talkSPORT

Yoane Wissa is pushing to leave Brentford this summer, talkSPORT understands.

The Bees have rejected an offer from Nottingham Forest for Wissa, but talks between the two clubs are ongoing.

Tottenham are also plotting a move for Wissa and the Congolese is keen to reunite with Thomas Frank.

Newcastle are another club keeping tabs on the 28-year-old, who scored 19 Premier League goals last season.

Brentford have slapped a £50million price tag on Wissa, but interested parties believe they can be negotiated down.

The Bees' current record sale is the £40m they got for Ivan Toney last summer.

Brentford have also rejected a £62.5m bid from Man United for Bryan Mbeumo earlier in July.

Wissa has spent the past four seasons in west London after joining from Lorient in an £8.5m deal.

Frank's former side were expected to massively struggle last season due to the loss of Toney, but Wissa stepped up alongside Mbeumo for the best goalscoring campaign of his career.

Yet they're now encountering an exodus of sorts, with Frank leaving for Spurs, captain Christian Norgaard to Arsenal and goalkeeper Mark Flekken to Bayer Leverkusen.

Mbeumo and Wissa could well be the next out the door, but Brentford are already spending that potential £100m payday with four new players signed.

Long time Liverpool No.2 Caoimhin Kelleher has arrived in goal for £12m while their most expensive signing has been £17m midfielder Antoni Milambo from Feyenoord.

Brentford likely aren't done there under new head coach Keith Andrews, and old boss Frank certainly isn't at Spurs either.

The Europa League champions have announced a big money £55m deal with West Ham for attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus.

Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White is next on the list, with Spurs triggering a £60m release clause in his contract to take their spending well over the £100m mark.

The north London side are set for a mega summer, having also spent over £50m to make deals for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso permanent.

Forest, meanwhile, could well become favourites in the race for Wissa should the deal for Gibbs-White go through.

£60m would be their new record sale, eclipsing the £47.5m also paid by Spurs for Europa League final hero Brennan Johnson.

Forest secured European football for the 2025/25 campaign after their best Premier League finish since returning to the top flight.

However, it was only in the third tier Conference League after spending much of the campaign in the division's top four.

Spurs had their worst-ever Premier League season, ending up in 17th, but their Europa League win under Ange Postecoglou booked Champions League football for the new campaign and the riches that come with it.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.

talkSPORT understands the Ghana international joins in a £55million deal with the fee not including any add-ons.

The subject of add-ons was a point of controversy when Tottenham's initial bid of £50m for the 24-year-old was knocked back by the Hammers.

As part of the bid, Tottenham's add-ons would only kick in if they won the Champions League or Premier League.

The inclusion of trophy-related add-ons by Spurs came after they ended their 17-year wait for silverware in May with a victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Spurs have never won the Premier League and last won the English top-flight in the 1960/61 season.

They are also yet to win the Champions League.

Regardless, the inclusions of those add-ons represents the club's serious belief in new boss Thomas Frank to bring home more silverware in the future.

And the Dane and Tottenham's transfer committee evidently believe the addition of Kudus will give them a stronger chance of making a serious dent in both the Champions League and Premier League.

Kudus becomes the first player to move directly from West Ham since Scott Parker in 2011.

He is the third man through the door at Tottenham following Frank's appointment in June with the north Londoners also closing in on Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.

Mathys Tel joined on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich having spent the second half of last season on loan at Tottenham.

Japanese defender Kota Takai also arrived in a £5m deal from Kawasaki Frontale.

A fourth capture may not be far away, as Brentford are braced for an offer from Tottenham for Yoane Wissa.

talkSPORT understands Wissa would be interested in reuniting with former Bees boss Frank, with the west London out valuing the winger at around £40m.

However, Forest have renewed their interest in Wissa after failing to sign him in January.

They had a £25million offer rejected during the mid-season transfer window and their latest bid is reported to have fallen short of Brentford's valuation for Wissa, which is in excess of £50m.

Kudus joined West Ham in the summer of 2023 and enjoyed a strong debut campaign, as he finished with eight goals and nine assists from 33 league appearances.

However, a turbulent second season under Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter meant Kudus recorded just five goals and four assists across all competitions.

Kudus became a target for Frank's side after they cooled their interest in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

The north London outfit had also eyed up Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

However, the pursuit ended when they learned the Cherries would not accept less than £65m for the winger, who has since signed a five-year contract to remain on the south coast.

