Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham have been linked with a number of mutual targets but Daniel Levy has just done David Sullivan a big favour.
West Ham and Spurs are both looking to make signings before the January transfer window closes on Monday night.
In fact easing rising fan resentment very much depends on it.
David Sullivan and Daniel Levy are both under pressure with West Ham and Tottenham fans furious at the lack of business done this month.
West Ham are sat 14th in the Premier League table with Spurs one place and three points below them.
It is completely unacceptable for both clubs.
West Ham and bitter rivals Tottenham are both on the hunt for new signings in the three key areas of the pitch.
Whenever West Ham are linked with a player, Spurs start sniffing too.
Brian Brobbey, Evan Ferguson and Angel Gomes are just three mutual targets.
Spurs save West Ham from transfer clanger
For now Graham Potter and Ange Postecoglou need a new forward and defensive cover as a priority.
Tottenham’s unprecedented injury issues have been well documented – ad nauseum.
But West Ham will be without top centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo for at least another four weeks.
And Potter only has three senior centre-backs with big question marks over one of the error-prone Konstantinos Mavropanos.
The need for defensive cover has put West Ham and Tottenham on a collision course once again.
It seems there is only going to be one winner.
Spurs have saved West Ham from a transfer clanger as they close in on a Serie A star.
Tuttomercartoweb claims the Irons have made a move to sign AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori ‘within the last few hours’.
But Tottenham have hijacked the move for the 27-year-old former Chelsea defender.
And Football Italia claim an agreement has been reached between Tottenham and Milan for Tomori.
Spurs have moved very quickly to beat West Ham to a deal which the report says is ‘all but done’.
There is clearly an argument that Tomori would be an upgrade on Mavropanos at West Ham.
However, an assessment for Get Italian Football News proves Tottenham are actually doing the Hammers a massive favour by beating them to Tomori.
Tottenham swoop to land ‘average at best’ Tomori
Their damning assessment of his four years in Serie A shows West Ham have dodged a bullet.
“Fikayo Tomori has generally been average at best for Milan over the last couple of seasons,” GIFN states.
“The fact that they could earn anything over €20m (£15m) from his sale would be excellent business considering their moves for Gimenez/Lorenzo Lucca.”
As back-up, Tomori could be a decent signing for Tottenham.
But West Ham can’t afford to be spending upwards of £15-20m for a back-up defender.
West Ham need a striker first
And that’s exactly what Tomori would be at the London Stadium behind Todibo and Max Kilman.
According to WhoScored, the ex England defender has only averaged just over 6/10 across his time in Italy.
Before that, his only sustained spell of first team football came in the Championship with Derby.
They are the only team for whom the imminent Tottenham signing has ever averaged over 7/10.
West Ham need to use their budget wisely after a £155m summer spend.
The priority has to be a striker right now.
But there’s no doubt a new centre-back will be needed.
Word around the Hammers tonight is that there could be an interesting development on that in the next 72 hours.
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