Daniel Kretinsky is set to become West Ham’s biggest shareholder after agreeing a deal to buy an additional stake in the club from the Gold family.

Kretinsky is set to increase his share to 43 per cent, exceeding the current 38.8 per cent owned by David Sullivan, who resigned as joint chairman last Saturday after being informed that historic allegations of misconduct were about to be published.

Kretinsky and Vanessa Gold, who inherited her father David Gold’s interest in the club when he died in 2023, said in a joint statement that the the move will strengthen the Hammers’ bid to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

The statement read: “We have reached an agreement on the key terms of a share purchase transaction between the Gold family and 1890 Holdings (part of the broader group EP), which, subject to other shareholders’ pre-emption rights and necessary approvals, would make 1890 Holdings the largest shareholder in West Ham with an approximately 43 per cent stake.

“As the largest shareholder, group EP will be able to provide the additional financing the club needs.

“We expect to finalise this transaction in the next couple of weeks. Once the agreement is complete, group EP and the Gold family have also agreed to vote jointly on key matters and to support the strategy targeting an immediate return to the Premier League.”