West Ham must rescue a star who snubbed them for Spurs from his Antonio Conte hell after new Djed Spence claims.
West Ham and bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with mutual interest in a number of players this summer.
Both West Ham and Spurs were linked with Yves Bissouma before the north Londoners signed him from Brighton.
Serbian duo Nikola Milenkovic and Filip Kostic were both wanted by David Moyes and Conte. Defender Milenkovic stayed with Fiorentina while Kostic went to Juventus.
One area that was a priority to strengthen for both West Ham and Tottenham in the summer was at right-back.
Spurs beat West Ham to the signing of reported Moyes target Djed Spence and the Hammers never solved the issue, ending up having to move Thilo Kehrer there recently.
Tottenham meanwhile also allegedly beat West Ham to bring young Italian fullback Destiny Udogie, just to rub salt in the wound.
Udogie was allowed to stay at Udinese on loan for the season but looks to very much be Tottenham’s future in that position.
And the same cannot be said for Spence.
The 22-year-old lit up the Championship with Forest last season and was being courted by multiple clubs, including West Ham.
He opted to join Spurs but Conte admitted it was not his decision to sign the swashbuckling right-back (Daily Mail).
And it has showed. Spence has played just one minute for Tottenham in the Premier League this season and is already being linked with a move away.
As a result the situation could play right into West Ham’s hands.
Moyes needs to address the right-back issue for the long-term by signing a young, modern full-back with pace and energy.
So West Ham must rescue star who snubbed them for Spurs from his Conte hell after Spence claims.
Football Insider reports that Spence looks ‘all but certain to leave Tottenham’ and state that ‘Conte hasn’t even looked at him’.
Spence cost Spurs £12.5m – rising to £20m depending on certain clauses being met.
So the Hammers could offer a similar amount and Tottenham will likely be happy to close the chapter on a deal that was never going to work given Conte – by his own admission – did not want Spence in the first place.