Hammers News

West Ham face bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur this weekend with both Graham Potter and Ange Postecoglou under intense pressure.

The only solace for West Ham’s miserable season has been that Spurs are just as bad.

In actual fact Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side have been worse when it comes to Premier League losses with 19, three more than the Hammers.

That’s the worst record in the top flight outside the bottom three.

West Ham are hoping to give fans some rare joy by adding another to Tottenham’s loss column this Sunday, leapfrogging them in the table in the process.

Under pressure Graham Potter could certainly do with it having managed just three wins from his first 15 games in charge.

Season to forget and regret for West Ham and Spurs

Unlike the Hammers, Spurs do of course have the Europa League as a potential season saver.

It seems highly unlikely that would be enough to save Postecoglou’s job as their manager, though.

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Ironically, Hammers vice-chair Karren Brady wanted Postecoglou before he ended up at Tottenham.

Brady predicted the Aussie would take the Premier League by storm.

It was recently stated that Brady’s influence at West Ham has never been greater now.

She and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy used to be good friends.

But there are frosty relations between the two boardrooms since the battle for the Olympic Stadium.

Those relations may diminish further after new information came to light.

While Postecoglou has managed to cling on to his job despite overseeing one of Tottenham’s worst ever Premier League campaigns, Julen Lopetegui was sacked by West Ham.

When Lopetegui was on the brink at the turn of the year, reports claimed Levy was was close to sacking Postecoglou too.

It was claimed Spurs put pressure on West Ham to activate their agreement with Potter as they considered him to replace Postecoglou.

Now we might know why if Levy was playing the long con.

And he is the manager who forced West Ham into hiring Potter because he thinks he’s set for ‘bigger’ Spurs.

Potter’s start to life at West Ham has been so bad he’s taken the team backwards from 13th to 17th.

As a result many fans are torn over whether the Hammers should hold their hands up and look for yet another new boss in the summer or give Potter the transfer window and next season to turn things around.

Manager snubbed West Ham to hold out for “bigger” Spurs

At Tottenham, the vast majority of supporters are in agreement about their manager with Postecoglou set to depart even if they win the Europa League – and thereby qualify for the Champions League too.

Before appointing Potter, the Hammers held talks with a number of other candidates.

One of those was their former assistant coach Edin Terzic as well as the likes of Max Allegri, Paulo Fonseca and Christophe Galtier.

German Terzic was described as the tactical brain behind West Ham’s memorable Farewell Boleyn campaign under Slaven Bilic.

Since then he has become an accomplished young manager in his own right, leading Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last season.

Now a free agent, Terzic held talks with West Ham about replacing Lopetegui.

That came after Terzic was sounded by Hammers chief David Sullivan and Tim Steidten following West Ham’s 4-1 defeat at Spurs in October.

It has been claimed since then that the Hammers snubbed the chance to hire Terzic, preferring Potter instead after a recommendation from Brady.

But now Sport Bild in Germany claim it was Terzic who actually snubbed West Ham.

And the reason will enrage Hammers fans.

The outlet states Terzic felt West Ham were “too small” for him and that he has a strong chance of succeeding Postecoglou if and when “bigger” Tottenham dispenses of his services.

Ex Hammers coach Terzic thinks he has a chance of Spurs job

The staggering claims were made in today’s printed edition of Sport Bild, which also states Terzic has intentionally kept himself open so he is “immediately ready to talk” if and when Postecoglou departs.

Looking back around the time West Ham hired Potter, it certainly tallies with reports that were published.

West Ham fans will not be impressed by the snub – or the inference Spurs are a bigger club than them.

There is of course no guarantee Terzic would have done a better job than Potter.

But many will argue he couldn’t have done much worse.

Terzic may think Tottenham are bigger than the club he used to represent – but whether Levy sees him as big enough for them is another matter entirely.

There is usually very little love lost between fans of West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur but ahead of this weekend’s clash their own clubs have managed to unite them.

After their respective rivalries with Millwall and Arsenal, West Ham and Spurs is a fierce as it gets in London.

It is a rivalry which has grown plenty in the Premier League era.

With West Ham and Tottenham fans living and working amongst one other, bragging rights are a big deal.

