Romano confirms spectacular Tottenham signing is ON with elite £85m forward ‘open’ to talks

Rob McCarthy 30 Jun 2025 2:08 PM

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Fabrizio Romano has backed up a report from the Daily Telegraph that suggests Tottenham Hotspur could make one of the signings of the summer for a top Premier League attacker with an £85million release clause.

The Telegraph states that Spurs want to break their unofficial transfer embargo with their bitter London rivals and make Mohammed Kudus the first player to move directly from the Hammers in over 10 years, in what would be a hugely controversial switch.

Kudus has reportedly been identified as a blockbuster Tottenham target given their struggles to persuade Bryan Mbeumo to turn down Manchester United, while they have also backed off their interest in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze as well.

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo still remains an option for Thomas Frank, but The Telegraph and Romano have confirmed that Kudus could end up making the stunning switch across the capital.

The former states that West Ham are willing to sell 24-year-old to help finance a summer rebuild under head coach Graham Potter, while Romano adds that Kudus is ‘open’ to the idea of having talks over a shock switch to north London.

Joining Spurs would make Kudus the first player to move directly from West Ham since midfielder Scott Parker in 2011.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy blocked Emmanuel Adebayor from joining the Hammers four years later and the clubs have not done business since the Parker deal as a result.

Chelsea had shown an interest in Kudus, but the Stamford Bridge outfit are now closing in on landing winger Jamie Gittens and striker Joao Pedro instead. Newcastle have also targeted the West Ham star, although their man winger target remains Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga.

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The West Ham star could walk straight into the Spurs starting line-up as a replacement for legendary skipper Son Heung-min, who continues to be linked with a summer exit.

One of the Ghana attacker’s top attributes is his ability to anywhere across the frontline, including as a No.10. However, he played most as a left-winger with the Hammers last season as he ended the campaign with five goals and four assists.

While those stats do not exactly jump off the page, Kudus’ all-round performances were at a high level, with the winger causing all sorts of issues for opposing full-backs.

While Romano has confirmed that ‘initial contacts’ have been made over a move with the player’s new agents, there is the sticking point of the £85m (€99m / $116m) exit clause Kudus currently has.

However, The Telegraph adds that West Ham are expected to allow him to leave for less in order to generate funds for new arrivals at the London Stadium.

While there is no mention of the actual price he could be available at, it’s reported it could be anywhere between £55-65m.

If Kudus does make the move, he would become just the sixth player to switch directly from West Ham to Tottenham – following on from the likes of Parker, goalkeeper Jimmy Walker, Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe and Freddie Kanoute.