West Ham chief David Sullivan and his Spurs counterpart Daniel Levy are feeling the heat over signing a striker before the deadline.
It’s no great secret that West Ham and bitter rivals Tottenham are both on the hunt for a new striker in the January transfer window.
But their failure to bring one in with four days to go until the window closes has piled pressure on David Sullivan and Daniel Levy.
West Ham’s majority owner Sullivan is heading up the club’s transfer dealings after technical director Tim Steidten was demoted and then let go.
After spending £155m in the summer, West Ham’s season has not gone to plan at all.
That has seen Julen Lopetegui replaced by Graham Potter – who was said to be in Levy’s sights if he sacked Ange Postecoglou.
The upheaval and uncertainty at West Ham and Tottenham has seen both clubs in limbo in the January window.
Levy has been the focus of Tottenham Hotspur fan fury over their failings.
Desperation is starting to set in for both clubs.
That has been evident by the sheer number of strikers being linked with moves to north and east London in the run up to Monday night’s deadline.
West Ham and Spurs have three mutual striker targets
West Ham and Tottenham have three mutual forward targets if sources are to be believed.
They’re also jostling in the queue to sign midfielder Angel Gomes on a free in the summer.
Now a West Ham and Spurs striker target has made a revealing hand gesture when asked about an exit.
Neither the Hammers or Tottenham have pressed home their interest in Ajax forward Brian Brobbey.
Spurs looked like they were going to hijack West Ham’s move for powerful Dutchman Brobbey over the weekend.
Tottenham pulled out, though, only for the Hammers to cool talks over uncertainty whether he could cut it in the Premier League coupled with Ajax’s insistence on a permanent deal or at least an obligation clause attached to any loan.
Then there’s Evan Ferguson at Brighton.
Another young striker both West Ham and Spurs are interested in along with a host of others across Europe.
The Hammers looked to be in the driving seat to land the Irishman given his existing relationship with Potter.
But a deal has not yet been agreed and Tottenham are among those interested.
Hammers and Spurs target Embolo makes revealing hand gesture when asked about exit
Another striker linked with both clubs is Breel Embolo.
Give Me Sport claimed longstanding Hammers target Embolo was back on the club’s radar.
It was reported that West Ham saw him as the ideal replacement for Michail Antonio.
As sure as death and taxes, though, no sooner were West Ham linked than L’Équipe claimed Tottenham were also eyeing a move for the all-action Monaco and Switzerland forward.
Now Embolo has dropped a clear hint over his future, four days out from the winter window deadline.
Embolo’s contract at Monaco us up in less than 18 months. And his place is under threat from the likes of Mika Biereth, returning Folarin Balogun and George Ilenikhena.
That will leave four strikers competing for one position, a situation which has undoubtedly sparked interest in Embolo from the likes of West Ham and Tottenham.
Embolo was directly asked about the links to the two London rivals when he was in a mixed zone interview attended by Get French Football News at the San Siro on Wednesday night.
While he did not speak about the rumours directly, he provided a telling response with his actions, GFFN states.
Rather than issue a verbal response, Embolo instead smiled and pointed at the Monaco badge on his jumper before walking away.
Another one bites the dust for increasingly desperate West Ham and Tottenham.
So it seems Sullivan and Levy will have to look elsewhere if they are to appease their fans by 11pm on Monday.
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