Former West Ham midfielder Don Hutchison has humbled Spurs fans who have been taunting his former club over the £85m signing of Mateus Fernandes.
Many Hammers fans have been divided over West Ham’s decision to sell another star player to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
West Ham and Spurs went nearly 15 years without a player moving between the London clubs.
But the Hammers sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for £54.5m last summer and have now sold brilliant 21-year-old midfielder Mateus Fernandes to them for a whopping £85m.
Hutchison says West Ham got one over Spurs for Fernandes
Some West Ham fans are angry the club has sold to Tottenham again while others believe the money, to be paid up front, was too good to turn down regardless.
Tottenham fans have wasted little time goading their West Ham counterparts over taking another player off their hands.
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Especially as it was only made possible by the fact West Ham suffered the ignominy of Spurs relegating them from the Premier League by winning their straight shootout to avoid the drop on the final day of the season.
Tottenham supporters have been labelling the Hammers their “feeder club” and taunting the Irons that Fernandes chose the number 18 as a tribute to his former club’s finishing position last season.
Fernandes of course wore 18 at West Ham too but that hasn’t stopped Spurs fans poking fun.
Tottenham fans have been predicting they will challenge for the Premier League title as they followed up the Fernandes deal by signing Sandro Tonali for £100m.
But one former Hammer who watches a lot of football across Europe has brought Tottenham back down to earth.
Players like Fernandes not unique says former Hammer
Don Hutchison has humbled Spurs fans taunting West Ham over Fernandes.
The ex Liverpool and Scotland midfielder works on co-comms across the Premier League and some of Europe’s top leagues.
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And Hutchison says players like Fernandes are ten a penny in the game nowadays, suggesting West Ham got the better of the deal by bringing in £85m.
Hutchison says he understands why some West Ham fans are upset at selling to Spurs, but called for perspective.
“There are 100 players out there like Fernandes,” Hutchison said on X.
“(The fee of) £85 million should allow West Ham to not panic and sell more players.
“It’s painful selling to your rivals, I get that.
“(But) bigger picture – lose one player to keep four or five.”
While some Spurs fans may lack class in the way they are goading the Hammers, Fernandes showed plenty of it upon leaving.
The Portuguese issued a very professional and heartfelt farewell to the Hammers, unlike Kudus who declared he always wanted Tottenham and had Spurs in his heart after leaving last summer.
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