Talks underway as sporting legend eyes ‘serious’ West Ham investment

West Ham could be in line for a surprise investment from NBA-legend Shaquille O’Neal, according to The Sun.

The 52-year-old ex-La Lakers star attended a game at the London Stadium towards the end of last season and as a result, has shown a serious interest in investing in the club.

O’Neal has become something of a serial investor since retiring from Basketball in 2011. He has invested in the likes of Ring, Google, Lyft, Reebok, Forever 21, Pepsi and Apple, as well as numerous franchises with the likes of Krispy Kreme, Papa John’s and Five Guys. On top of that, he is a successful Basketball broadcaster in the United States, leading to him having a reported net worth of over $500m.

And now he’s looking to further expand his portfolio by joining the ever expanding list of American celebrities and sports stars to have invested in English football clubs.

NFL superstar Tom Brady has a stake in Birmingham City, actor Will Ferrell is invested in Leeds United, while fellow actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have famously bought and revitalised Wrexham. Meanwhile, basketball star LeBron James owns a 2% stake in Liverpool.

As reported by The Sun, a source said: “Shaq loves British football and he has been talking about putting some serious cash into the club.

“He went to a game at the end of the season and loved it. It’s now a case of whether the financials stack up for him.”

“Shaq is really interested in what deal he could strike.”

It’s unlikely Shaquille O’Neal is thinking of taking full control of the club, but the possibility of large investment will no doubt be attractive to the current ownership. Current financial fair play and profit and sustainability laws within the game would make any serious investment an attractive proposition for any Premier League club.

Whose share of the pie O’Neal eats into as a result remains to be seen. Currently, David Sullivan owns a controlling 38.8% stake, with Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky owns 27% of the club. David Gold’s daughter, Vanessa Gold, owns 25.1% and American investor Albert ‘Tripp’ Smith owns 8%.