Hammers News

As if the prospect of relegating a bitter rival was not enough to spark West Ham United’s bloodlust, the prospect of having the last laugh over Mohammed Kudus should make even the most mild-mannered supporter froth at the mouth.

Justice, indeed.

Mohammed Kudus secured himself a spot alongside Dimitri Payet in a list of the most unpopular former West Ham United players last summer. Kudus became the first Hammer to join Tottenham Hotspur since Scott Parker 14 years prior; the snake of Marseille finding himself a slippery, slithering brother in the process.

Oh no, Mo… 🤣

How will YOU celebrate if Tottenham go down? 🎉 🍾

Now, Thomas Frank didn’t get much right during his disastrous stint in the Spurs dugout. But he was correct in predicting that Kudus would be greeted by a ‘hostile’ reception on his return to the London Stadium last September.

If Spurs’ eventual 3-0 win made the Ghana international feel his decision to cross the divide was justified – it is easy to forget that Frank actually made a very positive start before things unravelled – then the state of play five months later gives West Ham the opportunity to exact brutal revenge.

West Ham United could send Tottenham Hotspur and Mohammed Kudus down

Both Nottingham Forest and Tottenham suffered nightmarish defeats on Sunday. Forest suffered the ignominy of a 97th minute Alexis Mac Allister winner. For Spurs, their supporters could do nothing but watch on in horror as Arsenal twisted the knife; ‘oles’ echoing around a half-empty stadium as the Gunners cruised to a 4-1 win.

So while West Ham missed an opportunity against Bournemouth – failing to break the deadlock despite reporting an XG of 3.15 – Nuno Espirito Santo’s team still ended the weekend having made progress on their two relegation rivals.

There are only four points separating West Ham and Kudus’ 16th-placed Spurs.

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And when reflecting on Kudus’ first few words as a Tottenham player, shortly after that £54.5 million deal was completed in June 2025, it is almost impossible not to chuckle at the sheer naivety of it.

Thomas Frank played a massive role in Kudus’ move to Spurs

Kudus joined Tottenham to perform ‘at the highest level’. Unless their interim head coach can become the most successful Tudor this isle has seen since Queen Elizabeth I vanquished the Spanish Armada, Kudus could go from the Champions League to the Championship; his old employers from the East escaping the drop at Spurs’ expense.

Furthermore, Kudus also spoke glowingly about Thomas Frank and the role he played luring the former Ajax forward to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As it transpired, Kudus would play under 26 matches under a coach who recorded a lower win rate [26 per cent] than Gianfranco Zola and Julen Lopetegui mustered at West Ham.

“I’ve always wanted to play at the highest level,” Kudus said last summer; obviously completely blind as to the disaster to come. “[I wanted to join Tottenham because of] how big the club is, the history, the Champions League as well.

“The most important part of why I came here was the project, how the manager [Frank] sees that I can develop under him. Where he has come from, seeing the amount of talent he has developed to become good players…

“It’s a big [reason] why I wanted to [work] under him.”

On reflection, this reads like an interview of someone excitedly loading their baggage onto the Titanic in April 1912, rambling eagerly about how much they were looking forward to seeing New York.

Time will tell if that North London Derby disaster is the iceberg which brings about the doom of what was once one of the Premier League’s most impenetrable ships.

Should Tottenham sink, as Kudus and co leap for the life rafts, don’t expect too much mourning from West Ham.

Football is a game of opinions, and it just so happens that many West Ham United supporters appear to be siding with Bobby Zamora rather than Nuno Espirito Santo.

Scorer of 40 goals for the East London outfit between 2004 and 2008, Zamora knows a thing or two about leading the line in claret and blue.

And he feels that Nuno would benefit from starting Callum Wilson alongside Taty Castellanos, rather than introducing the former off the bench in a desperate pursuit of a game-winning goal. Zamora’s argument is fuelled by the fact that, only moments after coming on in the second half of Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Bournemouth, Wilson very nearly broke the deadlock.

What to do with Wilson? ⚒️

Start him? Or keep him as an impact sub?

An instinctive flicked effort at the front post kept out by a flying Djordje Petrovic. It was only last month, meanwhile, when Wilson’s stoppage-time heroics stunned Tottenham Hotspur. He possesses the best goals-per-minutes ratio of any player in Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.

