There is no love lost between West Ham and rivals Spurs at any level, but relations are particularly frosty in the boardrooms.
So the prospect of Spurs chief Daniel Levy getting one over on West Ham majority owner David Sullivan, or vice versa, doesn’t bear thinking about on.
West Ham desperately wanted to sign Dominic Solanke last summer.
But Sullivan admitted Tottenham blew the Hammers out of the water for Solanke as the club searched for a new forward.
West Ham and Spurs bragging rights so key
West Ham and Spurs drew 1-1 in a terrible match which summed up both their miserable Premier League seasons last weekend.
Tottenham have since sealed their place in the Europa League final, though, meaning they could not only save their season but trump West Ham’s Europa Conference League triumph of two years ago.
West Ham fans have enjoyed goading their north London counterparts with chants of ‘We’ll be running around Tottenham with our European Cup singing we’ve got a trophy haven’t you’.
That will be rendered redundant if Tottenham now go on and beat flaky Man United in the final.
Ange Postecoglou is expected to leave Spurs regardless.
But when he was close to being sacked midway through the campaign, Levy piled pressure on West Ham to act on Julen Lopetegui.
The Hammers had Graham Potter on standby to replace the Spaniard but were dragging their heels over making the change.
That was until Potter emerged as a prime target for Tottenham, forcing West Ham to act.
Potter had not been in the reckoning to replace David Moyes at West Ham last summer, despite being out of work.
Sullivan dodges major Spurs bullet as Saudi come to the rescue
Lopetegui got the job instead as a Sullivan pick – but only after he decided not to shell out for the man he really wanted.
At the time Sullivan was being pressured by an agent close to him to appoint Lopetegui.
But Sullivan’s personal preference was to make Marco Silva West Ham’s new manager.
The Hammers chief has always liked Marco Silva but baulked at his reported £13m release clause, opting instead for free agent Lopetegui.
Worse still, it was claimed that Silva would have left Fulham for West Ham had an offer been made.
West Ham have regretted that short-sighted decision ever since.
West Ham chief wanted Silva but wasn’t willing to pay
And Tottenham could be about to rub salt in West Ham wounds by making Silva their replacement for Postecoglou.
But there is relief in east London today.
Because West Ham chief Sullivan looks to have dodged a major Spurs bullet as Saudi come to the rescue.
It is fair to say things have not worked out so far for Potter at West Ham.
Just three wins in 16 games and regression from 13th to 17th in the table being all the evidence needed on that front.
Potter’s side were booed off after failing to beat Tottenham’s disinterested reserve team last time out.
And the jury remains very much out on the 49-year-old.
While Tottenham may be looking at Potter and thinking they have avoided a potential mistake, West Ham will be thankful their own is not going to be exposed by Levy.
Tottenham to miss out on Sullivan favourite Silva
Because Spurs’ hopes of making Silva their new manager – a move which would have left Sullivan seriously red-faced if it came off – looked doomed.
That’s after it emerged Silva has snubbed Levy’s advances and ‘agreed to take over at Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal’ before the Club World Cup next month.
According to widespread reports, Silva will join Al-Hilal instead of Tottenham.
The only thing that could result in a Silva-lining for Spurs is if Al-Hilal unexpectedly succeed in getting their first choice Simone Inzaghi.
That seems highly unlikely as Inzaghi continues to build on his reputation as being one of the best managers in Europe after leading Inter Milan into the Champions League final for the second time in three seasons.
Therefore it looks like Sullivan is out of the woods on Silva with the riches of Saudi now beckoning to save him from bitter Spurs regret and the prospect of Levy getting one over on him.
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