Spurs may try to hijack the West Ham transfer move for Filip Kostic at the 11th hour but it makes no sense.
A host of sources claim West Ham are closing in on agreeing a deal and terms with Eintracht Frankfurt star Kostic.
The likes of Fabrizio Romano claim the Hammers are pushing hard to get the move done.
The Hammers know all about the Serbian assist king’s talents having faced Kostic in the Europa League semi-finals.
West Ham’s bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur have been busy this summer making six signings to add to an already impressive squad.
Antonio Conte is a man on a mission after turning Spurs around last season as they finished above West Ham and qualified for the Champions League.
Tottenham won the race for alleged West Ham target Djed Spence (The Telegraph).
And it was not so long ago Kostic was being heavily linked with a move to Tottenham.
Now there is talk in Spurs circles that the North Londoners will try to beat the Hammers to another David Moyes target.
Because Spurs may try to hijack the West Ham transfer move for Kostic at the 11th hour but it makes no sense.
The Times and The Evening Standard recently reported that Conte still wants Kostic despite having signed Ivan Perisic.
And there is talk in Tottenham circles this weekend that Spurs may try and muscle in on West Ham’s move for the 29-year-old at the last minute in a bid to convince him to join them instead.
Our Spurs source states that having tried for Kostic, Tottenham believed he was going to sign a new deal with Frankfurt, as recently reported by Bild and TBR.
Tottenham therefore cooled their interest. But it appears the speculation that Frankfurt may now be willing to sell to West Ham has reignited Conte’s hopes of signing Kostic.
Spurs do have the advantage of Champions League football to offer Kostic while West Ham will compete in the Europa Conference League should they come through a two-legged play-off next month.
But while West Ham have been crying out for a player like Kostic on the left for years, the move makes absolutely no sense for Tottenham.
Because one of Conte’s six signings this summer was Croatian left wingback Perisic from Inter Milan.
And Perisic and Kostic are remarkably similar players who effectively play in identical positions.
A Hammers News source well connected at Spurs claims that West Ham’s rivals are trying to assemble a squad with two quality players for every position.
And as Perisic is four years older than Kostic, Conte is thinking of rotating the pair while maintaining continuity given how similar they are as players.
The claims are worrying for West Ham, who are pushing hard for a number of signings – including striker Gianluca Scamacca – after a torrid week in the transfer market which saw them miss out on Jesse Lingard to Nottingham Forest.
But surely Kostic would rather join West Ham where he knows he will be a guaranteed starter for all the key games once he adapts to his new surroundings?
Especially as Spurs already have Ryan Sessegnon – and Ben Davies if needed – to deputise for Perisic.
Kostic is one of the top assist makers in Europe’s leading leagues. So losing out on him to rivals Tottenham at the last minute would be a bitter blow for West Ham.
Especially with reports claiming the Hammers are so close to pulling a deal off.
The West Ham owners must ensure they get this deal done for Moyes. West Ham’s hopes will hopefully be boosted as Kostic shares the same agent as imminent arrival Scamacca.
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