Hammers News

While West Ham United’s pursuit of a new goalkeeper is expected to ramp up this week – Leicester City glovesman Mads Hermansen in the frame – things are less certain on the striker front at the Premier League outfit.

It is a week now since Hammers News reported that ex-Newcastle frontman Callum Wilson was expected to move to West Ham United on a free transfer.

While a heavily incentivised deal for the 33-year-old former England international is still very much on the cards, recent reports suggest that Wilson is considering all his available options before putting pen to paper at the London Stadium.

But, as Carlton Cole put it, West Ham could do with a younger striker as well. If Wilson is a short-term, quick-fix, more long-term solution is also required. Yet, heading into the final month of the summer window, all the paper in your local Clinton Cards would be required if you were to make a list of centre-forwards who have slipped through Graham Potter’s grasp.

Hammers News were informed, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that Galatasaray star Baris Alper Yilmaz was a leading target in mid-June.

But, thanks to a timely intervention from Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk, it appears that Yilmaz is ready to close the door on the 2023 Conference League champions, like so many others.

Baris Alper Yilmaz told to reject West Ham United and wait for Liverpool or Tottenham

One of the most versatile forwards on the market, interest in Baris Alper Yilmaz is nothing new.

West Ham reportedly saw a £21 million bid rejected in January, alongside Nottingham Forest. The £30 million-rated Yilmaz appeared keen to leave Galatasaray following a second successive Super Lig title this summer, meanwhile, only to perform a whiplash-inducing U-turn after talking things over with the coach who outmuscled Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce to finish last season on 95 points.

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“Baris Alper Yilmaz has a truly special and distinct place for Okan Buruk. Baris has no intention of leaving,” Sky Sports Turkey reporter Ali Naci Kucuk explained on Tuesday.

“Coach Okan told Baris; ‘Europe’s eyes are on Galatasaray right now. With the moves we’ve made, and the Champions League as our target, play another year, showcase yourself better, and move on to higher-level teams’.

“‘Instead of going to West Ham, go to Tottenham or Liverpool’.”

The implication being, of course, that Baris Alper Yilmaz can fast-track a transfer to a bonafide A-list European giant should he prove himself capable of going head to head with the continent’s best on the Champions League stage.

Carlton Cole wants West Ham to sign a younger striker alongside Callum Wilson

Suggestions that Yilmaz should snub West Ham in favour of a Spurs side who finished below them in the Premier League table last season will not impress many in claret-and-blue, but few would take issue should the Turkey international opt to keep his powder dry and wait for a club in Liverpool’s position.

Yilmaz scored 14 goals while providing a further six assists as Galatasaray dominated the Super Lig again in 2024/25.

Callum Wilson, in contrast, started only two Premier League matches in another season dogged by fitness issues.

“Callum Wilson, when he’s fit, he is a really renowned, really good striker. He gets goals. Always scores against West Ham United!” the aforementioned Carlton Cole tells talkSPORT.

“Look, he’s a good player. He’s a good player. But is it what Graham Potter wants? If it’s what Graham Potter wants, then I will go with it. If he sees the vision, he can make it work.”

“I like Callum Wilson when he’s fit, but how many times is he fit?,” Cole asks. “Can he maintain [the required fitness levels]? That is the biggest problem.

“Yes, we do need a striker but how desperate are we to get a striker in? Can we get one that is younger, maybe to complement Jarrod Bowen?”

Mohammed Kudus became the first player since Scott Parker 14 years previously to leave West Ham United for Premier League neighbours Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.

After a prolonged negotiation, Daniel Levy convinced David Sullivan to accept a bid of £54.5 million.

Mohammed Kudus could not resist Champions League football in North London, meanwhile, even if a highly-contentious departure took a sledgehammer to any remaining goodwill held towards him at West Ham United.

Kudus is only the fifth player in the last 22 years to swap the claret and blue kit for the bright white of Spurs.

Scott Parker was the most recent, coming back in 2011, while Michael Carrick, Freddie Kanoute and Jermain Defoe made the short trip across the capital shortly after the Millennium.

Speaking to talkSPORT this week, meanwhile, one-time Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara admits that he could have joined a very exclusive club too by moving in the other direction as part of the deal which took a baby-faced Defoe to White Hart Lane two decades ago.

Jamie O’Hara explains why he did not leave Tottenham Hotspur for West Ham United

In the end, it was Bobby Zamora who joined West Ham as part of that Defoe agreement.

Had a teenage O’Hara felt differently, he could have made the move to Upton Park as well. Instead, the boyhood Spurs fanatic opted to remain 12 miles north before making his senior debut under Juande Ramos later down the line.

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“Sunderland wanted me. Birmingham wanted me as well when they had Barry Ferguson in midfield,” O’Hara recalls, when asked if he saw any potential transfers fall through during his playing career.