The Hammers have been able to gloat about winning a trophy for the last two years and even have a specific song about it designed to taunt Spurs.

From lasagne-gate through to fighting over the Olympic Stadium and fall-outs between the two boardrooms, it’s really quite simple – West Ham and Tottenham don’t like each other.

Spurs and West Ham fans unite in fury at their own clubs

England star Kyle Walker made a major claim about Tottenham’s games against West Ham which proves that point.

They may be sworn enemies, but this season the Irons and Tottenham share a lot in common.

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The London rivals are comfortably among the biggest underachievers in any top European league.

West Ham sit 17th with four games to go of a miserable season in which Graham Potter seems to be taking them backwards.

They are just one point behind Spurs – who have lost more games than any other team besides the bottom three.

Fans of the two clubs are always desperate to see their team get one over on the other.

Spurs hold the bragging rights at the moment after a 4-1 win over West Ham in the reverse fixture – which saw all hell break loose as Mohammed Kudus was sent off and subsequently banned for five games.

With little but pride to play for in Sunday’s game at the London Stadium, though, the situation in the respective boardrooms has been making all the headlines.

And there are rare scenes as Spurs and West Ham fans unite in fury at their own clubs while giving the derby a new nickname.

West Ham’s owners have once again braced fans that the club is at its PSR limit ahead of the summer transfer window.

It is clear for all to see the Hammers and Spurs need to overhaul their sides after such woeful campaigns.

But it has been reported by The Telegraph too that Tottenham could see spending restricted due to PSR.

Hammers and Tottenham fans give derby a new nickname

Like West Ham, it is claimed Tottenham must ‘sell-to-buy’ with a crucial summer looming large as an extended window opens on June 1.

Spurs’ net transfer debt of £279 million means a tough window of trading lies ahead for Ange Postecoglou or his replacement says Matt Law.

Supporters of both clubs have been reacting furiously to the news.

It has given them common ground ahead of the London Stadium clash, which has been handed the new nickname ‘El Crapico’ by some supporters.

The resentment between fans of both clubs and their board has seen Spurs and West Ham supporters finally agree on something.

Big Hammers account West Ham Central dubbed the fixture ‘El Crapico’ getting 3,000 likes from fans of both clubs.

That came in a post which shows the form of both teams in the last eight games.

Supporters of both the Hammers and Spurs remarked they thought it was two Welsh teams playing one another.

West Ham vs Spurs is ‘Welsh Cup Final’ due to form table

“It’s an advert in Welsh,” said one fan.

“Welsh Cup Final,” another added.

A Spurs supporter said: “West Ham are a better side than us.”

Another Tottenham fan added: “West Ham will win this one at home and second sandwiched between Europa league game.”

“Sounds like two Welsh towns,” said another Tottenham fan whose handle is ‘Balance Sheet over Team Sheet Levy Out’.

“I thought it was a Welsh derby then,” another added.

“Not sure which fanbase turns more toxic when they lose. Pretty sure you’ll beat us though to be fair,” a Spurs supporter said.

“West Ham will hammer us. Be a easy 3/4 goal difference,” said another Tottenham fan.

A fellow Spurs fan agreed, saying: “Be 100% certain that you get the win. There is no way you don’t win this. It will be easy for you.”

“Dark days for our clubs,” said another.

Just like Tottenham, West Ham’s fans are convinced they’ll lose.

One stated: “Deccers (Declan Rice) money wasted.”

A West Ham supporter said: “Easy Spurs win this.”

‘Dark times for both our clubs’

“Pretty sure Ange said these results would change when the injured players came back….we’ve just got worse,” one Spurs fans admitted.

“Both managers can find a way to simultaneously lose this one,” another supporter said.

A fellow Tottenham fan highlighted one thing which proved how bad things are for both clubs.

He said: “Not sure which games worse quality between this and Southampton and Leicester. Says it all really.”

“They’ll both manage to lose,” another supporter said.

A Tottenham fan added: “You’ve can add another W to Potter record when you play us. We are diabolical under this clown of a manager. I say 3-1 West Ham.”

For fans of the two London rivals to be in such agreement is quite some achievement from messrs Daniel Levy and David Sullivan.

