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- Daniel Kretinsky is considering making a roughly £100 million loan to help West Ham United buy new players.

- West Ham has been losing money and is facing a sizable revenue drop after being relegated from the Premier League.

- Kretinsky agreed a deal to increase his shareholding in the club from around 27% to 43% and plans to "provide the additional financing the club need

(Bloomberg) -- Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire who is set to become the largest shareholder in West Ham United, is considering making a roughly £100 million ($132 million) loan to help the English football club buy new players, people familiar with the matter said.

West Ham has been losing money and the London-based team is facing a sizable revenue drop after being relegated from the Premier League. As a result, Kretinsky is looking to provide it with the financial firepower to recruit fresh talent who can help it quickly return to the world’s most lucrative football league, the people said.

The exact amount that Kretinsky could lend is still under discussion, according to one of the people, who asked not to be named discussing private information.

Spokespeople for Kretinsky and West Ham declined to comment.

In June, Kretinsky agreed a deal to increase his shareholding in the club from around 27% to 43% by acquiring shares from Vanessa Gold, daughter of the late West Ham director David Gold. The deal establishes Kretinsky as the club’s largest investor and, according to a statement at the time, will allow him to “provide the additional financing the club needs.”

West Ham’s pre-tax losses widened from £58.5 million to £108.8 million in the year ending May 31, 2025, according to accounts filed with Companies House in the UK, in part because of lower profit on the sale of players.

But the club could be about to receive a large boost from the sale of Mateus Fernandes to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur FC for a reported £85 million. Other big sales may follow as West Ham has a number of top players who will likely want to continue competing in the Premier League.

“Our goal is to stabilize West Ham, retain as many of our key players as possible and, under the management of Nuno Espírito Santo, secure an immediate return to the Premier League,” Kretinsky and Vanessa Gold said in a joint statement last month.

Kretinsky’s share purchase followed a shake-up on the West Ham board after David Sullivan resigned as chairman in the wake of allegations of historic sex abuse. Sullivan denies the allegation.

West Ham has just revealed that more than 42,000 season tickets have been bought by loyal fans for next season — securing the club more much-needed revenue.