John Terry is one of English football's most legendary players and an undoubted Chelsea icon.

The heroic defender spent 19 years at Stamford Bridge before retiring in 2018 after a spell at Aston Villa.

This week, Terry spoke to talkSPORT about his glittering career, as well as his everlasting hatred for Tottenham and a training ground spat, while also giving his thoughts on modern football.

He chatted to tennis star Nick Kyrgios and talkSPORT's Gordon Smart on Wimbledon Unfiltered on Wednesday night.

Here are all of the best bits from our chat with the Blues legend...

'Pure hatred' for Tottenham

Chelsea and Tottenham's rivalry is one of the biggest in England, with some iconic London derbies occurring over the years.

Terry will never move on from hating Spurs and the topic came up when Kyrgios was revealed to be a fan...

"I didn't know that, I'm not sure I'd be here if I did!" Terry joked as the Australian was outed as a Spurs supporter.

Then when asked how he thinks they will do next season, he added: "Hopefully not too well. I think Thomas Frank is a good manager but I don't think they're in a good place.

"Seeing where they finished last year, I look at them and the foundations, the facilities, training ground and stadium are incredible, but I think it's time for a change there with someone coming in to give it a real go.

"But I'm happy for them to stay where they are. There's no beating around the bush with Spurs: I hate Spurs, they hate me. It's really simple.

"You grow up on that and it's pure hate, I hope they stay where they are if I'm being honest."

Eden Hazard vs Jose Mourinho

Terry revealed to talkSPORT that Eden Hazard and Jose Mourinho were involved in a spat in a training session.

Both are Chelsea legends and two of the best at what they do, but Hazard's personality ended up clashing with Mourinho's.

"Hazard had all the ability in the world, but he would turn up to training and not be interested.

"Under Mourinho, we were playing West Ham and it was a tactical day...and after 10 minutes, Eden's gone: 'Why are we doing this? Who are we playing tomorrow'.

"He didn't even know who we were playing... all he said was: 'Just give me the ball, 1-0'. Mourinho pulled the bib off him and told him he wasn't starting.

"But for me, being the captain of that side, I told the other players we need to work a bit harder because when he's on it on Saturday, we're going to reap the rewards of it.

"You have to work twice as hard to compensate for him because he's that good, so when he gets the ball going forward, he comes alive and will win you the game.

"Before the game, we'd go out to warm-up and he's there face-timing with his tracksuit on and a minute to go, playing Mario Kart.

"30 seconds and he'd put his kit on and walk out, but come 3pm, he's ready and we don't need to push him before."

Best mentality at Chelsea?

The 44-year-old played with a huge number of talented stars, including Hazard, throughout his career at Chelsea.

But he only had one answer when asked about who had the best mentality at the club during his time there.

"Lamps [Frank Lampard], by far. The best player I've seen at Chelsea is Hazard in terms of pure ability.

"But in terms of relentlessness, year after year, what Lamps had done...if I was ever at a point where I felt a bit tired in training I'd go and mark Lamps, he didn't stop moving.

"I knew my numbers would be up, not as high as him, but I'd just follow him around and you'd be absolutely shattered. You start walking in and look back and he's out there with a bag of balls.

"You think then that I best be doing something, so it's those top players...when you want ex-players in the building, passing that level of information across [to academies], that's what you want to see."

'I don't enjoy watching football'

Terry was part of the inaugural season of Baller League UK earlier this year, managing his team, 26ers, in the six-a-side competition.

And he believes that it has brought a new appetite for football fans, admitting he doesn't enjoy watching the sport.

"I don't sit there and enjoy watching football anymore. The guy who started Baller League, he's got backers from across the world.

"They were fed up of seeing tactical games where teams play against Man City, you get 11 men behind the ball, it's boring and Man City try to break teams down...it's really boring. You don't see many shots, you don't see many players like Hazard, Joe Cole getting people off their seats.

"In Baller League, the kids love it, the viewing figures have been way more than the Championship, I think that will grow again next year.

"It gets to a point where people are getting fed up with it."

The lost art of defending

The former centre-back was known to be a hard tackler and a defender that players just wouldn't mess with on the pitch.

But he feels like football has lost that side of the game and players can no longer put in a strong challenge without punishment.