But with it being widely reported Postecoglou will be leaving Spurs regardless this summer, the game feels massive for Potter at West Ham.

After just three wins from his first 15 games, the pressure is on the ex Chelsea boss.

And there will be no hiding places for the players or either manager in this one, El Crapico or not.

West Ham welcome bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium this weekend with Graham Potter and Ange Postecoglou under serious pressure.

It is the lowest West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur have been at the same time when meeting in the Premier League.

So the stakes have rarely been higher.

Especially with Ange Postecoglou’s job very much on the line at Tottenham and Graham Potter already feeling the heat after a disastrous first 15 games at the Hammers helm.

West Ham are officially the worst team outside the bottom three right now, sitting 17th in the table.

But no side outside the relegated clubs have lost more games than the 19 16th-placed Tottenham have given up.

One point separates two of the biggest underachievers in Europe’s top five leagues.

Speculation is rife Postecoglou will be sacked this summer – even if Tottenham add to West Ham’s misery by winning the Europa League to rescue their season.

Not only would that end Tottenham’s long trophy drought but it would also see them qualify for the Champions League too.

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Spurs can save season but West Ham have no such luxury

West Ham have no such jeopardy left in their season with Potter’s job coming into question after less than four months.

The Hammers have won just three of the Englishman’s 15 games so far and hit a new low in the 3-2 collapse against Brighton which will be familiar to Spurs fans.

Tottenham threw away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Brighton earlier this season.

West Ham did things a different way at the weekend, coming from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 with six minutes of normal time remaining – only to somehow conspire to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

There is absolutely no love lost between the Hammers and Tottenham – on or off the pitch.

Both clubs have bigger rivals in the shape of Millwall and Arsenal.

There is no denying this particular rivalry seems to grow in its intensity with every passing season.

It sounds like it may be too late for Postecoglou with Daniel Levy’s axe already sharpened.

But Potter must listen to England star Kyle Walker about Spurs if he wants a future at West Ham.

When West Ham brought Potter in to replace the hapless Julen Lopetegui, they were expecting at least a top 10 finish.

Lopetegui had left the side in 13th place.

Yet Potter has somehow managed to take West Ham backwards. The Hammers are on course to suffer the indignation of finishing below Spurs during one of their worst ever top flight seasons.

Postecoglou will pay the price by being replaced at Tottenham this summer by all accounts.

But it also stands to reason that Potter would not be retained this summer had Hammers chief David Sullivan got his way and handed him the initial six-month deal he had planned until interest from Everton forced his hand on a two-and-a-half year contract.

Postecoglou going but Potter also feeling Hammers heat

On the flip side, a win against Spurs can be the catalyst for Potter to turn things around in east London.

Until Potter snapped after West Ham’s pathetic collapse at his old club Brighton, many felt the 49-year-old has been too accepting of low standards and mediocrity from his players.

That’s why West Ham fans celebrated striker Niclas Fullkrug speaking out and calling the team “s—” following a dismal draw against Southampton.

Fullkrug has spoken out again with a warning to Potter following West Ham’s defeat to Brighton.

It was his latest attempt to rally his teammates with Spurs up next.

And this is a game Potter can’t afford a meek surrender from his team.

Just ask former Tottenham defender Walker.

Potter must listen to Walker about Spurs if he wants West Ham future

The England star, on loan at AC Milan from Man City, has been discussing the biggest rivalries he has played in on BBC 5 Live – which you can see below.

And former Tottenham star Walker said facing West Ham always felt a much fiercer and more real rivalry than when Spurs played Arsenal.

“As daft as it sounds, I felt like Tottenham vs West Ham felt more passionate than Tottenham vs Arsenal for me when I was playing.

“It just felt more.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIuD0R6MoOI

That is sure to raise a few eyebrows, especially among Tottenham fans who seem to want to play the rivalry down through an arrogant stance that they are the superior club.

The league table suggests they are right now – by a solitary point – in this most miserable of campaigns for both clubs.

It won’t be enough to save Postecoglou, but this is Potter’s first game against Spurs as West Ham boss and it can go a long way to changing the narrative building around him ahead of a huge summer.