“I thought he was a good player Barry. I thought I would go there and play alongside him but they had a couple of other players [in my position], so I wasn’t sure if Birmingham was the right place.

“West Ham wanted to do a deal when Jermain Defoe was coming the other way. They wanted me to go to West Ham but I didn’t want to go to West Ham. It was a good club but I didn’t want to go there.

“There were a few. I could have gone to Malaga as well! A bit of Marbella…”

A former England Under-21 international turned ‘shock jock’, O’Hara would go on to play 103 Premier League games for Tottenham, Portsmouth and Wolves albeit without ever really establishing himself among the elite.

Zamora, in contrast, provided some of the most memorable moments of the Alan Pardew era at West Ham. The winner against Preston North End in the 2005 Championship play-off final, for instance, plus that infamous strike in a 3-2 win away to Arsenal.

He now works as a forward coach at another of his old employers; Brighton and Hove Albion.

Evan Ferguson leaves Brighton for Roma as Bobby Zamora backs him for success

Bobby Zamora remains a big fan of Evan Ferguson, a footballer he knows very well from his time at the Amex, despite the Irishman’s ill-fated loan spell at West Ham last season.

The one-time Seagulls sensation escaped the glare of the Premier League this week when securing a potential £34 million move to Roma.

“I did some Malaysian TV recently with Bobby Zamora. He goes into Brighton once a week and coaches the strikers. Bobby said Evan was the best finisher at the club,” former Newcastle and Man City goalkeeper Shay Given told the Scottish Sun recently.

“I think Evan just needs to find a home, if I’m being honest. Be it here or somewhere else. I think he needs someone to say ‘You’re my player.’

“He went to West Ham for Graham Potter and you thought that was the perfect fit because Graham had him at Brighton, but then he didn’t play so much at West Ham either. [Michail] Antonio was injured. Yet, they played [Jarrod] Bowen and [Mohammed] Kudus, not Ferguson.

“What happens next for Evan? I just think he needs to go, be it a loan for a season or some club buys him, and you build the team around him. I think he’s a top player, I really do.

After a couple of weeks in which very little happened, former West Ham United striker Carlton Cole was not short of talking points when he returned to punditry duty; From Mohammed Kudus to Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson.

The Hammers had to wait until July 10th for the first big deal of the summer to occur.

Mohammed Kudus’ departure from the London Stadium always felt likely to be an unblocking-of-the-ketchup-bottle sort of moment. And, almost immediately after Tottenham Hotspur confirmed Kudus’ arrival in a £54.5 million deal, West Ham United reinvested a third of that windfall bringing El Hadji Malick Diouf to the London Stadium.

The blockage removed, and the sauce now flowing liberally.

You wait a month-and-a-half for one new face, meanwhile, and West Ham could now land three in the space of a week.

Kyle Walker-Peters joins his fellow full-back Diouf, arriving on a free after his contract at Southampton expired. Hammers News can confirm that West Ham have offered Callum Wilson a 12-month deal, too; the striker also pursuing a fresh start upon his exit from Newcastle on July 1st.

Carlton Cole coy on West Ham United’s Callum Wilson chase

Speaking to talkSPORT, a man who now works behind the scenes as West Ham’s Loans and Pathways Manager accepts that things are heading in the right direction in the recruitment department.

Kudus’ sale has freed up valuable funds, after all.

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Hammers News reported all the way back in April that Kyle Walker-Peters agreed a hefty £75,000-a-week deal with West Ham.

Cole expects further signings to arrive soon enough with Harvey Elliott, Tyler Morton and Mads Hermansen among those high on the list.

“There is [new signings on the way]. It’s a work in progress,” says Cole, who scored 68 goals for West Ham during nearly a decade in claret and blue.

“But we’ve got Kyle Walker-Peters, we’ve got a few youngsters [arriving].”

West Ham signed Daniel Cummings from Celtic. Callum Leacock and Josh Kerr both arrived from Northern Irish football, while Connor Brooks adds a ‘high-energy midfield player’ to the club’s youth ranks.

When pressed on Callum Wilson, however, Cole’s response was a little more coy.

“No, no, hold on. Everyone’s saying he’s gone to West Ham but he’s not there yet.”

‘Yet’, of course, being the most important word.

TalkSPORT now say that, as of 3.30 on Friday afternoon, former England international Wilson has agreed terms with West Ham on a ‘minimal’ contract incentivised by goal and appearance bonuses.

Former Aston Villa captain Gabby Agbonlahor felt that West Ham should sign Callum Wilson on one condition; If he was willing to accept a pay-as-you-play deal, or some variation thereupon. It appears that this is exactly the sort of arrangement now destined to take place.

Cole refutes claims that Tottenham stole West Ham’s ‘best player’ in Mohammed Kudus

As for Kudus, Cole effortlessly swept aside a jibe from former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara.