West Ham United fans want Callum Wilson to start against Liverpool

But therein lies the dilemma. At the age of 33, is Wilson better suited to life as an impact sub; protecting his ageing limbs and unleashing him in short bursts?

Or, because Pablo Felipe faces another few weeks out with a calf injury, should Nuno instead be looking to play Wilson for the first hour rather than the last half-hour, starting with Liverpool at Anfield next time out?

“[Nuno] should have started Wilson as he’s the natural goal poacher. Taty is a good ball chaser but not as good as Wilson as a striker. When he came, on he had two shots straight away,” one Hammers News reader writes on our Facebook page./

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“Callum knows the score playing Liverpool,” another says, Wilson having scored a staggering 11 goals in 16 matches against the Premier League champions. “He must start with Taty.”

“Should have played two up top from the start. Nuno is too negative.”

“We have been better and more threatening when we have had two up front. Either Taty and Pablo or Taty and Wilson. Need that for the remainder of the run in!”

“Should have started both [Wilson and Castellanos]. Would have been the difference.”

“Well-battled point. Need to start with two up front.”

Wilson role divides fans as Hammers fail to break Bournemouth resolve

The Hammers won three out of four Premier League matches – against Tottenham, Sunderland and Burnley – when Nuno played two strikers from the first whistle. With only Taty starting against Man United and Bournemouth, they have picked up just two points while scoring only two goals.

On the other hand, Wilson’s dramatic winner in the dying embers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium shows the benefits of introducing such a proven goal-poacher late in proceedings. Though it should be pointed out that was also a game in which Pablo featured alongside Castellanos.

“Callum Wilson definitely shouldn’t have started,” another fan argues. “He is an impact sub. He can’t play from the start, no matter how many people suggest it.

“He is leggy, offers no press and takes three or four chances to score. Should have done better with the chances he had [against Bournemouth].”

So close yet so far… 😮‍💨

What did you make of the stalemate with Bournemouth?

West Ham under pressure to pick up results against Liverpool and Manchester City

The aforementioned Bobby Zamora thinks the survival battle will drag on until the final day at this rate. Before Forest kicked off against Liverpool and Tottenham faced Arsenal in the North London derby, there were only four points separating 16th to 17th.

Though a daunting fixture schedule – Liverpool, Man City and Aston Villa to come in the next four weeks – does dent that confidence a little.

“Going to be very tight,” one Talking Point user believes. “Glad for the point.”

“We need to get a couple against some of the teams in top ten and then pick up some wins from bottom ten.”

“Leeds and Wolves are absolutely must wins.”

“Clean sheet, lots of chances created and looking more solid and robust than a few weeks ago. Bournemouth aren’t a bad side so I’m pleased with the draw.”

“In my opinion, it puts us in a position where we have to win two and draw one from Liverpool, Fulham, Man City and Aston Villa. Tall order. Very tall.”

“We looked solid and dangerous; a fair result. I feel the team now believe they won’t lose.”

“By far the better side against a side who are also on a great run. Loads of positives. We’ll be fine.”

“Just need to finish! We need to feed Taty in more as well, we rely too much on [Jarrod] Bowen and [Crysencio] Summerville. But we played well and, let’s be honest, our recent performances are night and day from what came before the improvements.

“I do think we are going to have to rely on others now.”

Former West Ham United assistant coach Edin Terzic could have returned to the Premier League this month with none other than bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Following the sacking of Thomas Frank last week, relegation-threatened Spurs held discussions with/regarding a number of interim appointments.

One-time West Ham United number nine Jermain Defoe was a candidate to take Frank’s place short-term. So too was Edin Terzic, who worked alongside Slaven Bilic at both Upton Park and the London Stadium between 2015 and 2017.

On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that West Ham will stay up this season? 🤔

According to The Athletic, Terzic was ‘informally approached’ by the 2019 Champions League finalists. However, it is reported that the 43-year-old German did not want to take on a new managerial role in the middle of the season.

Former West Ham United coach Edin Terzic eyes permanent managerial job

After leading Borussia Dortmund to the brink of the Bundesliga and Champions League titles without managing to get either over the line, Terzic is keen to get back into work. But he is biding his time and planning for a fresh start for the summer.

Instead, former Juventus, Lazio and Marseille coach Tudor is the man tasked with ensuring one of the most shocking relegations in Premier League history does not come to pass.