"You could tackle back in the day, now it's gone.

"The art of defending has completely gone, which I think is a shame to be honest, because there's some tackles where if I tackled you, I'd end up following through.

"Now people go: 'You can't do that, that's a sending off'. And I'm like absolutely not, you can't tackle and stop immediately.

"I get frustrated at people in football now getting jobs and roles within the TV, it does my head in.

"Real football people love to see that side of it and it's a big thing that's missing."

Arguing with Mark Clattenburg

On top of the legend's joy at Baller League bringing back some excitement, he also had his fair share of controversies.

One of those was a clash with former referee Mark Clattenburg, with Terry being held back by his players as a brawl erupted.

"I'd had murders with Mark on the pitch anyway, but in Baller League, more so than when I played. He's been a shambles, so bad.

"I'm directly behind him and the 'keeper puts it out for a corner, he hasn't seen it...my head was frazzled. I told him to go back to Gladiators."

Brentford are braced for an offer from Tottenham for forward Yoane Wissa, talkSPORT understands.

Wissa would be interested in reuniting with former Bees boss Thomas Frank.

Brentford value Wissa at around £40million.

However, key to Wissa's future being resolved will be the fate of Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.

Mbeumo has been the subject of heavy interest from Manchester United, with the Red Devils and Brentford locked in talks over a fee and deal structure for the winger.

The 25-year-old has already agreed terms with United over an eye-watering £250,000-a-week contract and always made it clear Old Trafford is his preferred destination.

Given Mbeumo and Wissa enjoyed career-best campaigns last season with 20 and 19 league goals respectively, Brentford would be extremely reluctant to lose both in the same window.

Nottingham Forest previously tested the waters for Wissa with a £22m bid in January.

However, it was swiftly rejected by the Bees.

When asked about Forest's bid by talkSPORT in January, Frank replied: "Good luck! That will not happen."

Key to Brentford's decision-making regarding Wissa is the fact the 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Should the Bees look to cash in on Wissa in the summer or in January, they stand to make a serious profit on the £7.2m they forked out to sign him from French side Lorient in August 2021.

It promises to be a season of change at Brentford as they go into the 2025/26 campaign with a new manager for the first time since October 2018.

Following Frank's departure to Tottenham, the Bees opted to hire within as set-piece coach Keith Andrews was promoted to head coach.

It will be the former Ireland international's first role as a head coach, having previously been an assistant at MK Dons, the Irish national team as well as Sheffield United.

As for Frank, he is preparing for the most high-profile role of his career in north London.

The Dane was announced as Ange Postecoglou's replacement in June and has already made two signings since in the form of Mathys Tel on a permanent basis as well as Japanese defender Kota Takai.

A third signing under Frank's watch may not be far away either.

The Europa League champions had a £50m bid for West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus rejected last week.

A key reason behind the Hammers' rejection of the Kudus offer was because Tottenham included a number of add-ons that only kicked in if they won the Premier League or Champions League.

Tottenham have never won the Premier League and last won the English top-flight in the 1960/61 campaign as well as never having won the Champions League.

But Kudus has made it clear he wants to make the move from east to north London, so it may be a matter of time before he gets his wish.

Kaoru Mitoma has pledged his future to Brighton despite interest from European giants Bayern Munich.

talkSPORT understands Mitoma has told the Seagulls he is committed to the club.

The Japanese international rejected a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr in the January transfer window.

Bayern had shortlisted Mitoma as an alternative to top targets Nico Williams and Luis Diaz.

Mitoma has become a fans' favourite since joining Brighton in 2021.

The 28-year-old is also a lucrative marketing tool in the Far East.

Gyokeres' Arsenal wages revealed

Viktor Gyokeres is set to net himself a £200,000-a-week deal with Arsenal.

The Gunners are poised to end their three-year search for a No.9 by snapping up Sporting Lisbon ace Gyokeres.

The Swede has already agreed personal terms on a five-year contract with the north London club.

An Arsenal delegation are in Portugal to tie up the signing after opting for Gyokeres ahead of RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.

Gyokeres' bumper pay packet will put him amongst the Gunners' top earners, although not on par with £290,000-a-week Kai Havertz.

The 27-year-old was also wanted by his former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim at Manchester United this summer, but the longer-term project at Old Trafford didn't match the striker's ambitions to join a team capable of challenging for top honours now.