Spurs have not, as O’Hara cheekily suggested, nabbed West Ham’s ‘best player’, no matter how much they might like to.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is a huge Jarrod Bowen fan. And if the Hammers supporters were asked to pick between Bowen crossing the divide or Kudus, the results would weigh extremely heavily in the direction of the latter.

“Jarrod Bowen is our best player [not Kudus],” was Cole’s blunt response.

The aforementioned Carlton Cole is reluctant to label Wilson a ‘West Ham United’ player at this stage, however.

The Ghana international made a bright start to his Tottenham career in pre-season. He assisted Luka Vuskovic’s goal in a 2-0 win at Reading, while providing the corner from which Will Lankshear opened the scoring.

West Ham are unfazed by Tottenham hijacking a move for one of their top targets with recruitment chief Kyle Macaulay already pivoting to a fresh four-player list.

The Hammers remain focused on players who fit the principles of their recruitment policy rather than obsessing over individuals with Spurs now looking a more likely destination for a Graham Potter target.

Tottenham Hotspur are proving to be the bane of West Ham’s life this summer transfer window.

Champions League football and reported Saudi investment by way of stadium naming rights is behind an impressive Tottenham transfer splurge.

Spurs the bane of West Ham’s window

That included ending a 14-year unofficial transfer embargo with West Ham by signing Kudus for £54.5m.

Hammers fans have vented their fury at David Sullivan and the board over the sale to their bitter rivals.

But the money it brings in – payable over 36 months – means West Ham can start Potter’s much-needed rebuild.

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That got underway with the capture of brilliant young Senegalese left wingback El Hadji Malick Diouf this week in a £19m deal – with a further £4m possible in add-ons.

As the Irons turned to their next target, though, there is a familiar fly in the ointment.

West Ham want Harvey Elliott from Liverpool as they look to replace Kudus and inject more youthful exuberance, guile and personality to an ageing and immobile midfield.

At the weekend a leading journalist close to Hammers majority owner Sullivan claimed West Ham are confident they can pull off a deal for Elliott.

It was reported in some quarters West Ham might not be able to afford the move, though.

In a Hammers News exclusive on Wednesday morning, West Ham’s owners revealed they still hope to sign Elliott despite talk the deal may be off.

Then came a bitter blow from Tottenham. Again.

It was revealed Tottenham are hijacking West Ham’s move for Elliott and are set to hold talks with Liverpool.

Spurs hijack no problem for West Ham as Macaulay pivots

The Hammers will undoubtedly be glad to see the back of Spurs this summer.

But the club clearly aren’t getting flustered by the prospect of missing out on Elliott.

The Spurs hijack is no problem for West Ham as Kyle Macaulay pivots to a four-player list.

When Macaulay arrived at the London Stadium from Chelsea to be reunited with Potter in January he reportedly arrived with a comprehensive dossier of targets specifically chosen for the West Ham rebuild.

The Scot has worked with Potter at every single one of his clubs.

He identifies targets based on the system, style of play and individual parameters with one eye on potential future resale value – more akin to the Brighton recruitment philosophy.

And a world away from the often incoherent, scattergun transfer approach West Ham have adopted in the past which has seen players targeted based on availability or who their agent is.

After Tottenham reportedly leapfrogged them in the race for Elliott, Macaulay is refusing to panic.

Hammers recruitment chief has four-player back-up list

That’s according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

In his transfer notebook, Crook says the Hammers have got – rather refreshingly – several back-up plans.

Four to be precise – and they’re all exciting young talents.

The first is Elliott’s Liverpool teammate Tyler Morton.

The 22-year-old is another looking to get game time away from Anfield off the back of an impressive Under 21 Euro Championship campaign with triumphant England.

It is being widely claimed West Ham have already lodged a bid.

Fernandes excites West Ham fans

The next name on Macaulay’s list according to Crook is Man City’s James McAtee.

Linked with the Hammers since Potter’s arrival in January, McAtee has been told he must leave Pep Guardiola to play as much as he deserves.

The only problem for West Ham, according to Crook, is that McAtee’s preference is actually to move abroad amid interest from Germany, Spain and Italy.

Should none of those work out, then Macaulay will delve even deeper into the dossier.

It’s claimed he will rekindle interest in “want-away” Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

The former Leicester star was another linked throughout January when Potter landed in east London.

He ended up staying at Chelsea but another summer of investment means his chances of playing are growing bleaker with every day.

The final name on Elliott plan B list is perhaps the most exciting – Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes.

The former Sporting star shone for Southampton despite their relegation and is said to be available.

Fernandes is 21 and ranks highly in key midfield statistics across Europe’s top leagues.

His name is the one most intriguing Hammers fans.

But in truth any of the five players on Macaulay’s list would be an improvement on what West Ham were putting out last season.

West Ham have been plunged into another embarrassing situation involving Tottenham Hotspur, just days after the Mohammed Kudus fallout.