So he needs to heed Walker’s words and make sure West Ham are on it from the off and for the entire match.

There can be no Jekyll and Hyde first and second half displays or insipid surrenders in this one.

Potter’s stock phrase after every match has been: ‘We’ve been competitive in all the games’.

That simply won’t wash with Hammers fans if they lose at home to Tottenham.

West Ham United need a big result against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, it really is as simple as that.

Graham Potter has endured a truly disastrous first three months in charge of West Ham.

The Hammers head coach has failed to oversee any kind of genuine progress since Julen Lopetegui left the London Stadium.

Tomas Soucek called out his West Ham teammates on Saturday for their weak mentality, and Potter absolutely has to find a way of getting a tune out of them between now and the end of the season.

Sure, the Hammers will not be getting relegated this term, but there are standards that need to be set now so that there is genuine optimism heading into the start of the 2025/26 season.

Potter has approached the job at West Ham with more focus on performances rather than results.

He said as much after we lost 2-1 to Chelsea in February (WHUFC.com).

He has been speaking about us like we’re a plucky underdog who’ve just been promoted to the Premier League.

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Now he will find out the hard way that West Ham fans expect more than the back four just knocking the ball about amongst each other with no incisiveness going forward.

Graham Potter has got one very important thing so wrong at West Ham

The way that Potter has bleated on about positives and a long rebuild on the horizon for three months now with no tangible improvements is simply not acceptable.

He needs to listen to what Craig Bellamy said about the West Ham fans years ago:

“And do you know they get a bad rep the (West Ham) fans. But they were brilliant.

“They’re the most knowledgeable fans of all of them I ever played for, you couldn’t kid ’em.

“Do you know you see people go around kicking people and I’ve seen fans cheer like ‘Yea but he has a go’. He has a go at what?! He gives the ball away every time.

“There (West Ham) they won’t accept that. Because you’ve got to be a good player as well. ‘We expect you to have a go, we pay money for you to have a go, but what are you like on the ball and also what are you like when we’re not happy, do you still have the balls to go and get the ball?’

“And if you do then they’ll have you, they’re with you then. And I loved that about them, they weren’t kidded on because they’ve watched too many great players down the years, they’ve been brought up on Bobby Moore and all that type of stuff.“

We don’t demand consistent success, just a manager and a team of players who are willing to give everything to the club.

Potter seems to think that he had a free hit up until the end of the season when taking over at the London Stadium.

This ‘progress takes time’ narrative angers me. Vitor Pereira has done alright at Wolves hasn’t he! Also, that attitude seeps into the players’ mindsets and there is no accountability for underperforming.

And he will find out the hard way this weekend that the fans very much expect to see results now, or at the very least maximum effort with a clear footballing philosophy.

Tottenham game could be make or break for Graham Potter at West Ham

I’m not suggesting that Potter will get sacked if we lose to Spurs, but a poor, toothless performance may well really turn the fans against him.

There are already some who are questioning whether he is the right man for the job, and he looked like a beaten man after we lost to Brighton on Saturday.

I can’t help but feel like those emotions he showed when speaking to reporters were somehow not genuine. It was almost like Potter realised he had to show some emotion because the West Ham fans will not sit back and accept the ‘nicely, nicely’ approach.

It won’t work with the current group of players at the club either.

The performance from Potter’s players against Tottenham on Sunday will tell us a lot. If he isn’t able to get them pumped up for that game, then he might not be the man we need at the helm.

With Spurs and Newcastle both eyeing Jarrod Bowen, Graham Potter has been forced to respond to growing concerns that West Ham may be left with no choice but to cash in on their talisman.

Jarrod Bowen has been linked with a big-money move to West Ham’s bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur and mega-rich Newcastle United this week.

And, worryingly, not for the first time.

West Ham actually beat Newcastle to the £20m signing of Bowen on deadline day of the January window back in 2020.

Steve Bruce has since admitted he thought he had Bowen in the bag for the Magpies.

But the Hammers managed to get the deal done and Bowen has been the club’s best, most important and reliable player ever since.

Already a certified West Ham legend well on the way to being the club’s leading all-time Premier League goalscorer, it has been disconcerting for fans to see fresh links of a potential move to Tottenham or Newcastle.

