West Ham World

West Ham’s 2025/26 season couldn’t have started much worse.

After a 3-0 hammering at newly promoted Sunderland and a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea, the Hammers sit rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, having conceded eight and scored just once. The mood around the London Stadium is grim, and the cracks are showing.

Performance-wise, there’s been little to shout about.

Mads Hermansen, brought in to solve West Ham’s goalkeeping woes, has struggled in the opening matches. James Ward-Prowse and Maximilian Kilman haven’t exactly inspired confidence either.

Amid the gloom, however, one shining light remains: Lucas Paquetá. The Brazilian midfielder, scorer of West Ham’s solitary goal so far—against Chelsea no less—stands out as the team’s best performer in a truly bleak start to the campaign.

Sadly for the Hammers, it now seems he could be on the move.

Spurs Interested in Paquetá

According to a new report from the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race for Lucas Paquetá.

The 27-year-old Brazilian, described as “quality” by fellow countryman and former Chelsea star Felipe Luis, is reportedly open to a switch to European football after a challenging year at West Ham, which has included off-field betting allegations.

Spurs, along with Aston Villa, are said to be keen on securing the midfielder’s signature. Paquetá, who was courted by Manchester City in 2023, could be allowed to leave if West Ham receive a suitable offer that also strengthens their first-team options elsewhere.

Tottenham’s interest comes as the north London club seeks reinforcements following James Maddison’s injury and after missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

Having already signed Mohamed Kudus from West Ham, adding Paquetá would significantly boost their attacking options—but for West Ham, losing him would be a huge blow.

For the Hammers, Paquetá departing now would feel like the final nail in the coffin, taking away arguably their most influential player at a time when points and morale are desperately needed.

The London Stadium faithful can only hope that the club can somehow hold on to their star—at least until they find a proper replacement.

Mohammed Kudus may have sparked a bidding war for his services.

We’ve known for a while now that the Ghanaian will likely be sold this summer. His form last season was way off the levels he displayed the season before, while West Ham also need to raise precious transfer funds before they can start to reinvest in the squad.

Earlier this week it emerged that Tottenham were in talks with both the club and the forward about a potential move to north London, while last week it had been reported that Arsenal were also exploring a possible deal.

As things stand, according to Fabrizio Romano, a switch to Spurs looks the most likely. It’s claimed Kudus is open to a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, seemingly undeterred by the fact such a move would anger the Hammers’ fanbase.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are also interested in the former Ajax star.

But it’s now being claimed Kudus’ representatives have informed Liverpool that he would be willing to take a pay cut to join the Premier League champions should they decide to enter the race for his signature.

That’s claimed by LFC Transfer Room’s Matt Thielen, who said on X: “Mohammed Kudus’ agent has informed Liverpool that the player would be open to accepting a reduced salary should the club express interest in securing his services amid interest from Tottenham and Chelsea.”

That’s hard to believe given Kudus is earning about £90k-a-week at West Ham, although that figure is unverified by Capology. It would be a surprise if the forward would be willing to go any lower than that given his quality and the fact he is likely to be signing for a club competing in the Champions League next season.

It’s being widely reported that despite Kudus’ £85m release clause, it could take just £60m to convince West Ham to sell the 24-year-old.

Spurs’ opening bid was reportedly for £50m plus £5m of add-ons, which was rejected by West Ham’s hierarchy.

Should Liverpool officially enter the race for Kudus, it’s a scenario that could play into West Ham’s hands quite nicely. While there appears to be an acceptance that the club will need to accept a fee less than his £85m release clause, having more than one club making bids it’s more likely they’ll get more than £60m valuation they currently have.

Indeed, there is no evidence just yet that Liverpool will act on Kudus’ agent’s proposal and make an official bid but given Chelsea, Arsenal and even Newcastle have all been credited with serious interest in the Ghana international, it would be a surprise if Spurs are allowed a free run at signing him.

One thing for sure is that we are heading closer to the end of Kudus’ time as a West Ham player as his London Stadium exit looks more and more likely by the day.