West Ham fans now know what David Sullivan really thinks about selling star Mohammed Kudus to fierce Premier League rivals Spurs.
A well-connected journalist has now lifted the lid on the majority owner’s view following the controversial Mohammed Kudus transfer – the first deal between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in 14 years.
The last move between the old foes saw Scott Parker leave for Tottenham while David Bentley joined the Hammers on loan for a spell.
It is fair to say the Kudus transfer to Spurs – for a meagre £54.5m – has sparked an outpouring of anger from West Ham’s fans.
Fans savage Sullivan over West Ham selling Kudus to Spurs
Supporters have been quick to point out that they were lured away from their beloved Upton Park to the London Stadium on the promise of competing with the elite in the transfer market.
The reality has seen two of their best players in that time sold to direct London rivals.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had cooled talks with David Sullivan over a deal for the Ghanaian when West Ham rejected multiple offers.
It was revealed overnight how Levy made Sullivan do the unthinkable and cave on a deal for Kudus.
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West Ham’s owners have issued a transfer statement in the wake of the Kudus sale.
Now Hammers supporters will want to see action.
Especially as they are already being goaded by Spurs fans over the move.
West Ham supporters knew Kudus was being sold this summer and had made peace with the fact.
Particularly off the back of a poor season where the 24-year-old was clearly playing for himself and not the team.
What Sullivan really thinks about selling Kudus to Spurs is leaked
But Sullivan, who has reprised his role as West Ham’s de facto director of football since sacking Tim Steidten, has been a target of severe criticism on social media and fan forums for selling Kudus to Spurs of all clubs.
The Irons hierarchy, who have made it clear they must sell to buy this summer, argued no other clubs were seriously interested in the player.
That meant the Hammers were backed into a corner with money tight and Graham Potter yet to make a single signing as fan pressure grows.
With many West Ham fans up in arms about the deal, the true feelings of the club’s main man have been revealed.
What Sullivan really thinks about selling Kudus to Spurs has been leaked by journalist.
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg has spoken to his sources within the club – believed to be Sullivan.
Steinberg has revealed that Sullivan accepts the fee – some £10m lower than the price West Ham put on Kudus’ head and £30m below his red herring “release clause” – is ‘not great’.
But he says Sullivan and the club do not see selling Kudus to Spurs as a ‘disaster’ – stating that a new team is in place to ensure recruitment improves drastically.
In fact Steinberg suggests Sullivan is more angry at how the £105m Rice money was wasted.
West Ham chief doesn’t see Kudus sale to Spurs as a ‘disaster’
“Deal will allow West Ham to push on with their signings,” Steinberg said on X.
“First reaction is that West Ham have not got a great fee but it’s been pointed out (by the club) that it works from an accounting perspective as Kudus’s book value was low.
“Everything now will be coloured by West Ham getting the right players in.
“It’s years of iffy signings coming back to bite West Ham but there’s a new recruitment team in place now and they just have to be allowed to do their job.
“Kudus going really isn’t seen as a disaster. The bigger crime was wasting the Rice money.”
Now all eyes will turn to signings with deals reportedly in the pipeline for the likes of El Hadji Malick Diouf, Zion Suzuki, Raphael Onyedika and interest in Man City playmaker James McAtee and Nice striker Evann Guessand.
It has always been how money is spent rather than how much.
But that is more applicable to West Ham than ever this summer.