As West Ham prepare to host AFC Bournemouth on Saturday evening, a win would put Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to within two points of their London neighbours before Tottenham face Arsenal in a derby with massive repercussions at both ends of the table.

Spare a thought for Harry Redknapp; with three months of the Premier League season remaining his beloved West Ham United and another former employer in Tottenham Hotspur are both mired in the bottom five.

As things stand, and as the top-flight takes a brief pause for the fourth round of the FA Cup, there are only two places and five points separating the two London rivals on either side of the relegation zone.

Tottenham are set to hire ex-Juventus coach Igor Tudor on a short-term deal in a desperate attempt to lift the mood following the blood-sucking, energy-sapping Thomas Frank era.

Describe Taty Castellanos in ONE word! 🇦🇷

And what would your West Ham frontline be now if you were picking the team?

Across the last five matches, meanwhile, Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham United have picked up eight more points than the reigning Europa League champions.

Nuno has plenty of sympathy for Frank and the now-sacked Sean Dyche, dumped by Nottingham Forest after only four months in charge. It is fair to say few Spurs or Forest fans share the Iberian’s disappointment at seeing two more of his colleagues bite the proverbial bullet.

As for Harry Redknapp, who coached on both sides of the London divide, he accepts that the Hammers are in a much better place right now than Spurs are. Especially after £27 million January signing Taty Castellanos opened his Premier League account last week at Burnley.

Harry Redknapp backs West Ham United and new signing Taty Castellanos

Gary Neville feels that West Ham have enough firepower now to climb above Forest, although any newfound optimism was dented by the news that Nuno will be without Pablo Felipe for the foreseeable future due to injury.

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“They’ve hit form just at the right time, haven’t they? A month ago, I’d have said they’re going to go down,” Redknapp tells talkSPORT, sharing the confidence expressed by the legendary Manchester United right-back.

“I couldn’t see any way out, but they’ve turned it round. A couple of new strikers coming in has made a bit of difference to them.

“[In contrast, the Tottenham] players look short of confidence and the fans obviously have no confidence in anything that’s happening there. There is a bad feeling around the place. It is a very difficult recipe for disaster. They’ve suddenly got sucked into a relegation battle.”

Nuno could rest Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville when the Hammers travel to Burton Albion in the FA Cup fourth round. Tottenham have the weekend off, following their defeat by Aston Villa in January.

Simon Jordan says Hammers must take positives from Manchester United draw

Tudor’s first game in charge, then, will be the North London derby with Arsenal on February 22nd.

Nuno was left deflated by Benjamin Sesko’s equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time last time out. Had they held on, West Ham would have been only a point behind a now-managerless Nottingham Forest side.

A very good omen for Burton… 🏆 🍻

What message do you have for Nuno ahead of the FA Cup 4th round?

Though former Crystal Palace chairman and talkSPORT rent-a-quote Simon Jordan believes the nature of that Man United draw should not distract from the level of their performance.

“When you saw West Ham get beat at home by Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the year, you felt, ‘this is a side that’s gone.’ All of a sudden, West Ham seem to get themselves galvanised,” Jordan argues.

“If you’d have asked West Ham, ‘Would you take a point against an in-form Man United before the game?’, all day they would have taken a point. The fact is that they were 1–0 up and obviously conceded a goal in the 96th minute is a disappointment, but it’s a bloody good point!”

“I would still say it’s upon them in terms of the likely third [relegation] spot. They’ve got a lot to do, West Ham, but what they’ve given themselves is a hell of a chance.”

Jermain Defoe and former West Ham United assistant Edin Terzic were reportedly in contention to take over from Thomas Frank at Premier League relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur, though Igor Tudor is now in pole position.

Nuno Espirito Santo expressed sympathy for Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank when struggling Nottingham Forest and Tottenham opted to give up the ghost this week.

As things stand, West Ham United are only three points behind 17th-place Forest, who are expected to hire Vitor Pereira in the hope he can repeat his survival heroics at Wolves last season. Spurs are only one place and two points better off than the managerless Midlanders.

But not for long, it seems.

On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that West Ham will stay up this season? 🤔

West Ham United’s bitter rivals Tottenham pick Igor Tudor over Edin Terzic and Jermain Defoe

The Telegraph claim that Edin Terzic, who worked as an assistant to Slaven Bilic at West Ham, was in contention to take over at Tottenham on a temporary basis.

