West Ham have been plunged into another embarrassing situation involving Tottenham Hotspur, just days after the Mohammed Kudus fallout.
Spurs chief Daniel Levy has now swooped in to hijack a move for one of Graham Potter’s top transfer targets — just hours after West Ham admitted they’re hoping to strike a deal.
If there was little love lost between West Ham and Tottenham already then relations will be at an all-time low after this summer transfer window.
The Hammers and Spurs are one another’s fiercest rivals after Millwall and Arsenal respectively.
Hammers fans furious at selling Kudus to Spurs
There has been a series of clashes and rows between West Ham and Tottenham down the years.
From lasagne-gate to fallouts over the Olympic Stadium – which destroyed the friendship between Levy and Hammers vice-chair Karren Brady – and an unofficial transfer embargo lasting over 14 years.
That was until the weekend, when West Ham controversially sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham in a deal worth £54.5m.
Spurs and Kudus have rubbed salt in the wound by goading the Hammers since.
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The Ghanaian declared he ‘only wanted Spurs’ in a video announcing his arrival.
Kudus was also seen on camera telling Tottenham’s doctor ‘You will find Spurs in there’ as he listened to his heart with a stethoscope.
While far from happy with the financial situation the club has got itself into, Hammers fans had accepted Kudus needed to be sold to raise funds for Potter’s rebuild.
But David Sullivan and West Ham’s board have come under fire for even contemplating doing business with Tottenham, let alone for one of the team’s most talented players.
West Ham fans now have to suffer the ignominy of being trolled by their Tottenham counterparts – just as they’ve had to with Arsenal supporters over Declan Rice.
West Ham’s new Spurs shame as Levy hijacks move for top target
Things have taken another ugly turn for Sullivan and co now, though.
West Ham could suffer new Spurs shame after the Kudus deal as Levy hijacks their move for a top target.
It looked like the Hammers might have the last laugh over Tottenham and Kudus when they instantly used the money to sign El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The electric Senegal left-back has joined West Ham from Slavia Prague in a £19m deal, which could rise to £23m.
Since then attentions in east London have turned to landing Potter’s prime target, Liverpool playmaker Harvey Elliott.
In a Hammers News exclusive on Wednesday morning, West Ham’s owners revealed they still hope to sign Elliott despite talk the deal may be off.
The Hammers hierarchy told fans there was still a chance, if only a small one, of bringing the England Under 21 star to the London Stadium as Potter’s star buy.
But after the misery of the Kudus deal, Tottenham have now hijacked West Ham’s bid to sign Elliott from Liverpool too.
Tottenham to hold talks for West Ham target Elliott
That’s according to Weekend Sports journalist Sébastien Vidal.
The reporter claims Spurs have now turned their attentions to Elliott after their move for Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White hit the buffers over the alleged disclosure of the midfielder’s release clause.
In fact Vidal says Tottenham are set to hold talks with Liverpool about getting a deal done, hours after West Ham made it clear it was ‘never say never’ in their own hopes to sign Elliott.
Vidal claims Newcastle and Brighton are also interested.
First Kudus, now this for West Ham to contend with.
Clearly at West Ham, Elliott would get more game time as Spurs have signed Kudus to play off the right, one of the former Fulham youngster’s favourite positions.
In the middle they have James Maddison too.
If it is game time Elliott is looking for then the Hammers would be a better bet.
But Tottenham have Champions League football to offer and their transfer intentions so far may be a closer fit with Elliott’s own ambitions.
West Ham missing out on Elliott is one thing. But missing out to Tottenham will make the move sting.