Hammers News

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.