Former England international Jermain Defoe, who started his career at Upton Park before moving on to Spurs in a deal which saw Bobby Zamora go in the other direction, had also been ‘discussed internally’, according to Ben Jacobs on talkSPORT.

Defoe is yet to take on a senior managerial role, but he has worked as a coach in Spurs’ academy.

Sky Sports, though, are now reporting that Igor Tudor has agreed to take charge until the end of May at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The 47-year-old Croatian is available to step into the breach immediately following his sacking by Juventus in October.

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Interestingly, Give Me Sport reported that former technical director Tim Steidten wanted to bring Terzic back to West Ham in 2024, shortly before Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui.

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.

Lucas Paqueta becomes our 4th BIGGEST sale ever! 💰

But what do YOU think about the transfer fee? Good business, or daylight robbery?

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.

Elisha Sowunmi lifts the lid on West Ham United exit and Tottenham Hotspur transfer

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.”

First Elisha Sowunmi, next Josh Ajala? 🫨

What would two academy exits mean for West Ham?

Hammers could lose Josh Ajala as well as Sowunmi

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.”

In pursuit of a new goalkeeper, West Ham United are dipping into usually reliable waters, offering Antonin Kinsky a place in the boat once occupied by Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Should Tottenham Hotspur’s £12.5 million shot-stopper complete a move across the capital, he will follow in the footsteps of three players who would make up most fans’ lists when asked to name the best pound-for-pound signings in West Ham United’s recent history.

Tomas Soucek has surely secured legendary status. Iron-clad right-back Vladimir Coufal brought a ‘warrior’s’ spirit to the London Stadium.

And while El Hadji Malick Diouf is a long way off hitting those heights – Ollie Scarles’ fine form has given Nuno a dilemma ahead of Saturday’s trip to Chelsea – the African Cup of Nations champion is a popular presence already on and off the pitch.

Ollie Scarles or Malick Diouf? Tell us your choice before West Ham v Chelsea…

And why?

The stage is set for Antonin Kinsky, then, to make a similarly positive impression.

West Ham are in talks to sign the Tottenham goalkeeper on an initial loan deal, with the option to make it permanent in the summer. After Adama Traore joined from Fulham for a cut-price £2 million on Wednesday, the Prague-born 22-year-old appears well-placed to become January signing number five.

As Traore reunites with Nuno, meanwhile, Kinsky would also find himself working again with a very familiar face.

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West Ham United target Antonin Kinsky shone at Slavia Prague with El Hadji Malick Diouf

Back in 2023/24, Slavia Prague claimed the Czech First League title by 14 points. That was despite losing Kinsky in the middle of the campaign.

This was also Diouf’s first season in the capital. The young left-back had arrived the previous summer from Tromso in Norway.

According to Transfermarkt, Kinsky and Diouf played 28 games together before the former was snapped up by Spurs to provide support for Guglielmo Vicario. Slavia would win 20 of those matches, while conceding 0.5 goals per game in league action.

They would even rack up 13 clean sheets when on the pitch together.

As a result of their excellent form, while Tottenham took a punt on Kinsky, Slavia received offers from Crystal Palace and Chelsea for Diouf. Five months later, he would join his former teammate in London. That £21 million move also saw Diouf replace Kinsky as the biggest export in Slavia’s history.

And when interviewed by Radio Prague International, it was clear that the goalkeeper left quite the impression on the left-back.

“When I see him play, I think to myself; ‘This goalkeeper doesn’t feel pressure’,” Diouf said of Kinsky during the summer of 2025. “He plays calm, has good technique, can play with his feet… he’s very cool.

“He’s got a big future ahead of him.”

How do you FEEL about West Ham signing Antonin Kinsky? 🧤 🇨🇿

A mistake? Or a masterstroke?

Tottenham Hotspur keeper is ‘a bit like Petr Cech’

A future in which a reunion between two former Slavia stars appears, if not imminent, then very, very possible.

Of course, even the most optimistic West Ham fans will not be expecting Kinsky and Diouf to rack up such impressive numbers together in the Premier League. Slavia Prague have won six of the last seven Czech league titles, after all, and are used to dominating the domestic scene. Kinsky would join a Hammers side in a very different sort of predicament, and with the worst defensive record in the Premier League.

