Tensions are already boiling over between West Ham and rivals Tottenham Hotspur as a key David Sullivan ally hits out at Daniel Levy in a twist to Mohammed Kudus talks.
What started as unwelcome transfer discussions on West Ham’s part has now taken an ugly twist, sparking fresh friction between the two clubs.
There is a reason West Ham and Tottenham have not done any business whatsoever over the last 14 years.
You would be hard-pressed to find a Premier League club owner or chairman as unpopular with their own fanbase as David Sullivan and Daniel Levy are at West Ham and Spurs.
Putting the pair in negotiations over a multi-million pound deal is asking for trouble.
And so it has proved – again.
Fireworks guaranteed as Sullivan and Levy clash over Kudus
The last players to move between the Hammers and Spurs were David Bentley, on loan from north to east London, and Scott Parker leaving for Tottenham – both back in 2011.
There was almost a deal struck between Levy and the Irons 10 years ago.
But a very public row erupted between the two clubs when the Tottenham chief pulled the plug on a West Ham deal for Emmanuel Adebayor in 2015.
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West Ham co-owner at the time, David Gold – who sadly passed away in 2023 – delivered an icy blast at Levy after he reneged on a deadline day deal.
“No matter how hard you try, there are people out there that you just can’t do business with,” Gold said of Levy on social media.
Since then there has also been a bitter fallout between West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady and Levy.
The former close friends no longer speak after a spying scandal targeting Brady’s phone played out in the courts during the battle for the London Stadium.
Now Tottenham are trying to take advantage of West Ham’s shocking financial situation to sign Mohammed Kudus.
And tensions are already fraught.
West Ham fans realise Kudus has to be sold to raise funds for Graham Potter to make signings.
Sullivan ally takes aim at Levy as Kudus talks turn ugly
But Hammers supporters are furious at the prospect of selling Kudus to Spurs after the club admitted it may be forced to break the unofficial transfer embargo between the sides.
It was claimed yesterday that Spurs were advancing in negotiations with Kudus and West Ham.
Although the possibility of Chelsea making a move to derail Tottenham’s Kudus bid is still alive.
Many predicted putting Levy and Sullivan, who has reprised his role as West Ham’s de facto director of football, back in touch would produce fireworks.
And they haven’t disappointed.
Because a key Sullivan ally has taken aim at Levy as West Ham and Spurs talks over Kudus turn ugly.
Reports have been rife that Tottenham have made bids to West Ham for Kudus and that the transfer is in the works.
It has also been claimed that Kudus is open to joining West Ham’s bitter rivals Spurs.
The reality is very different according to a close confidant of Hammers chief Sullivan.
Spurs fans are already angry they have missed out on Antoine Semenyo and look set to lose to Arsenal in the battle for Eberechi Eze.
Now prominent Hammers insider Sean Whetstone, who is close with Sullivan and Brady, has made a shocking new revelation about the Kudus talks with Tottenham which will put Levy under even more pressure in north London.
‘Levy up to his old tricks’ says top Hammers insider
Whetstone has been told by his top West Ham sources that there has been no formal approach or bid from Spurs for Kudus.
West Ham insiders have told Whetstone that the club has not given permission for Spurs to approach Kudus after the likes of Fabrizio Romano claimed talks have been held between them and the player’s agents.
And the key Sullivan ally says his club sources allege ‘Levy is up to his old tricks by playing the Kudus deal out in the media’ using agents to get around rules over tapping up’.
The news will surely now open the door for other interested parties.