A long-running battle between West Ham and rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a top Graham Potter target has reached a surprising conclusion after a stunning late twist.
What happens next will be very interesting – and concerning for one of the rivals – as the Hammers and Spurs appear to be shopping in the same market.
Tottenham’s Europa League triumph is not only painful for West Ham’s fans.
It is also a real problem for West Ham’s manager Graham Potter and the board too, with Champions League football – and the extra £80-100m revenue it brings – giving the club’s fierce rivals a major leg up in the transfer market.
The Hammers have already lost their Spurs-specific chant ‘We’ll be running around Tottenham with our European cup singing I’ve got a trophy haven’t you’.
They looked on course to lose out to Tottenham in a battle for one of Potter’s prime targets too.
West Ham and Spurs on collision course for signings
West Ham have made it clear sales are needed to fund signings this summer due to PSR.
Despite being among the most profitable clubs in Europe, Daniel Levy has put it on record that Spurs might have to sell to buy too, recently stating: ‘we can’t spend what we don’t have’.
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As a result, a lively free agent market is particularly attractive to both West Ham and Tottenham in this crucial summer transfer window.
Forget Spurs’ Europa League win, they were the worst team in the Premier League outside the abysmal bottom three last season.
West Ham were not much better, finishing 14th.
Big improvements need to be made in east and north London and free agents Jonathan David and Angelo Gomes have been top targets for the Irons and Spurs.
In fact Potter asked West Ham’s owners to bring him David and Gomes this summer when he first took over in January.
The Englishman pledged they would help transform West Ham overnight.
West Ham held negotiations with Gomes’ agents. But they hit a brick wall when the player said he would not make any decisions until he had finished the season with Lille.
Since then it is Spurs who have emerged as Gomes’ most likely destination.
Stunning late twist to West Ham and Spurs battle as deal agreed
It was claimed Edmonton-born England star Gomes would choose Tottenham over West Ham if Ange Postecoglou’s side secured Champions League football.
Now there has been a stunning twist to the West Ham and Spurs battle for the star Potter loves as a deal has been agreed.
And what happens next will be very interesting – and worrying for West Ham.
French journalist Fabrice Hawkins has revealed Gomes has now snubbed both Tottenham and West Ham to reach a ‘preliminary agreement’ with Marseille.
It is claimed Gomes has agreed in principle to sign a three-year deal with Lille’s Ligue 1 rivals.
But the potential domino effect is just as concerning.
And it is claimed Roberto De Zerbi’s style of play – combined with Champions League football – won Gomes over as he chose Marseille over Spurs and the Hammers.
Hawkins states Marseille aim to finalise the deal this week.
On the one hand this is good news for West Ham as they are not missing out to their rivals for a top target.
But with both clubs looking for players in the same position, the threat of Spurs will now loom large over Potter’s alternatives.
The Hammers will be wary of Tottenham turning to Club Brugge star Raphael Onyedika, who has been in ‘positive’ early talks with West Ham.
Hammers will worry Spurs may pounce for top alternative
Onyedika is West Ham’s alternative to Gomes and a much more physically imposing midfielder than the diminutive Marseille-bound player.
The 24-year-old Nigerian, who has been compared to Moises Caicedo, looks better equipped for the Premier League and has made it clear he wants to move to England.
With Tottenham able to offer Champions League football, the Hammers will just need to hope their rivals don’t turn attentions to Onyedika.
Because the Hammers’ head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay is standing by Onyedika as West Ham’s top priority.
The big issue is West Ham can’t complete what’s expected to be a £17m move until they have sold players.
That leaves the door open for others to pounce. And with Spurs missing out on Gomes, that is a very worrying scenario for the Hammers.