It is also far-from certain that the youngster would even command a place in Nuno’s XI. Alphonse Areola has had a mixed campaign, but Nuno values the Frenchman’s experience and physicality.

Yet, as he demonstrated during a ‘phenomenal’ debut performance in a 1-0 EFL Cup semi-final win over Liverpool 12 months ago, Kinsky is not one to let the pressure of the occasion get the better of him. ‘Calm’ and ‘cool’ were the words Diouf used. Delve a little deeper, and similar descriptions emerge time and again.

“He’s a bit like [Czech legend] Petr Cech in that he’s very goal-orientated,” said Karol Tvaroh, a Czech pundit who spoke to The Athletic last year. “He really has a good filter, which helps in this world of social media. It allows him not to listen to that noise and just to focus on his craft.

“But I think his biggest strength is how he can influence the team. That might be quite abstract, but I believe goalkeeping can have an aura. Kinsky’s saves calm his team-mates down because at times it seems like there’s no way he can concede.”

A scout for an unnamed Bundesliga club highlighted, having watched Kinsky in action, his seemingly fearless visage. He even drew comparisons with Manuel Neuer; a testament to his swagger as well as his sweeper-keeper qualities.

Nuno, though, is a manager who likes his goalkeepers to do the traditional stuff, and do it well.

Across the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, Matz Sels finished joint-top of the Golden Glove rankings at Nuno’s Nottingham Forest. He also averaged the most long balls of any goalkeeper, with his passes travelling the furthest distance on average.

Those Neuer-like tendencies may, therefore, be put to one side for the time being. But as Nuno welcomes Adama Traore to West Ham and Kinsky and Diouf look to pick up where they left off, West Ham will be hoping the familiarity breeds success.

A strange West Ham signing now appears to be edging closer after a fresh revelation from bitter rivals Spurs emerged amid doubts over the deal.

What had previously seemed confusing or unlikely in West Ham circles, especially after comments from Spurs boss Thomas Frank, has taken on a new level of credibility following developments in north London.

And the new twist suggests the situation may be moving towards a conclusion.

They’re fierce London rivals but transfers between West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur are like London buses.

There wasn’t one for 14-and-a-half years and then all of a sudden two come along in the space of six months.

West Ham and Spurs transfer deals like London buses

There was an unofficial transfer embargo between West Ham and Spurs in that time born of frosty relations between the respective boardrooms.

The final straw was Daniel Levy pulling the plug on a deal which would have seen West Ham take Emmanuel Adebayor off Tottenham’s hands.

Adama Traore’s critics may be getting it all WRONG! ⏩ 👟

What do the stats tell us about West Ham's next signing?

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Hammers co-owner of the time David Gold, now sadly passed, lambasted Levy on social media for his conduct saying: “There are some people you simply cannot do business with.”

That is why the sale of Mohammed Kudus, one of West Ham’s best players, to Tottenham was controversial in the summer.

Especially for £54.5m, which would have seemed a bargain a year prior.

Kudus has been one of Tottenham’s best players without setting the world alight. But Thomas Frank’s side sit 14th in the Premier League, so that is hardly an achievement worth writing home about and now Kudus is out injured until April.

Before Kudus, the last player to leave West Ham for Tottenham was Scott Parker.

The last player to come in the other direction was David Bentley when the Hammers were in the Championship.

Now West Ham want to take their first player from Spurs for 15 years in a bid to avoid ending up there next season.

Strange West Ham signing now surely close after Spurs revelation

Yesterday it was reported that the Hammers are closing on Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

Big Czech star Kinsky has struggled for game time at Spurs. That’s despite the questionable form of much-criticised number one Guglielmo Vicario.

How do you FEEL about West Ham signing Antonin Kinsky? 🧤 🇨🇿

A mistake? Or a masterstroke?

The Irons are looking to sign former Slavia Prague star Kinsky on loan with a non-mandatory purchase option.

West Ham’s £15m goalkeeper flop Mads Hermansen had been tipped to go in the other direction to join Spurs.

That makes sense given the Danish connection with Frank – who remains in the job, for now at least.

There was no mention of Hermansen in the latest Kinsky update.

Frank cast doubt on West Ham’s chances of signing Kinsky when he stated he needs him as back-up to Vicario.