Spurs chief Daniel Levy has now swooped in to hijack a move for one of Graham Potter’s top transfer targets — just hours after West Ham admitted they’re hoping to strike a deal.

If there was little love lost between West Ham and Tottenham already then relations will be at an all-time low after this summer transfer window.

The Hammers and Spurs are one another’s fiercest rivals after Millwall and Arsenal respectively.

Hammers fans furious at selling Kudus to Spurs

There has been a series of clashes and rows between West Ham and Tottenham down the years.

From lasagne-gate to fallouts over the Olympic Stadium – which destroyed the friendship between Levy and Hammers vice-chair Karren Brady – and an unofficial transfer embargo lasting over 14 years.

That was until the weekend, when West Ham controversially sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham in a deal worth £54.5m.

Spurs and Kudus have rubbed salt in the wound by goading the Hammers since.

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The Ghanaian declared he ‘only wanted Spurs’ in a video announcing his arrival.

Kudus was also seen on camera telling Tottenham’s doctor ‘You will find Spurs in there’ as he listened to his heart with a stethoscope.

While far from happy with the financial situation the club has got itself into, Hammers fans had accepted Kudus needed to be sold to raise funds for Potter’s rebuild.

But David Sullivan and West Ham’s board have come under fire for even contemplating doing business with Tottenham, let alone for one of the team’s most talented players.

West Ham fans now have to suffer the ignominy of being trolled by their Tottenham counterparts – just as they’ve had to with Arsenal supporters over Declan Rice.

West Ham’s new Spurs shame as Levy hijacks move for top target

Things have taken another ugly turn for Sullivan and co now, though.

West Ham could suffer new Spurs shame after the Kudus deal as Levy hijacks their move for a top target.

It looked like the Hammers might have the last laugh over Tottenham and Kudus when they instantly used the money to sign El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The electric Senegal left-back has joined West Ham from Slavia Prague in a £19m deal, which could rise to £23m.

Since then attentions in east London have turned to landing Potter’s prime target, Liverpool playmaker Harvey Elliott.

In a Hammers News exclusive on Wednesday morning, West Ham’s owners revealed they still hope to sign Elliott despite talk the deal may be off.

The Hammers hierarchy told fans there was still a chance, if only a small one, of bringing the England Under 21 star to the London Stadium as Potter’s star buy.

But after the misery of the Kudus deal, Tottenham have now hijacked West Ham’s bid to sign Elliott from Liverpool too.

Tottenham to hold talks for West Ham target Elliott

That’s according to Weekend Sports journalist Sébastien Vidal.

The reporter claims Spurs have now turned their attentions to Elliott after their move for Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White hit the buffers over the alleged disclosure of the midfielder’s release clause.

In fact Vidal says Tottenham are set to hold talks with Liverpool about getting a deal done, hours after West Ham made it clear it was ‘never say never’ in their own hopes to sign Elliott.

Vidal claims Newcastle and Brighton are also interested.

First Kudus, now this for West Ham to contend with.

Clearly at West Ham, Elliott would get more game time as Spurs have signed Kudus to play off the right, one of the former Fulham youngster’s favourite positions.

In the middle they have James Maddison too.

If it is game time Elliott is looking for then the Hammers would be a better bet.

But Tottenham have Champions League football to offer and their transfer intentions so far may be a closer fit with Elliott’s own ambitions.

West Ham missing out on Elliott is one thing. But missing out to Tottenham will make the move sting.

West Ham new boy El Hadji Malick Diouf surprised some fans by bringing up Spurs and Everton in his very first club interview.

But the reason behind El Hadji Malick Diouf’s comments will now make perfect sense before Tottenham Hotspur or Everton fans get too carried away.

Everton boss David Moyes and bitter rivals Tottenham have actually played a big part in West Ham’s making Diouf their first signing of the Graham Potter era.

The Hammers have completed the capture of the Senegal left wingback from Slavia Prague for £19m – with a possible further £4m in add-ons.

Moyes did a superb job in east London before his return to Everton.

Moyes and Tottenham had hand in West Ham signing Diouf

But he neglected to invest in top young full-backs during his time with the Hammers.

That has led to Potter making the position one of his top priorities after a dismal 18 months, which started with Moyes’ final six months in charge.

And the Diouf deal has only been possible after West Ham controversially sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for £54.5m.

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Kudus was highlighted by Thomas Frank as a player he wanted at Spurs.

But there is no love lost between the Hammers and Tottenham, underlined by the fact no players have transferred between the rivals for over 14 years.

That changed when David Sullivan sanctioned the Kudus deal.

Although Diouf’s capture may give West Ham the last laugh over Spurs as he matched Kudus’ stats from left-back and is said to be a top character.

Some Spurs fans believe the signing of Kudus proves they are a bigger club than West Ham.

