Hammers News

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.

MORE WEST HAM STORIES

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.

MORE WEST HAM STORIES

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.

MORE WEST HAM STORIES

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.

MORE WEST HAM STORIES

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.

MORE WEST HAM STORIES

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.