gold, who became joint-chair of West Ham after her father David Gold’s death in 2023, said she reached the decision with the club’s long-term interests in mind. She paid tribute to her father’s legacy and said she had been proud to continue his work as a lifelong fan, youth-player and owner. Gold also confirmed earlier discussions, including a June 12 agreement with Daniel Kretinsky that would have made EP Group the club’s largest shareholder, were not completed, which prompted her to pursue the current deal.
In a statement the Staveley-led group confirmed the purchase and added that no further comment will be made while the legal pre-emption process runs its course. Sky Sports News reported the consortium has assembled substantial funding for the transaction.
West Ham’s official statement reiterated the same points: the club is aware of Gold’s provisional agreement to sell to the consortium, and the proposed transaction will now proceed through the pre-emption rights process. That procedure gives existing shareholders the chance, in round one, to purchase their proportional share of the offered stock and, in round two, to acquire any remaining shares. The club said the process will take around two months and that nothing will change in the ownership structure while it runs.
The club also stressed that day-to-day operations and preparations for the new season are unaffected and that supporters should expect no disruption. West Ham added it will make no further comment while the pre-emption process is under way.
Gold said she believes Staveley, Ghodoussi and PCP Capital Partners bring the experience needed to help West Ham reach its potential and return to the Premier League. She confirmed she will continue to act in the club’s best interests while the sale process proceeds.
Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi were prominent figures in the consortium that facilitated the 2021 sale of Newcastle United to a Saudi-backed group; during their involvement Newcastle rose from relegation candidates to Champions League qualification, and after their departure in summer 2024 the club went on to win the Carabao Cup.
West Ham were relegated at the end of the last season and will begin their Championship campaign at Burnley on August 16. Supporters have been assured the football side of the club will continue to prepare for the new season with focus and diligence despite the ongoing ownership process.