Prem trio chase teen defender

Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur are all showing interest in teenage Parma defender Giovanni Leoni.

Leoni, 18, only joined Parma last summer, but enjoyed a brilliant debut season.

talkSPORT has been told at least ten Premier League clubs have enquired about the centre-back.

Leoni is also wanted by Inter Milan and it appears his preference is to stay in Italy.

Magpies identify new transfer chief

Ross Wilson is in pole position to become Newcastle's new sporting director.

Wilson and former Arsenal interim Jason Ayto both advanced to the final round of interviews for the role.

Nottingham Forest transfer guru Wilson is now viewed as favourite to replace Paul Mitchell at St James' Park.

Wilson has been Forest's sporting director for the past two years and has been an integral part of their rise into Europe next season.

He was previously at Rangers and Southampton.

Rio Ferdinand is backing new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank to make an immediate impact at the club next season.

Frank left Brentford to succeed Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham manager last month and is relishing the task of steering the club through next season’s Premier League and Champions League campaign.

The 51-year-old spent seven years in charge of Brentford and helped establish the west London club as a top-flight club.

Frank was rewarded with the biggest role of his managerial career in taking over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but despite his previous heroics, it remains to be seen whether he can improve the club’s fortunes.

Spurs may have ended their 17-year trophy drought with victory in the Europa League but their dismal league form was the catalyst for Postecoglou’s sacking.

A repeat of last season’s 17th-place Premier League finish thanks in part to a whopping 22 defeats will not be accepted and Frank will hope to see an immediate improvement to his side’s domestic form.

Former Manchester United defender Ferdinand says he hopes Frank is successful in his new role, especially after speaking to the man himself.

“I really want them (Tottenham) to do well because I’ve been lucky enough to share a couple of dinners with Thomas Frank and he was super impressive, albeit at Brentford,” Ferdinand told talkSPORT. “No disrespect, but the expectations are very different at that football club.

“He seemed like a very calm, assured, confident guy. I’ll be very surprised if he doesn't adapt to his new surroundings and remain successful there.

Asked what success might look like for Frank and Spurs next season, Ferdinand replied: “I don't know? They’ve got no big egos and superstars at the football club that he has to deal with, that would have been the only concern.

“I think there’s a group of players whose ears are open and they want to learn and be consistent. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t deliver that at least.”

Frank is slowly tweaking his new squad ahead of next month’s big kick off.

Tottenham have completed the signing of 20-year-old defender Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale – Frank’s second signing since his arrival.

The Japan international joins Mathys Tel on the list of summer recruits following his £30million switch from Bayern Munich after spending the second half of last season on loan at the club.

Kevin Danso also makes his loan spell permanent from RC Lens, while young defender Luka Vuskovic completes a switch from Dinamo Zagreb.

Spurs are looking to further bolster their squad particularly in attack.

They have shown interest in Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze but currently appear closer to landing West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus.

They have bid £50million with add-ons but have been told to improve that offer to a guaranteed £60m.

That's because their last offer included clauses surrounding winning the Premier League and Champions League.

Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo has also been linked but appears closer to joining Manchester United.

That could see Brazilian forward Richarlison end his stay at the club this summer.

Reports claim Frank has already informed the 28-year-old that he will not be in his plan next season and to begin looking for a new club.

Brazilian club Vasco da Gama are believed to be interested in the star, however his £175,000-a-week wages could prove to be a huge stumbling block.

Vasco are interested in a permanent deal but Richarlison will need to lower his wage demands if the Brazilian outfit hold any hope of pulling off the move.

'A lot of misinformation'

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has released an open letter denying any payment issues with Aston Villa.

The club were placed under a transfer embargo reportedly due to outstanding debt relating to deals with Villa and Man City.

They have now launched an appeal against the ban, which Ilicali confirmed when discussing the ongoing problems.

He wrote: "It is clear there has been a lot of misinformation circulating in the last few days, so I wanted to clarify a few matters.

"There are zero issues between us and Aston Villa, in relation to both Louie Barry and Jaden Philogene arrangements, and we are very confident in our appeal case.

"The Fin Burns situation is actually quite simple. We intended to use proceeds of a player sale to settle this fee and as soon as the EFL told us this wasn’t possible - due to reasons not related to us, we made a direct payment immediately to end the matter.