Spurs and Newcastle want Hammers star Bowen

Likes both Spurs and the Geordies, West Ham fans are well used to seeing their best players leave when they perform at a consistently high level down the years.

Declan Rice and Harry Kane being exhibits A and B in most recent years for the Hammers and Tottenham.

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But with Bowen it has always felt different.

Not least because he signed a new SEVEN-YEAR Hammers deal only last season and has said he wants to retire at West Ham.

Last summer it was claimed by top sources in the north that Newcastle were preparing a big money move for Bowen. It was stated he is Eddie Howe’s top target.

That never materialised.

And West Ham gave short shrift to reports of a Tottenham approach too, telling their rivals they’d have to cough up £150m for the board to even consider it.

Amid fan fury that Spurs had even had the temerity to ask the question, West Ham responded emphatically on Spurs’ Bowen links.

Fast forward a year and with West Ham at their limit for PSR and in desperate need of sales.

The club’s owners have made no secret of the fact players need to be sold this summer to raise funds for signings.

West Ham insisted again Bowen is not for sale after recent links to Liverpool and Newcastle.

Supporters were understandably concerned, though, by the source of a new claim that Spurs are intending to try and sign Bowen this summer.

Because it came from a top Hammers insider who counts majority owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady among his contacts.

Spiky Potter responds to fears West Ham have to sell Bowen

And it was claimed Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is planning to try and take advantage of West Ham’s financial issues.

Now the potential sale of the club’s talisman to Tottenham or Newcastle has been officially addressed by the manager himself.

Spiky Graham Potter has responded to fears West Ham have to sell Bowen amid the interest from Spurs and Newcastle.

In what was a rather awkward press conference, Potter was put on the spot about Bowen by West Ham-supporting reporter Ian Abrahams.

He got straight to the point with Potter, asking whether he and West Ham will have to cash in on Bowen in order to fund a big rebuild, or whether he plans to build the team around the England attacker.

Potter initially said he ‘wouldn’t answer the question even if he could’.

But when pressed, the Hammers boss seemed pretty emphatic.

“Even if I could answer that, do you think I would answer that question?” Potter responded incredulously in the press conference.

To which Abrahams told Potter to be ‘honest’.

“I’m not that honest!” Potter quipped before eventually opening up to the question, which was clearly driven by this week’s rumours of the interest from Tottenham and Howe’s side.

Potter pressed for ‘honest’ response on Bowen future

“Look of course Jarrod is our captain, he’s fantastic, we want him to be here for the next 10 years.

“We want him to finish his career enjoying his football with us, achieving everything he wants as an individual and with a team that I think he’s got a real affinity towards.”

So there you have it West Ham, Spurs and Newcastle fans – Potter is fully planning on building his team around Bowen and not with the money he gets from selling him.

The proof of the pudding will, as always, be in the eating.

And a decision may be taken out of Potter’s hands if either club come knocking with a massive offer.

Although Sullivan and the board know they would have a revolting fanbase on theirs if Bowen is sold. Especially to Tottenham.

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen is once again being linked with a big money move to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur – but this time there is cause for concern.

West Ham fans are used to seeing their best players leave down the years.

But not for bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur ever since an unofficial transfer embargo sparked by Daniel Levy pulling the plug at the 11th hour on Emmanuel Adebayor joining the Hammers.

That was the start of frosty relations between the Tottenham and West Ham boardrooms which was made icier by the fallout of a spying scandal court case.

Yet there have been regular rumours over the last year or so that Tottenham are interested in a number of West Ham stars.

Spurs linked with West Ham captain Bowen – again

First it was Jarrod Bowen last year and since then Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta have also been linked with Tottenham.

In fact back in June last year, it was claimed Tottenham made an enquiry about signing Bowen at the ‘highest levels’.

That suggested Levy had spoken to West Ham majority owner David Sullivan about a shock transfer for the club’s talisman.

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It was stated at the time the Lilywhites saw that approach swiftly rejected by the Hammers, who told their rivals they would have to stump up £150m for West Ham to even consider the sale.

Amid fan fury that Spurs had even had the temerity to ask the question, West Ham responded emphatically on the Bowen bid.

