Billionaire Křetinský reportedly close to buying significant stake in West Ham

Czech billionaire Daniel Křetinský is reported to be in advanced talks to buy a 27 percent stake in the London-based English Premier League football club West Ham United. Mr. Křetinský also owns the Czech club Sparta Prague and has major stakes in the UK companies Royal Mail and J Sainsbury.

Sky News reported that the transaction could be announced the first weekend in November and quoted financiers as saying the deal would include an option to take full control of West Ham after an unspecified period.