"With regards to payments to suppliers, unfortunately, the club experienced a cash flow issue when it didn’t receive a £1.5m payment for a player which was intended to clear invoices from suppliers. I will cover this shortfall until we receive the funds we are owed and our team are in communication with all suppliers to rectify any outstanding issues as soon as possible.

"When I spoke with our fans last week, I told them the club is losing money and I am supporting when required. The club will always have my full backing whenever it needs it.

"I want to reassure our fans that we have zero conflict with any clubs. Perhaps there were some finance administrative errors but I am sure the EFL will be understanding to our appeal and we are confident in our case.

"People are entitled to their opinions and to write a different story, that is life, but I will always be behind our club. Our squad has £100m potential, we have a very good coach, the best fans and if we are united together we can achieve our dreams."

Sticky Toffee pudding

Everton have announced fan favourite Idrissa Gana Gueye has penned a new deal at the club after becoming a free agent.

With the 35-year-old's contract set to expire, the Toffees posted in May a graphic of the midfielder's tackles during his time at the club in the Premier League, where he has regularly finished in the top three of all players.

They captioned it, 'Nobody did it better than Idrissa,' with the club now replying to their own message by stating, 'Correction: does*'.

Fans were loving the tease as one X user said: "Well played, admin. Well played."

Another quipped: "You absolutely filthy teases."

Everton then confirmed that Gueye has signed a one-year deal in Merseyside, with the option of a further 12 month stay.

Gueye, who spent three years at Goodison Park from between 2016-2019, returned in 2022.

Across both his spells at the club, he has appeared in 211 matches in all competitions.

'Thank you for everything'

Callum Wilson has left Newcastle after five years at the club.

Wilson's contract expired at the end of last season and it's now been made official that he won't be signing a new deal.

"It's time to say goodbye after an unbelievable few years in the Toon," Wilson said in a statement on Newcastle's website.

"Thank you for everything. We stood strong together through the highs and some lows to help the club experience new heights.

"I am so proud to have worn the iconic number 9 shirt and to have added a little more history to it. Scoring at the Gallowgate End really is as special as they say.

"All good things come to an end but there's no doubt Newcastle United will always have a place in mine and my families hearts.

"Thank you for the memories."

'A massive upgrade'

European football expert Andy Brassell believes summer signing Martin Zubimendi is a great fit for Arsenal.

Zubimendi officially joined the Gunners yesterday and Brassell gave a glowing review of him on talkSPORT this morning.

"He's just a massive upgrade on what they've got," he said.

"Obviously, Arsenal fans have been a bit twitchy as this has been long expected to happen, but it wasn't actually over the line.

"So, I think this is a real positive for Arsenal now that it is.

"Zubimendi is so much more suited to what they want, someone whose a defensive midfielder but has a nimbleness to him.

"He has the craft, the ability to bring the ball up the pitch at a decent speed and help them transition.

"For a team with the forward players like Arsenal and who they could have by the beginning of next season, it's an entirely positive thing."

Walking on sunshine

Burnley have completed the shock signing of Kyle Walker from Manchester City, talkSPORT understands.

The six-time Premier League champion joins the Clarets in a surprise £5million move.

Walker has penned a two-year deal with the newly-promoted side as he departs the Etihad Stadium following an eight-year spell.

"I'm delighted to be here," said an excited Walker.

"When I spoke to Scott and heard about his plans for next season, it was an opportunity I jumped at. He's done an amazing job here, guiding the Club back to the Premier League with a 100-point haul, and now we're looking forward, together, at being back in the greatest league in the world.

"Burnley had a tremendous campaign last season, built on an incredible defensive record, and I can't wait to come in and add my experience and quality to what looks an exciting squad."

Sticky Toffee pudding

Manchester United are weighing up a move to sign free agent Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The 28-year-old is available on a free transfer after he departed Everton following the expiration of his contract.

United look set for a major overhaul of their forward line this summer, as they look to offload a number of attackers.

Head coach Ruben Amorim has identified five current players who he is happy to see move on, with Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony all in the firing line.

Having already snapped up Wolves striker Matheus Cunha for £62.5million and bid the same figure for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, the Red Devils must balance their books as they look to rebuild their attack.

Calvert-Lewin could be a good way to juggle the club's finances and boost their forward options.

talkSPORT understands that he is on their list of options this summer.

