The NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal , is reportedly in talks to buy a stake in the Premier League club West Ham United, located in London, England. The 52-year-old loved watching the Hammers play at the end of the 2023-24 season, and afterwards, he has shown his interest in putting some serious cash into the English club.
In recent years, there have been a lot of celebrity investments in English football, including Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney acquiring Wrexham in 2021. The NFL stars Tom Brady and JJ Watt have also poured money into Birmingham City and Burnley respectively.
As per the report from the Sun, a source spoke to them about how much Shaquille O’Neal wants to invest in West Ham United. “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,” remarked the source.
Notably, West Ham United finished the Premier League season in ninth place, just 12 months after winning the UEFA Europa Conference League. The manager David Moyes also left the club last month, and his place was taken by Julen Lopetegui.
Moreover, during his NBA career, Shaquille O’Neal won the championship four times, becoming the finals MVP from 2000-02. He also became an NBA All-Star 15 times in his career, winning the MVP award thrice.