West Ham Allegedly Turned Down Attempted Red Bull Takeover in August

West Ham United reportedly turned town a takeover attempt from the Red Bull group worth a potential £650 million in August. 

According to Jack de Menezes of The Independent, the company is seeking to link up with a club in the Premier League having purchased stakes in teams from Germany, the United States and Brazil.  

However, Hammers co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan are said to have rejected an offer to acquire the Olympic Stadium club, according to the latter’s son, Jack Sullivan:

In a statement on the club’s official website, Sullivan Sr. noted there is no intent to cash in on their part.

“We did have a tentative approach to buy the Club for £650 million from external investors in August this year, but I want to reiterate that we, the current owners, have NO DESIRE to sell the Club unless it is to somebody like the King of Saudi Arabia who can take it to a level we cannot ourselves hope to reach,” he said.

When asked about the reports linking Red Bull with a possible acquisition, Gold suggested there have been no talks held between the two parties:

As noted by De Menezes, Red Bull have been linked with takeovers of various clubs throughout English football, including Leeds United, Brentford, Charlton Athletic and Swindon Town.

Per the report, West Ham were recently valued at £200 million following the club’s relocation from the Boleyn Ground to the Olympic Stadium.

Red Bull’s influence is becoming increasingly prominent in world football. The company purchased Austrian side SV Salzburg in 2005 and immediately changed the name of the club to incorporate the brand name.

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The most high-profile involvement currently is in that of RB Leipzig, known SSV Markranstadt in 2007 before being acquired by Red Bull. The team has enjoyed four promotions since and were recently top of the Bundesliga after a fine start to 2016-17, although the nature of their rise has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many supporters.

West Ham endured a torrid beginning to the Premier League season, as they struggled to acclimatise to their new home. However, they’ve rediscovered some form as of late, winning their last three games in succession, including a 4-1 hammering of Swansea City on Boxing Day.

Sullivan Jr. has a reputation for posting revealing information on social media, confirming details behind the loan deal of Simone Zaza from Juventus in the summer.

However, in 2015 he told his followers the last hour of the January transfer window was going to be an “interesting” one for Hammers fans. After West Ham failed to bring anyone aboard in the timeframe, Sullivan suggested eight potential deals had fallen through at the last minute.