Lew beauty

Wrexham have agreed a club-record deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

The Hollywood-owned outfit are looking to strengthen ahead of their first season back in the second tier since the 1981/82 season, as they target a stunning fourth consecutive promotion.

After being purchased by A-list actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney back in November 2020, the Welsh side have enjoyed a meteoric rise through the divisions.

Promotion from League One in April marked the Robins' third straight promotion, who now sit just one division below the Premier League, despite playing in the National League as recently as 2023.

And they now look set to make their latest statement of intent by moving to sign a player of top-flight calibre.

The Championship new boys have reportedly agreed a deal worth up to £5million for Forest's O'Brien, according to The Sun.

Richarlison and Cristian Romero put their previous battles behind them after reuniting at Tottenham.

The pair had been involved in a series of heated clashes prior to the Brazilian's move to North London.

Spurs completed a move for the former Everton striker in the summer of 2022.

Richarlison penned a five-year deal with the club for an initial £50million.

His arrival saw him join a squad featuring former rival Romero after two fiery meetings during the previous campaign.

However, the duo immediately banished those to the past on Richarlison's first day at the club's training ground.

Footage of the players in the canteen showed a slightly awkward interaction between them.

As members of the squad welcomed their new team-mate, Romero and Giovani Lo Celso were both seen greeting the forward.

After hugging Lo Celso, Richarlison embraced Romero as the pair shook hands.

Their interaction was met with applause and laughter from their team-mates.

It came after the new signing had referenced their past battles following the announcement of his arrival.

Taking to Instagram, he shared a clip of himself barging into Romero along with the caption: "Now friends."

Richarlison and Romero had previously gone head-to-head during Spurs' trip to Goodison Park the previous season.

The defender had taken an exception to a penalty appeal from the then Toffees star.

Romero then left his mark with a strong challenge during the reverse fixture later in the campaign.

They had also faced each other for their national teams in the final of the Copa America in 2021.

On that occasion, Romero's Argentina narrowly defeated Brazil and Richarlison, securing a 1-0 victory in Rio de Janeiro.

Since joining Spurs, Richarlison has gone on to score 20 goals and provide 10 assists in 90 appearances for the club.

Of those appearances, 63 have been as part of the same side as Romero.

The duo also both started May's Europa League final triumph over Manchester United.

Spurs' victory in Bilbao secured their first major trophy for 17 years.

History shows Michael Carrick spent time, albeit briefly, on one side of the north London divide.

But had a future World Cup winner not played a 'blinder', Carrick's career could have taken a major detour nearby.

Carrick made a name for himself as one of England's brightest prospects thanks to four impressive seasons at West Ham United.

A midfielder blessed with metronomic passing ability, Carrick quickly gained plenty of admirers.

His eye-catching displays at Upton Park also earned him an England call-up as he made his senior international debut in May 2001 against Mexico.

Ahead of the 2004/05 season, Carrick was a wanted man by many.

Harry Redknapp, who handed Carrick his big break at the Hammers, wanted to bring the midfielder to Portsmouth.

Carrick even underwent a medical at Fratton Park, but a bigger fish soon came calling.

The midfielder's agent got a call from David Dein, who was the vice-chairman of Arsenal at the time.

It wasn't long before Carrick was sat in former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's house, as the Frenchman pitched his vision for the talented Hammer.

Wenger even told Carrick he would see him on the Monday after Arsenal played Manchester United in the Community Shield.

But a second meeting never occurred.

In his autobiography, Michael Carrick: Between the Lines, Carrick revealed how a certain teenager derailed his Arsenal transfer.

"I saw that a kid, Cesc Fabregas, only 17, started in (Patrick) Vieira's place," Carrick said.

"Fabregas played a blinder, but I didn't think too much about the significance.

"I sat at home on Sunday night waiting for the call to arrange details of the next day. Arsenal! I couldn't wait.

"But I waited, and waited, and that call never came.

"The next day, I had to go into training at West Ham instead and, on the way, David (Carrick's agent) phoned to say he'd had a call from Dein.

"David relayed the gist of his message, like, 'I'm sorry, the manager says we don't need Michael. Fabregas is coming through like he is. Sorry, the deal's off.'

"Fabregas' performance changed Wenger's mind about needing me."