There is a seemingly never-ending tribal debate over that subject involving the likes of the Hammers, Everton and Tottenham.

So West Ham fans feared the worst when both clubs got a mention the first time they heard from Diouf after his arrival.

But here’s why West Ham new boy Diouf mentioned Everton and Spurs in one of his first interviews.

Why West Ham new boy Diouf mentioned Everton and Spurs

West Ham’s media team took a walk with Diouf at Rush Green armed with quick-fire questions to get to know the Hammers new boy better.

Diouf confirmed the correct pronunciation of his name, described his playing style as ‘counter-attacking’ and named Real Madrid and Brazil great Marcelo as his football idol.

But it was when he was asked what Premier League club he was ‘most excited to play against’ that it caught many by surprise.

The usually inevitable answer to questions like that is the likes of Man United, Liverpool or a Man City.

But Diouf rather refreshingly answered ‘Everton’.

Now the Toffees are a big club and they are going into an exciting new era at the Hill Dickinson Stadium with former Hammers boss Moyes at the helm.

But there’s no getting away from the fact it was a rather surprising response.

The reason, though, is quite simple.

One of Diouf’s best friends and players he looks up to most in football is Iliman Ndiaye.

Brilliant Toffees winger Ndiaye is a real idol in Senegal and has been making a name for himself in the Premier League – something Diouf admits is ‘every young Senegalese footballer’s dream’.

Diouf and Ndiaye were two of Senegal’s best players when they recently beat England 3-1.

As for Tottenham, their mention was more clear cut.

Ndiaye and Sarr the reason Diouf mentioned Toffees and Spurs

Diouf was asked which Premier League player he was ‘most looking forward to playing against’ for West Ham.

His response was another inspired by his Senegal connections.

Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr was the response – another of his close friends from the international setup.

Diouf will get both his wishes just six games into the new Premier League campaign.

The Hammers welcome Spurs to the London Stadium in game week three and then go to Everton in game week six.

Although when West Ham face Tottenham, Diouf will have a much more important task on his hands than Sarr – keeping that man Kudus quiet.

Manchester United target Jean-Clair Todibo has made a major U-turn on his West Ham future after Mohammed Kudus’ controversial move to rivals Spurs.

The West Ham defender’s apparent change of heart comes after a reported threat behind the scenes amid an expectation he would join Man United this summer transfer window.

West Ham and Man United are both on the hunt for a new centre-back.

And the Red Devils have reportedly been biding their time before coming knocking at the London Stadium for Jean-Clair Todibo.

West Ham’s very controversial sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur – the first transfer between the bitter rivals for over 14 years – made Todibo moving to Old Trafford even more likely.

If it was not for strict UEFA rules, Todibo would be at Man United right now.

Man United shadow looms over West Ham star Todibo

On paper, he was arguably West Ham’s best and most impressive signing of a busy window last summer.

But Manchester United were always the elephant in the room for the deal due to the club’s owners INEOS being in control of Nice.

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Man United tried to sign Todibo last summer, but UEFA intervened and blocked the transfer due to multi-club ownership rules.

Sensing an opportunity, West Ham’s former technical director Tim Steidten jetted out to Nice to beat Juventus to a deal.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe referred to Todibo in all but name as he confirmed at the time Man United cannot buy directly from Nice due to the ownership situation.

As expected, it has been suggested in some quarters since the move that West Ham were essentially “parking” the ex Barca flop in east London, enabling Man United to sign Todibo for a set price this summer.

Todibo signed on a season-long loan from Nice with an obligation to buy after five Premier League starts – and providing the Hammers stayed in the top flight.

That obligation was indeed triggered, meaning the Hammers have to shell out £32m for Todibo.

The 25-year-old endured a very strange debut season in east London where he looked Champions League one moment and Championship the next.

After a physical altercation with Julen Lopetegui, it was alleged Todibo threatened to leave West Ham unless the Spaniard was sacked.

It has been reported that Todibo regrets signing for West Ham.

As a result there have been lingering claims that Todibo could join the Red Devils this summer.

Todibo ‘threatened to leave’ Hammers if Kudus was sold

Now Man United target Todibo has performed a major U-turn on his West Ham future after the Kudus sale to Spurs.

It has been claimed that Todibo told West Ham he wants out if Lucas Paqueta and Kudus are sold this summer.

Kudus was sold to Tottenham for £54.5m – much to the anger of Hammers fans, who are being goaded by their Spurs counterparts.

That will enable Graham Potter to go out and make some signings, with another centre-back a top priority for the Englishman.

With Kudus gone and Paqueta also likely to be sold if he beats spot fixing charges, it piles the pressure on the Hammers over what to do about Todibo.

Especially after top club insider Sean Whetstone, who is close to co-owner David Sullivan, reported West Ham are open to performing a ‘quick flip’ sale of Todibo this summer to raise money for Potter’s own targets.

