West Ham beats Nottingham Forest to sign £795m target, as confirmed by his agent after victory!” DONE DEAL…

The latest financial news from the United States could theoretically have a major bearing on a potential West Ham takeover.

The Hammers are currently seeking fresh investment, which would likely come in the form of a minority acquisition.

Vanessa Gold, the widow of the late David Gold, is looking to sell a chunk of her shares.

At one stage, it looked as though Czech multibillionaire Daniel Kretinsky would take full control of the club, but the 27 per cent shareholder has not exercised his option to buy a majority stake.

Vice-chairman Karren Brady recently set out to the Middle East to court potential investors, but that trip is not believed to have yielded many leads.

One more left-field option has emerged in recent days.

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is reportedly keen to invest in West Ham, although this would almost certainly be a token investment in the style of Tom Brady at Birmingham or Will Ferrell at Leeds United.

Now, the latest financial news from across the pond may mean that the mergers and acquisitions market could be about to shrink, with consequences for West Ham.

Every time a Premier League club is for sale or seeking investment, the same groups of investors crop up.

In recent years, the two biggest shoppers have been Gulf state sovereign wealth funds and American private equity firms.