Moyes on billionaire West Ham investment as Jordan tells owners to take money and run

Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky, estimated to be worth around £3billion, is understood to be in 'advanced talks' with West Ham over purchasing a minority stake in the club.

It's claimed current owners David Gold and David Sullivan are in talks to sell a 27 per cent stake of the club to Kretinsky - who also has stakes in the Royal Mail and Sainsbury's and is chairman and majority shareholder of Czech side Sparta Prague.

The deal is said to be worth £150million, and will include the option of a full takeover in the future.

The Hammers have yet to formally comment on the potential deal, which would surely boost Moyes' transfer kitty if it went through.

When quizzed on the talks at his pre-match press conference, Moyes said he was in the dark, but admitted he feels something is on the horizon.

"[I've heard] just the same rumours you have heard," said the Hammers boss ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

"I do not know any more than you know but it sounds as if something is happening, yes."

If the deal goes through, it's likely to spell the beginning of the end of Gold and Sullivan's reign in charge of the east London club.

With the initial 27 per cent rumoured to be worth £150million, it means a full club takeover would be valued at about £600million.

That would represent a huge profit for the duo, who teamed up to buy 86 per cent of West Ham for a total of £86m.

If West Ham are sold to Kretinsky in 2023, as reportedly planned, for around £600m, Gold and Sullivan stand to make a combined £300m on their investments, having loaned money to the club and taken on extra debt.

And talkSPORT's Simon Jordan has advised Gold and Sullivan to take the money and run!

Speaking to Jim White, Jordan said: "27 per cent takes away the controlling influence of the business from Gold and Sullivan. If they've got the bulk of the shareholding - anything above 75 per cent enables you to do what you want but with 73 per cent there's a different structure.

"If I had listened to what they had listened to, I would run like a bandit… they're never going to change the perspective of people, it will always be the team will be supported but David Gold and David Sullivan can do one as far as the fans are concerned.

"If their motivation was to own a football club that would pay them back and gave them a big fat turn as well as it being a club they purport to support, then they're in that territory.

"But I think if West Ham continue to progress and continue to build - build the stadium up to 62,500, build themselves up as a football club then a £600million valuation may be below the level that football clubs can attract."

The move has been backed by talkSPORT's Gabby Agbonlahor, who believes West Ham are in a perfect position to attract investment of Kretinsky's financial muscle.

Agbonlahor went onto label the east Londoners as the capital's second-biggest club, bigger than Arsenal and Tottenham.

He told talkSPORT: "If I was a billionaire I'd be thinking the club is in a perfect place. A great squad, a great manager at the moment.

"They look like a team that's going to keep getting into the European places. They're looking a real good outfit, West Ham.

"Apart from Chelsea, they're the biggest club in London. They've overtaken Arsenal, they've overtaken Spurs - and Brentford and Watford!

"But they've now got to hang onto Declan Rice, hang onto Michail Antonio, hang onto Aaron Creswell, hang onto these players and add more to their squad.

"Why can't they start looking at top four?"