With Kudus gone, it gives Manchester United serious encouragement of landing Todibo against the backdrop of those alleged threats to leave east London.

Man United target Todibo performs major U-turn after Kudus sale

But in a major twist, the Frenchman appears to have made it clear he is happy at West Ham and wants to stay, despite admitting he has had a difficult time at the club so far.

Todibo emphatically states the Hammers are about to see a much better version of him next season.

And he says he is glad his move to West Ham has been made permanent, even if it was a mere formality.

Todibo even states he is looking forward to another four years in east London, appearing to completely rule out any chance of demanding to leave over the Kudus sale amid longstanding interest from Man United.

“It’s always better to be fixed on your future, so it’s great to be here another four years, and I’m really happy to now be a permanent West Ham player,” Todibo told West Ham’s website.

“It was a difficult season last year for everyone, and it took me some time to adapt to the Premier League.

‘It took me time to learn about West Ham and the culture’

“I took a lot of time to be fit, and unfortunately I got injured a couple of times, so having this full pre-season is really important for me, and being part of the squad for the entirety of pre-season is going to help me perform to my best this year.

“But I think you always have something to learn, and sometimes you learn more in difficulties and losses, and I think I learnt a lot as a person and as a player, and it’s going to help me.

“It took some time to settle in and learn about the culture of the club, the fans and the players, and I’m happy now because today I know where I am, and I’m very proud to represent our fans.”

As well as Manchester United, Juventus have also been linked with a fresh move while Marseille want him back in France.

But Todibo underlined his commitment to the Hammers, stating the training ground is a much more positive place this summer ahead of what he hopes will be a much-improved season.

“I am confident we’re going to create something big and are ready to try and achieve good things next year…

“I think pre-season gives you a lot. It creates a big confidence, and it also is a benefit to your fitness for sure.

“But it also creates a real team spirit, and I think because we went through a lot of difficult things together, we’re now going to create something big.”

West Ham fans – and Graham Potter – will be dearly hoping he is right.

And they will also be hoping Todibo can start showing what he is really made of next term.

Mohammed Kudus has seemingly aimed another sly dig at West Ham and bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur have taken great relish in sharing it on social media.

The moment, which is already attracting a backlash from Hammers fans online, comes just days after Mohammed Kudus declared ‘I only wanted Spurs’ when he was unveiled in north London.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment and I’m so happy to be here… I will fight for the badge.”

Those were the words of Kudus when he signed for West Ham less than two years ago.

The Ghanaian also talked about wanting to entertain the fans and work for the team.

You could almost copy and paste chunks of Kudus’ first words as a Hammer for his Tottenham Hotspur unveiling.

‘Kudas the Judas’ burns his bridges with West Ham

Given there is no love lost between West Ham and Spurs, Hammers supporters were shocked and angry when David Sullivan agreed to sell Kudus to their London rivals.

The first player to move between the Hammers and Spurs for 14 years has been given a new moniker by West Ham fans – ‘Kudus the Judas’.

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Hammers News exclusively revealed Kudus was refusing to train for West Ham to force the move to Tottenham.

Since the move it has been revealed the 24-year-old was late for training on several occasions to make his point that West Ham needed to accept a bid from Tottenham.

Kudus has shown little care for the club who brought him to the Premier League let alone loyalty.

To rub salt in the wound, rumours Kudus only wanted Spurs amid reported interest from elsewhere were proved true when it was officially announced he had joined Thomas Frank’s side.

In his announcement video, the former Ajax man said: “I only wanted Spurs,” before eagerly re-posting the video from his own account.

It took Kudus a full three days to spare a few moments to send a half-hearted thank you to West Ham.

The attacker seems either blissfully unaware of the scale of the rivalry between the two clubs or simply does not care.

Either way, his bridges with West Ham have been well and truly burned. Or perhaps more accurately, incinerated.

Especially after his latest antics.

Because Kudus has aimed a heartless new dig at West Ham as Spurs footage emerges.

In his first interview as a Tottenham player Kudus left the Hammers baffled with a bare-faced lie.

He stated one of his main qualities is being a team player whose main focus is on helping his side over individual glory.

West Ham might have expected Tottenham fans to relish the chance to rub the transfer in their faces.

Even if the deal has only happened because of rank financial mismanagement in east London.

But in fact it has been Spurs and Kudus himself who have been doing the trolling.

Now Kudus has twisted the knife again.

Video put out by Tottenham’s media team shows Kudus undergoing some medical tests and examinations.

A club doctor is then seen placing a stethoscope on the forward’s chest.

“I’m just going to listen to your heart, ok?” the doctor tells Kudus as he lays on a medical bed.

‘You’ll find Spurs in my heart’ Kudus tells doctor

To which the former Hammer replies: “You’ll find Spurs there” while wearing a big smile rarely seen in his time at West Ham.