“It is delusional rubbish Spurs could sign Jarrod,” the West Ham spokesman told Hammers News at the time.

“Let me make this perfectly clear. He is not for sale.”

Fast forward a year and with West Ham at their limit for PSR and in desperate need of sales.

The Hammers have made no bones about the fact players need to be sold this summer to raise funds for signings.

But speaking exclusively to Hammers News after fresh links to Liverpool earlier this month, West Ham’s owners insisted again Bowen is not for sale.

Now it’s being claimed Tottenham want to try again for West Ham’s skipper this summer.

Staggering Bowen to Spurs source should worry West Ham

The staggering Bowen to Spurs claim looks laughable but the source should worry West Ham.

On seeing the latest claims, most Hammers fans have scoffed at the idea.

For a start, Bowen signed a new SEVEN-YEAR Hammers deal only last season and said he wants to retire at West Ham.

Even Tottenham fans would find it hard to image Bowen sitting down with his West Ham fanatic father-in-law-to-be Danny Dyer and telling him that he is signing for one of their biggest rivals.

Gone are the days the Hammers would entertain selling a key player to Tottenham.

But the source of this new Bowen claim should deeply concern West Ham supporters.

Hammers insider Sean Whetstone counts Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady as his big contacts at West Ham.

Whetstone has previously revealed that West Ham are bracing themselves for £80m losses in their next accounts.

It was also Whetstone who unearthed West Ham’s £69m Barclays deal which saw them borrow against every penny they were owed in transfer fees by other clubs to fund last summer’s £155m splurge.

And it is Whetstone who claims Spurs smell blood and are trying to take advantage of West Ham’s financial situation to sign Bowen.

He even states that West Ham might now consider a bid over £100m for Bowen.

Even if he thinks it is unlikely Levy will meet that demand.

Spurs preying on West Ham financial woes, claims insider

“Spurs will target Jarrod Bowen this summer to test West Ham’s resolve,” Whetstone claims on X.

“Ange Postecoglou is likely to be replaced before next season, but Daniel Levy will try to take advantage of the Hammers financial losses by trying to tempt them with an offer.

“Spurs would need to lodge a bid way in excess of £100m which appears unlikely knowing Levy’s track record.”

Levy recently responded to protesting Spurs fans but insisting the club ‘can’t spend what we don’t have’.

That will give Hammers fans some comfort.

But the fact there is even a slight possibility the Hammers hierarchy would consider selling Bowen to Tottenham if they bid the right amount is a sickening prospect for supporters.

And one that won’t go down well at all with an already agitated fanbase.

West Ham are doing everything they can to deliver Graham Potter’s ‘dream’ signing but Tottenham are making life very difficult.

The summer transfer window is nearly just six weeks away and there’s plenty of work to be done at West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.

The London rivals share a lot in common this season – they’ve both been exceptionally bad.

Two points separate the Hammers and Spurs as they fight to avoid being the worst team outside the Premier League relegation places.

West Ham and Spurs face overhauls

Tottenham have lost a whopping 17 games to West Ham’s 15 – meaning two teams tipped to challenge for Europe have lost nearly an entire Premier League season’s worth of matches between them this term.

Ange Postecoglou looks finished in north London, unless Spurs somehow win the Europa League.

That leaves Daniel Levy in full control of Tottenham’s transfers this summer – just like David Sullivan at West Ham.

Both squads need a serious overhaul after their woeful underachievement.

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But Levy has warned Spurs fans the club ‘can’t spend what we don’t have’.

Meanwhile West Ham have made it clear sales are needed to fund signings due to the club reaching its PSR limit.

Logic suggests a vibrant free agent market will be where the Hammers and Spurs look to shop as a first priority.

And that is certainly the case according to football correspondent Graeme Bailey.

West Ham work on Potter’s ‘dream’ signing but Spurs ‘making it tough’

Because West Ham are working hard to deliver Graham Potter’s ‘dream’ signing but Spurs are ‘making it tough’.

West Ham have been talking to versatile England midfielder Angel Gomes over a summer move to east London.

The Lille star is out of contract at the end of the season.

Bailey revealed Graham Potter asked West Ham’s owners to bring him Angel Gomes this summer when he first took over in January.