Fabregas, who joined Arsenal's academy from Barcelona, went on to make over 300 appearances for the Gunners and won the FA Cup in 2005.

As for Carrick, he would soon get his move away.

And it wasn't terribly far from where he thought he was supposed to go.

Days after the Arsenal snub, Carrick's agent received a call from then-Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Frank Arnesen.

The deal was completed within days, but perhaps a little too quick for former Spurs manager Jacques Santini as Carrick lifted the lid on a chaotic opening day at the club in an interview with FourFourTwo.

"He (Santini) didn't seem to know who I was - it was a very strange moment," Carrick said.

"I arrived at Spurs' training ground and said to my adviser Dave, 'I'm not too sure he knows who I am'. He said, 'I think you're right.'

"I'd signed that morning, so it was all agreed with the club and I went to his office to meet him. It was weird.

"I ended up with the reserve team on my first day of training, and later found out that I'd been signed more by Frank Arnesen, who was Spurs' sporting director."

Carrick spent just two seasons at White Hart Lane and made 75 appearances before he joined English powerhouse Manchester United in 2006.

It was the final move of Carrick's playing career as he went on to play 464 times for the Red Devils until his retirement in May 2018.

At Old Trafford, Carrick won a whopping five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, three EFL Cups, the Champions League, the Europa League and the Club World Cup.

Who knows if he'd have enjoyed a similar trophy haul had Fabregas not played a blinder against United all those years ago.

Tottenham's bid for Mohammed Kudus included add-ons that only kicks in if they win the Champions League or Premier League, talkSPORT understands.

The Hammers have told Spurs to come back with a more realistic proposal, which guarantees them at least £60m.

Kudus has made it clear he wants to make the move from East to north London, but West Ham are hoping for a rival offer from Chelsea.

Tottenham lodged their £50m bid for Kudus last week, but it was swiftly turned down.

The inclusion of trophy-related add-ons by Tottenham came after they ended their 17-year wait for silverware in May with a victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Tottenham also have not won the English top flight since the 1960/61 campaign.

Regardless, the inclusions of those add-ons represents the club's serious belief in new boss Thomas Frank to bring home more silverware in the future.

The former Brentford manager replaced Ange Postecoglou, who was axed after he led Spurs to Europa League glory but also a 17th-place finish in the Premier League last term.

Owing to their Europa League triumph, Tottenham will compete in next season's Champions League, a competition Frank has not managed in before.

But the Dane and Tottenham's transfer committee evidently believe the addition of Kudus will give them a higher chance of making a serious dent in the tournament as well as the Premier League.

Should Kudus end up at Tottenham, he will become the first player to move directly from West Ham since Scott Parker in 2011.

The Ghanaian winger arrived at West Ham in the summer of 2023 and enjoyed a strong debut campaign, as he finished with eight goals and nine assists from 33 league appearances.

However, a turbulent second season under Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter meant Kudus recorded just five goals and four assists across all competitions.

Kudus became a target for Frank's side after they cooled their interest in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

The north London outfit had also eyed up Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

However, the pursuit ended when they learned the Cherries would not accept less than £65m for the winger, who has since signed a five-year contract to remain on the south coast.

Bryan Mbeumo was another name who had been linked with Spurs given his connection to Frank owing to their time together at Brentford.

But the Bees star has his heart set on Manchester United.

Kudus had previously been the subject of a player-plus-cash deal from Chelsea, which the Hammers rejected.

Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr also hold an interest in Kudus, although he has a Saudi-specific release clause of £120m.

Al Nassr also now have an open spot in their squad for an overseas player thanks to Jhon Duran's departure to Fenerbahce for the season.

Although Kudus appears destined for the exit door at West Ham, Hammers boss Graham Potter would certainly prefer to have the Ghanaian flyer in his ranks.

Speaking in May, Potter felt the 24-year-old's struggles were down to the team's overall lack of functionality.

But Potter also pointed out it was the responsibility of the player and the coaching staff to maximise his vast potential.

“He’s been working hard since we’ve been here, I’ve said that many times in press conferences (about Kudus),” Potter said.

“Sometimes when the team isn’t functioning as well as you’d like, individuals within the team can suffer with that.

“He gives his best and the maximum he can and I think it’s probably just the little things that haven’t gone his way have gone his way recently.

“We can see the talent, we can see the potential but it’s our responsibility, and his, to try and get more.”