The whole thing comes across rather staged.

And Kudus should forget a post-football career in acting.

The comment will be toe-curlingly cringeworthy for Hammers fans, who have been savaging Kudus in the responses.

As many are pointing out, Spurs have only been the club for Kudus since Liverpool, Arsenal and others made it clear they were not interested.

Who can blame them after a dismal second season where Kudus looked like he’d very much been found out following a promising debut campaign.

West Ham may have been stung by Mohammed Kudus’ move to Tottenham, but they’ve hit back in style by pulling off a stunning move for El Hadji Malick Diouf.

When West Ham controversially sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur he was the first player to move between the bitter rivals for more than 14 years.

Hammers fans were furious with David Sullivan and co for selling to Spurs.

Even if supporters had long since made peace with the fact Kudus needed to be moved on to raise funds for Graham Potter.

Within moments of the deal being officially announced by Tottenham, West Ham fans were regretting the club’s decision.

Spurs waste little time goading West Ham over Kudus

Spurs goaded the Hammers over the deal, using the line ‘He only wanted Spurs’ to unveil the Ghanaian.

It was even Kudus’ first words in an announcement video, rubbing salt in the wound.

West Ham fans were quick to point out that Kudus “only wanted Spurs” after first choice Liverpool, second preference Arsenal and fellow London rivals Chelsea showed no interest in signing him – even at the discounted £54.5m rate.

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Capable of the explosive and spectacular and one of Europe’s best dribblers, there’s no doubting Kudus can be a top player on his day.

Last season those days were not often enough – and were usually reserved for shop window games away at the Premier League’s traditional “top sides”.

Pushing to join a rival like Tottenham from West Ham shows Kudus had a complete lack of awareness – and frankly clearly doesn’t care – what fans think.

As the dust settled, Kudus – who has been nicknamed ‘Kudus the Judas’ – eventually sent a short message to the Hammers, which rang pretty hollow.

The 24-year-old even turned off comments on some of his social media because he knew what was coming.

“Pleasure to be a Hammer running life’s Marathon,” Kudus said.

“Thank you for the warm seat through it all.

“Best wishes for the season and the future.”

Kudus’ farewell message to West Ham rings hollow

As well as Tottenham and Kudus, Spurs’ fans have been goading West Ham too.

With money in the bank, though, West Ham have finally acted to start their Potter rebuild.

And West Ham have had the last laugh on Spurs over Kudus after sealing a deal for fellow African El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Kudus may be an exciting player on his day, but he’s a bad teammate.

He was branded selfish by both Michail Antonio and Julen Lopetegui and was reportedly part of a problem with bad team spirit at West Ham over the last 18 months.

In forcing a move to a fierce local rival, Kudus refused to take part in contact training and reportedly arrived late several times too.

Potter’s first order of business once Kudus was out of the door was to move for Slavia Prague left wingback Diouf.

The 20-year-old was one of the star players when Senegal beat England 3-1 last month.

He completely pocketed Bukayo Saka and produced some brilliant bursting runs and crosses down the left in a display full of pace, power and trickery.

One look at Diouf’s stats shows West Ham have pulled off a bit of a masterclass with the Kudus deal which has paid for his arrival.

West Ham have last laugh on Spurs over Kudus after Diouf deal

Because the Hammers have signed a left wingback with the same number of assists and goals as Kudus for nearly a third of the price.

West Ham will pay an initial £19.5m for Diouf, who registered a superb seven goals and three assists last term compared to £54.5m Kudus’ paltry five goals and three assists for an attacking player of his supposed pedigree.

Better still it seems Diouf will be a major upgrade on Kudus in terms of character.

Footage showed a huge outpouring of emotion as Diouf said goodbye to Slavia on Sunday.

From management to players and fans, the 20-year-old’s send-off spoke volumes.

It shows the huge impact Diouf has made at the club in just over a year, on and off the pitch.

West Ham may well have had the last laugh on Spurs with the Kudus deal.

West Ham will be left baffled after Mohammed Kudus made a blatant false claim in his first official interview as a Tottenham Hotspur player.

Mohammed Kudus became the first player to move between West Ham and Tottenham for over 14 years this week.

The move between fierce London rivals has been hugely controversial given the disdain between not only Hammers and Spurs fans but the boardrooms too.

Besides Millwall, Tottenham are West Ham’s biggest rivals.

So for a player to leave and join Spurs, especially a top player, it is big news.

Kudus didn’t grow up a West Ham fan so it is churlish to pretend he might care about jumping ship to a rival or how that might make supporters feel.

And at the end of the day, the Hammers only have themselves to blame for getting into a position where they have been forced to sell one of their top players for a knockdown fee to a bitter rival.

‘Kudus the Judas’ has burnt any West Ham bridges

Tottenham fans, like Arsenal’s with Declan Rice, will now be able to goad West Ham for years to come.