West Ham have held negotiations with Gomes’ agents Gol International.

But Tottenham have been in the background for Angel Gomes too, putting pressure on any Hammers deal.

Gomes spoke out after the January window closed to say he has not made any decision on his next club and will assess proposals towards the end of the season.

As that draws ever closer there is an update from Bailey on the situation.

The journalist says West Ham are backing Potter by doing everything to get Gomes signed.

Better still the player is very much open to the idea – but there’s a problem.

Levy and Spurs are refusing to step away in the race for the Edmonton-born 24-year-old and that is proving attractive for Gomes as well.

Tottenham spoiling West Ham’s Angel delight

“The club are backing Potter that is for sure, they think he has had a positive impact on the squad and I am told the players are enjoying it,” Bailey exclusively told Hammers News.

“They want a striker, but they are looking at all aspects of the squad.

“I think the dream signing for them would be Angel Gomes – they think he would fit Potter’s style like a hand in a glove, and I believe Gomes would be open to it.

“But at this point it is a tough one because Spurs are working hard on him.”

Gomes was honest over his future when he spoke out to reassure Lille fans he wasn’t taking his eye off the ball while the season was still going on.

But he has been leaving negotiations to his agents in the meantime.

“I’m aware of clubs inquiring about my situation, but I’m now completely focused on Lille,” Gomes told Fabrizio Romano.

“I want to finish the season in the best way possible and then we will see what happens.

“I’m focused on the present and not on negotiations.”

There’s no love lost between the West Ham and Tottenham boardrooms but Daniel Levy is about to save David Sullivan from himself.

The results of a popularity contest between David Sullivan and Daniel Levy as their clubs would make interesting reading.

Sullivan has at least overseen West Ham winning a major trophy.

On the flip side Levy has led Tottenham Hotspur into one of the finest stadiums in world football.

Sullivan and Levy taking transfer control

Both men are under serious pressure after a Premier League campaign to forget.

West Ham and Tottenham were widely tipped to challenge for the European places again this term.

It says everything about just how bad the Hammers and Spurs have been that they are 16th and 14th respectively with seven games to go – and unlikely to finish any higher than 13th.

Julen Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten paid the price with their jobs.

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Speculation suggests Ange Postecoglou will soon suffer the same fate at Tottenham.

It stands to reason that both clubs are in need of major overhauls in the summer transfer window.

West Ham fans will be aware that Sullivan is now back in charge of transfers after electing not to replace Steidten.

The Hammers board declared they are a ‘happy ship’ again when confirming last month that Sullivan is now de facto director of football once more.

Sullivan’s return to the transfer fold at the London Stadium has some supporters worried.

Especially given how crucial it is West Ham get this summer’s rebuild right.

After all any more regression from their current position could have grave consequences.

Signing a new striker is a top priority for the Irons and Tottenham.

Spurs come to West Ham’s rescue as Levy saves Sullivan from striker blunder

The Hammers have signed a whopping 54 strikers during Sullivan’s 15-year tenure.

Not all have been flops of course but the vast majority have not worked out.

Now Spurs have come to West Ham’s rescue as Levy saves Sullivan from a striker blunder.

According to a recent report from Give Me Sport, West Ham have been speaking to Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin about joining on a free transfer in June.

Before Graham Potter took over at the London Stadium, Julen Lopetegui was linked with a move for Calvert-Lewin too.

So that suggests this is a deal being driven by Sullivan given Lopetegui and Steidten have left and interest remains.

West Ham have been linked with 28-year-old Calvert-Lewin for several years.

TEAMtalk claimed in January that the Hammers were trying to sign the former England forward. But when a deal could not be agreed they stated, West Ham would look to bring him in on a free transfer in the summer instead.

Most West Ham fans see the move as a mistake waiting to happen.

On his day Calvert-Lewin can be a top striker.

But those days are too few and far between due to his terrible injury record.

He has only played more than 22 games once in the last four seasons. And he has just 18 goals in that time.

Tottenham rescue Sullivan from Calvert-Lewin temptation

West Ham’s last permanent striker signing, Niclas Fullkrug, has spent the vast majority of the season out with two serious injuries.