But what would be something of a strange West Ham signing is now surely close after a revelation from rivals Spurs.

Alphonse Areola has been one of West Ham’s best players since Nuno Espirito Santo, himself a former Champions League winning goalkeeper, arrived at the club.

While Hermansen has failed to impress, it seems odd Nuno wants to offload him just to bring in another goalkeeper who will just be number two – especially if Kinsky, as Frank says, wants to be playing.

Unless West Ham have shock plans to sell Areola, who earns £120k-per-week, in this window?

But despite saying he needs Kinsky, it seems Frank is already planning for the Czech stopper to join West Ham.

Journalist Alan Nixon has exclusively revealed Spurs have made a shock move for Wolves ‘keeper Sam Johnstone to become their back-up to Vicario.

Johnstone is up for the move according to Nixon on his Patreon after losing his place back to Jose Sa at Molineux.

Nixon says the move has come about because Spurs have accepted Kinsky may be leaving for West Ham.

West Ham United are in talks to sign Antonin Kinsky but Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank insists he would be ‘happy’ to keep the Czech goalkeeper for the remainder of the Premier League season.

While Fulham winger Adama Traore should become Nuno’s fourth signing since taking over – following Pablo Felipe, Taty Castellanos and Keiber Lamadrid – number five may not be too far away.

West Ham United are reportedly in talks to sign 22-year-old Antonin Kinsky on an initial loan deal from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

How do you FEEL about West Ham signing Antonin Kinsky? 🧤 🇨🇿

A mistake? Or a masterstroke?

The former Slavia Prague keeper has played only eleven games since arriving in England 12 months ago. Two of those appearances came in 2025/26, with Thomas Frank expected to start Guglielmo Vicario again during the Champions League trip to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

Tottenham may have reservations about sending Antonin Kinsky to West Ham United

Frank acknowledges that Kinsky may be unhappy with his lack of chances, though he is in no rush to push him out the door.

“In general, happy with Kinsky. He’s a great keeper,” the former Brentford boss told a press conference on Tuesday. “I think any player wants to play.

“But we also need good players if something happens with Vic for example.”

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The likelihood is, then, that Tottenham would want to land a replacement before letting Kinsky go. Their current third-choice is Brandon Austin, who at 27 has played only three times for the first-team.

Kinsky has been compared to Czech legend Petr Cech and even Bayern Munich great Manuel Neuer in the past. West Ham’s track record when signing players who made their name in the Czech league – from Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal to El Hadji Malick Diouf – also bodes well.

Should Kinsky join, West Ham may let Mads Hermansen go after only five appearances for the club.

The deal which takes Antonin Kinsky to West Ham United comes 12 months after the Czech Republic glovesman marked his Tottenham Hotspur debut with a stellar display against Liverpool in the EFL Cup.

A rare domestic positive in a miserable 2024/25 campaign, and a flying start which the £12.5 million signing from Slavia Prague would struggle to build upon.

Spurs won 1-0 on that January night – Lucas Bergvall putting Ange Postecoglou’s team within touching distance of the EFL Cup final – with Antonin Kinsky the star of the show. The talk of Tottenham town.

As West Ham reportedly close in on the Spurs goalkeeper – The Sun report that talks are underway regarding an initial loan deal – the hope in East London will be that they get the Kinsky who blossomed against Liverpool rather than the one whose fumbles cost Tottenham dear against Aston Villa and Newcastle.

How do you FEEL about West Ham signing Antonin Kinsky? 🧤 🇨🇿

A mistake? Or a masterstroke?

West Ham United, though, are getting themselves a 22-year-old shot-stopper with unshakeable self-confidence, an insatiable desire to flatten those weaknesses, and one who may feel he has a point to prove.

Antonin Kinsky made a ‘phenomenal’ start at Tottenham as West Ham United chase him a year on

That stellar debut against Liverpool a year ago was the first of only 11 appearances Kinsky has made for West Ham’s bitter London rivals.

A magnificent reaction save to deny a pirouetting Darwin Nunez was the highlight of his debut. The highlight of his entire Tottenham career, really.

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“He was phenomenal, honestly,” Spurs striker Dominic Solanke told Sky Sports at full-time. “He came three days ago and one or two training sessions with us.

