Tottenham line up stunning raid on West Ham that could spark ‘mutiny’

Steve Pearson 25 Aug 2025 9:46 AM

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, West Ham manager Graham Potter

Two separate sources have confirmed Tottenham are exploring a second major raid on West Ham, and one report states it could spark ‘mutiny’ at the Hammers.

The bitter rivalry between West Ham and Tottenham did not prevent the two sides from sealing one of the biggest transfers of the summer so far.

Mohammed Kudus moved to north London in mid-July for a fee of £55m. Just like Spurs under new boss Thomas Frank, Kudus has made a fast start this season.

However, Tottenham’s business from an arrivals perspective is far from finished. A winger (Savinho) is wanted, as is a new No 10 following the ACL injury suffered by James Maddison.

Spurs have tried in vain to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze. A €70m bid for Como’s Nico Paz has also been rejected, with the Argentine on course to seal a return to Real Madrid in 2026 instead.

That’s left Tottenham scrambling for alternatives yet again and according to the Daily Mail, their attention is back on West Ham.

The report stated: ‘Tottenham are also showing interest in West Ham attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta along with Aston Villa.

‘Paqueta has endured a difficult time after facing betting allegations and is open to leaving for a Champions League club.’

Paqueta was fully cleared of the betting allegations against him in July.

Paqueta sale to Tottenham could cause ‘mutiny’ – report

West Ham have endured a miserable start to the campaign, losing 3-0 to newly-promoted Sunderland and 5-1 to Chelsea.

The pressure on manager Graham Potter is already mounting, while large sections of the fanbase showed their dissatisfaction by leaving early in the Chelsea contest.

According to the website Hammers News, Tottenham’s interest in 27-year-old Paqueta is concrete.

They cited a source close to West Ham’s board that reiterated as much, and also revealed two clubs from Saudi Arabia have joined Spurs and Villa in taking a look at Paqueta.

The outlet also did not mince their words when claiming another sale of one of West Ham’s best players to Spurs could spark a fan revolt.

‘If West Ham sell Paqueta to Tottenham and don’t adequately replace him, it could lead to a mutiny among the fanbase’, read the report.

‘Surely West Ham would not press the self-destruct button so early in the new season with their Premier League status already under threat?

‘A sale to Aston Villa or Saudi would be more palatable for Hammers fans.’

While that last sentence may well be true, it’s important to note Villa have minimal room for manoeuvre with PSR.

Any approach from Villa is likely to regard a loan proposal, while as we’ve seen with Eze and Paz, Tottenham have big money to spend right here, right now.