But Calvert-Lewin’s availability on a free transfer will always be tempting for Sullivan. Especially given West Ham’s serious PSR issues this summer.

So West Ham fans will see it as a bullet dodged that Tottenham are now showing strong interest getting a deal done for the soon-to-be free agent.

Everton have already accepted that Calvert-Lewin’s departure is ‘practically inevitable’ according to Give Me Sport.

And the report claims it is Tottenham now emerging as his most likely destination.

With Postecoglou looking set to leave, Levy is pulling the strings on the cheap move.

And Tottenham are said to have already begun talks to entice the striker with an ambitious project and an important role in the squad for next season.

Levy may not be popular at Tottenham, but he certainly might be in east London after this.

Julen Lopetegui already feels like a distant – and bad – memory for West Ham but there could be a shock twist on the cards and it can only be Spurs or Manchester United.

There was a bitter irony about West Ham’s defeat to Wolves in midweek.

Here are the Hammers losing to the only team worse than them in the Premier League outside the bottom three.

A West Ham team on their third manager in less than a year, losing to a side Graham Potter’s predecessor Julen Lopetegui walked out on before pledging to have the Irons competing for Europe.

Man United and Tottenham Hotspur have not been much better.

Both the Red Devils and Spurs also lost yet again in midweek as their seasons continue to mirror the horrendous campaign being endured by the Hammers.

Woeful Hammers season mirrored at Spurs and Man United

Ange Postecoglou is clinging on to the Tottenham job by the fingers he’s just used to cup his ear to his own fans.

Ruben Amorim has also been questioned having failed to get Manchester United upwardly mobile.

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The Europa League represents a last hope for Man United and Spurs this season.

Speculation is already rife changes will be on the cards if those hopes aren’t realised – particularly at Tottenham.

West Ham could not wait much longer to play their hand this season.

Lopetegui oversaw a disastrous 192-day reign before being shown the door in east London.

He outlasted Erik ten Hag and actually helped send him packing from Man United with an extremely fortunate win earlier in the season.

But by January David Sullivan and co had seen enough.

It is officially the shortest tenure of any permanent West Ham manager in the club’s 130-year history.

Yet as far as most Hammers fans are concerned, the board left it far too long to pull the trigger on the man they dubbed ‘Flopetegui’.

Although bar one or two spikes in performance levels, Potter has not been able to get a tune out of the same group of players either.

The Englishman has made it perfectly clear who he thinks is at fault.

Potter has blamed Lopetegui for leaving West Ham in a mess as he struggles to get lift-off in east London.

Lopetegui has since slammed West Ham for sacking him, saying it was too soon and claiming much better was to come in the second half of the season.

Surprisingly, the ex Wolves and Spain boss has been linked with a number of high-profile jobs since leaving the London Stadium.

The Belgium job was on the cards in the immediate aftermath of his sacking.

Then there were reports of Lopetegui being back in Man United’s contingency plans should Amorim continue to struggle.

That’s after Lopetegui was linked with Man United before West Ham appointed him.

A gig in Mexico was also a reported opportunity for the former Real Madrid player and manager.

Now an astonishing new Lopetegui claim will leave West Ham stunned and it can only be Spurs or Man United.

According to South American Dazn journalist Julio Suarez, Lopetegui has turned down offers to take a job in Mexico – where he is currently building a hotel.

Astonishing Lopetegui claim can only be Spurs or Man United

The reason will leave jaws on the floor in the West Ham boardroom.

Because Lopetegui has claimed privately that not only is it his intention to manage a club at ‘the top of the Premier League very soon’.

But also that a ‘very big one’ has made it clear to him he is on their radar to take over.

That is quite an incredible claim.

Logic says the only clubs that can possibly be, which fit that profile, are Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Maybe Chelsea if Enzo Maresca fails to get the Blues in the Champions League.

West Ham fans will be dumbstruck if Tottenham or Man United appoint Lopetegui.

Surely the only realistic explanation is a PR campaign to keep the 58-year-old Spaniard’s name relevant in Premier League circles.

One to keep an eye on this summer nonetheless.

After all stranger things have happened in football – and one look at Lopetegui’s CV shows he clearly interviews well.