West Ham supporters rightly bristle at the suggestion Spurs are a bigger club than them.

Many Tottenham fans will believe signing Kudus proves that.

However, being the only show in town for a player at a club desperate to sell because of PSR is hardly evidence that would stand up to much scrutiny or debate.

It is difficult to know who is more unpopular right now at West Ham, majority owner David Sullivan or Kudus.

But while Sullivan may have a chance to redeem himself with what the Hammers do in the rest of the window, Kudus’ bridges are well and truly burnt.

The label of ‘Kudus the Judas’ has already been taken up by West Ham fans.

When Hammers News exclusively revealed before any other outlet that Kudus was refusing to train for West Ham this week, it was clear this unthinkable transfer was not going to end amicably.

Reportedly late for training on several occasions to make his point that West Ham needed to accept a bid from Tottenham, Kudus showed little care for the club who brought him to the Premier League.

To rub salt in the wound, word emerged that Kudus only wanted Spurs amid reported interest from Chelsea.

In his announcement video, the Ghanaian only went and uttered those words himself: “I only wanted Spurs,” he said before eagerly re-posting the video from his own X account.

That may have been true this week – but only because Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and – Hammers News can reveal – Bayern Munich, all turned down the chance to sign the 24-year-old.

But if you thought Kudus saying he only wanted Tottenham was bad, wait until you hear this.

West Ham shock as Kudus tells bare-faced lie in Spurs interview

West Ham will be shocked as Kudus tells a bare-faced lie in his first Spurs interview.

It would be childish to suggest Kudus isn’t a quality player just because he’s joined Tottenham.

The fact of the matter is Kudus is one of – if not the – best dribblers in all of Europe.

He is a player capable of the spectacular, explosive moments of brilliance that can win a game.

So Spurs are getting a fantastically talented individual.

They are also getting a bad teammate.

Kudus plays for himself and has done since he arrived at West Ham.

When the rest of the team was functioning reasonably well, it kind of worked to a degree.

But it soon started to unravel.

There is a video from West Ham’s pre-season Premier League media day last summer where Michail Antonio calls Kudus selfish, saying he doesn’t pass.

There is no reaction from a surly Kudus because Antonio wasn’t joking.

This is not sour grapes washed down with a pint of bitter. West Ham fans have seen players 10 times better than Kudus come and go and break our hearts.

It is simply the truth about a player summed up by that Antonio comment. He is a selfish ball-hog who lets his head drop as soon as things aren’t going his way.

And good luck to Thomas Frank if he wants to sub him off.

At first Kudus might tow the party line and act properly in those situations. But just ask Julen Lopetegui how the “Star Boy” responds to constructive criticism.

The Spaniard called Kudus out for his selfishness at half-time of a game at Frank’s Brentford last season.

Kudus was incensed at being singled out and flew into a rage resulting in a furious bust-up with the 58-year-old manager from whom he had to be separated.

Lopetegui played it down but it was indicative of a poisonous undercurrent that has been allowed to develop at the club since David Moyes’ departure.

Graham Potter is trying to fix that as his top priority, calling for West Ham to get back to being a family who look out and fight for one another.

It’s been reported Potter is not overly concerned by Kudus’ departure and the board don’t see it as a disaster either. That speaks volumes given how angry fans are.

Given all that, something Kudus said in his first interview will leave Hammers fans dumbstruck.

And Tottenham fans should not be fooled.

Kudus tells Spurs he’s a team player – and keeps a straight face

“I’m very team-orientated,” Kudus said in his first message to Tottenham fans – while somehow keeping a straight face.

“So my personal goals are around helping the team get as many points as we can, to be as high as we can in the Premier League and perform really well and go as far as we can in the Champions League.”

Kudus can tell himself that until he is blue in the face.

The world and its wife – including Tottenham fans who live in the real world – know it isn’t true.

If anything Mohammed Kudus is the antithesis of a team player.

He does everything to make himself the star of the show.

When that doesn’t transpire he’ll be the first one sulking.

He’ll win Tottenham a few games on his own and score some unbelievable goals.

He may even become a team player if Frank can get through to him.

There’s no hiding this moves stings because Hammers fans know what he could be capable of deep down.

But the fact many at West Ham are glad to see the back of him tells its own story.

And if Tottenham don’t qualify for the Champions League for a season or two, don’t expect Kudus to stick around long.

The same applies if he does hit it off and bigger clubs start circling.

Proof of Kudus’ selfishness is neatly provided by the way he left West Ham – without even a message to the fans.

In many ways Tottenham should be alarmed by the fact a player would push to join them from the Hammers.

It underlines how little loyalty he has or any consideration for rivalries.

Mark my words, if Arsenal came knocking in the future he would not hesitate for a second.

That’s the kind of player Tottenham have got on their hands.