“To look that comfortable out there and confident, I can’t give him enough credit. He looked like a natural out there, like he had been training with us for years, especially at his age as well.”

“[Kinsky] handled himself outstandingly’, Ange Postecoglou said, while club legend Clive Allen called it one of the best debuts he had seen in recent years.

The honeymoon, though, would last only a few weeks.

Liverpool would come roaring back in the second-leg of that semi-final, winning 4-0 at Anfield. Kinsky gifted Arne Slot’s team their second of a thumping victory as he hared off his line and fouled a stampeding Nunez. Another error would come as Spurs exited the FA Cup, palming a Jacob Ramsey shot into his own net.

And in what is likely to be his final appearance for Tottenham, Kinsky misjudged Fabian Schar’s opener and then found himself in no-mans land as Nick Woltemade headed Newcastle into the next round of the Carabao Cup.

Errors litter Spurs spell but Kinsky has been likened to Petr Cech and Manuel Neuer

After West Ham opened the door for Mads Hermansen to leave after only a few months and five appearances, there is very little evidence in Kinsky’s Tottenham spell to suggest he would be much of an upgrade.

Mads Hermansen has a shocking record…

He has to be the worst-ever signing for West Ham in the Premier League…

The Hammers are taking a risk. But a calculated one, perhaps, on a 22-year-old goalkeeper playing behind a usually-ramshackle Tottenham backline.

One who has drawn comparisons with Manuel Neuer and even Czech legend Petr Cech. One who kept 20 clean sheets in 30 games for Slavia Prague, and who possesses a passing range many midfielders would be proud of.

From Tomas Soucek to Vladimir Coufal and El Hadji Malick Diouf, meanwhile, West Ham’s track record when it comes to signing players from the Czech Republic speaks for itself.

“He’s a big pro. He works on himself all the time,” Martin Shejbal, who worked with Kinsky at Pardubice in 2023/24, told BBC Sport following his move to Tottenham. “He got to the top thanks to the fact that he works harder and more than other players and goalkeepers.”

“He is open to alternative methods of everything. We spent hours talking about various ways of preparation.

“It’s not always easy for a coach to work with a player like that, because sometimes what he did was not right. On the other side, exactly that mentality makes him an exceptional person and it helped him to achieve what he did.

“I would rather say there are similar personalities [between he and Chelsea icon Cech],” Shejbal added. “Cech was a great professional. When he did some mistakes in the national team’s games, he never really made a victim out of himself, he would not be drowned in regret. Kinsky is the same.”

“I expect him to become a really quality Premier League goalkeeper.”

“He’s a bit like Petr Cech in that he’s very goal-orientated,” agreed Karol Tvaroh, a Czech pundit who spoke to The Athletic last year. “He really has a good filter, which helps in this world of social media. It allows him not to listen to that noise and just to focus on his craft.

“But I think his biggest strength is how he can influence the team. That might be quite abstract, but I believe goalkeeping can have an aura. Kinsky’s saves calm his team-mates down because at times it seems like there’s no way he can concede.”

Kinsky could bring a new dimension to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side

So that’s Cech and Neuer, two of the best and most influential goalkeepers of the 21st century. Good company to keep, certainly, even if Kinsky has barely even scratched the surface of their acheivements.

Those Neuer comparisons emerged largely because Kinsky, when his Slavia Prague team were in possession, would often position himself outside of the penalty box. A ‘sweeper keeper’, of sorts.

A goalkeeper/playmaker, the type of which they hoped they were getting in Hermansen, and clearly don’t have in the old-school Alphonse Areola.

“He reminds me of Manuel Neuer,” a scout for an unnamed Bundesliga team told The Athletic. “His style has some differences, but he seems bigger than he really is. He has presence and gives off a sense of not being afraid.”

Considering the environment Antonin Kinsky is set to walk into at West Ham, and considering the doubts surrounding him following a few high-profile errors down the road at Tottenham, the youngster’s famed self-belief may be needed more than ever.

Interestingly, Cech actually scouted Kinsky on behalf of Chelsea when he was playing for the Czech Republic’s Under-16 side. The Blues would not make a move, but the teenager earned himself an admirer in his nation’s greatest-ever glovesman.

“You could see that he was strong, with his feet,” Cech told Flashscore, Kinsky already mastering something his idol never really got to grips with in the Pep Guardiola-influenced era.