After 14 years came and went without a West Ham United player leaving for London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, two have crossed the divide now in six months – Mohammed Kudus and Elisha Sowunmi.
Of course, one transfer will create a lot more headlines than the other.
West Ham convinced Tottenham to part with £54.5 million when Mohammed Kudus followed in the footsteps of Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick and Scott Parker back in July.
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Spurs boss Thomas Frank had clear concerns about the Ghana international’s end product. Kudus scored only five times in 35 matches during his final season at the London Stadium, after all. If his destination wasn’t Tottenham, one suspects this would have been a sale West Ham may have got quite a bit of credit for; £50 million-plus for an attacker who averaged a goal every seven games.
Albeit at Under-18 level, goalscoring is certainly not something Elisha Sowunmi has struggled with.
The teenage winger finished as the top scorer for West Ham at his age group in 2024/25. But, despite the fact he signed professional terms just weeks before Kudus’ exit, Sowunmi has made the switch across London to Tottenham himself.
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The 18-year-old joined the Hammers’ bitter rivals for an undisclosed fee on Friday.
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Thus, bringing an end to a decade in claret and blue. What was it that convinced Sowunmi to leave West Ham for Spurs just as he was rising through the ranks?
Well, according to the youngster himself, Sowunmi has admired Tottenham from afar for quite a while now. The man who assisted both of Josh Ajala’s goals in the Premier League Cup final triumph over Reading in May 2025 clearly believes Wayne Burnett – Spurs’ Under-21 coach – is the man to help him realise his vast potential.
“I’m really excited to be here. I know a lot about the club from playing against them over the years; it’s a great club with a lot of history, so I’m really, really excited to be here,” Sowunmi said during his unveiling, in a video posted by Chris Cowlin.
“I’m an attacking player who can play across the front three. I want to get on the ball, be exciting, get the crowd on their feet, and provide goals and assists – just trying to entertain the crowd, really!
“Every time I’ve watched Spurs across all age groups, they are a very, very attacking team who want to take the game to the opposition. I definitely think I can fit into that, and that profile is definitely something I’m excited about.”
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According to Fabrizio Romano, the aforementioned Josh Ajala could leave West Ham too before the close of the window. Talks have been held with clubs in Germany and France.
Nuno Espirito Santo is keen to give youth a chance in East London – Mohamadou Kante, Ezra Mayers, Callum Marshall and Freddie Potts have all made Premier League debuts this season – but it appears that some in the academy harbour doubts about whether the path to first-team football really exists.
“Coming to a club like Spurs… it’s a huge club,” Sowunmi adds. “I’m excited to start. There are a lot of good people here and teammates I knew before I came, which always makes it easier to settle in. I’m really, really excited. The place is unbelievable!
“Targets? Definitely to play as much as possible, as much as I can. To win – I love to win. Especially at this club as well, [winning] is definitely a huge target. [I want] just to be happy and to express myself.
“I feel we are in a good position right now. The way Wayne [Burnett] wants the team to play fits into how I want to play; a possession-based team. So, I definitely feel like I can add some skills and flair and impact the game.”