Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has dropped an interesting claim on Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky and his ambition to take full ownership of West Ham United in future.

The Lowdown: Kretinsky in talks...

Right at the end of last month, some huge off-field news emerged with The Athletic revealing that Kretinsky had entered advanced talks to buy a 27 per cent minority stake in West Ham.

The deal had apparently been 'months in the making' and 'would therefore spell the beginning of the end' of the hugely mixed GSB era in east London (The Athletic).

David Gold, David Sullivan, and Karren Brady's ownership has been met with fierce protests among West Ham fans in recent years and especially after their decision to leave the Boleyn Ground.

In a financial boost for the club, Kretinsky's acquisition of a minority share, now confirmed, is reportedly worth around £700 million (Daily Express).

While the 46-year-old has bought a smaller stake in the club than GSB's, it is believed that the “Czech Sphinx” may eventually seek to fully takeover in future with that option understood to be included in the deal (The Daily Mail).

The Latest: Brown shares interesting update...

Making an interesting claim on Kretinsky's plans to fully takeover West Ham at a later date, Brown has backed that he is 'serious' about doing so after what he's been 'told' - but insists there is one 'problem'.

"We are told that he is serious about one day owning the club in full," he explained to GMS.

"The problem there is that even though there does appear to be an option in the deal, nobody knows how that option could be activated.

"While the option may be there and we are told he's serious about being West Ham's owner at some point, it doesn't seem like that's a massive priority for him in the short-term."

The Verdict: Blow for supporters?

GSB's reign has been met with scrutiny both on and off the field and it's safe to say a fair few West Ham fans would possibly prefer Kretinsky's full takeover at some point.

His personal wealth sits at an eye-watering £3 billion as the Czech magnate is already tipped to inject some much-needed cash transfer funds into the club, even with just a minority stake.

Sources with knowledge of Kretinsky's background, like football pundit Jiri Hosek, also believe that West Ham fans can 'optimistic' about the prospect of him one day taking full ownership of the club - citing his financial transparency and lack of question marks over his fortune (Radio Prague).

Taking into account Brown's claim, however, we believe fans may well have to be satisfied with Kretinsky's cash injection for now.

In other news: Journalist hints West Ham move for 'world class' 32-goal striker could now be on the cards, find out more here.