West Ham legend wants David Sullivan out after Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham deal
David Sullivan is facing new calls to sell West Ham as Mohammed Kudus closes in on a move to capital rivals Tottenham.
West Ham struggled in the Premier League last season, but Kudus continued to impress in East London despite some inconsistencies throughout the campaign.
The 24-year-old registered five goals and four assists in 35 games in all competitions, which was a lot less than his 14 strikes and nine assists in 45 games in the previous season, and it is that sort of form that has seen him attract transfer interest this summer.
Football Insider revealed last month that Newcastle United were targeting Kudus if they missed out on a deal for Bryan Mbeumo, while Kudus is also wanted by Chelsea and Tottenham, as revealed to Football Insider by former scout Mick Brown.
Brown revealed to Football Insider on Monday (7 July) that Tottenham have held fresh talks with West Ham about Kudus after their £50million bid for his services was rejected by the Irons, and it looks as if he is edging closer to a move away from the London Stadium, much to the dismay of supporters and a club legend.
Tony Cottee demands ‘new ownership’ at West Ham
West Ham supporters have voiced their opposition to Kudus’ departure as he closes in on a move away from the club, and their annoyance has been shared by Hammers legend Tony Cottee, who made over 300 appearances for the club across two spells there between 1982 to 1988 and 1994 to 1997.
The ex-goalscorer wants all the cash to be handed to Graham Potter to restock a side that could be in relegation trouble and pointed the ultimate finger at the ownership.
Cottee took to X on Wednesday, 9 July, to explain his view on the sale, while admitting that he feels things will not change at the London Stadium until chairman and majority owner David Sullivan has departed, saying: “Disappointing to see that Kudus has gone to Spurs but pls give ALL of the money to allow the Manager to buy some players!
“Anything other than that will see us in serious relegation trouble! I’ve said it before, nothing will ever change until there is new ownership at our Club”
Sullivan should leave West Ham for the good of all parties
Football Insider verdict
West Ham have enjoyed some successful years in recent times under the leadership of Sullivan, but it does feel like they are now going backwards with him at the helm.
The 76-year-old, who was once co-chairman alongside David Gold before his death in 2023, made the clear mistake of hiring Julen Lopetegui last year after David Moyes’ sacking, in a move which effectively wrote off their season as the Portuguese boss was then let go in January after a poor start.
Potter is now demanding to be heavily backed this summer, and while the sale of Kudus will help the club raise funds to bolster other positions, it does show a clear lack of ambition, especially in selling to a rival like Spurs.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 80 | 19 | 13 |
Not only is Kudus set to be sold, but the fact that he is to leave for £30m less than his £85m release clause will be a source of real anger for Hammers supporters, and it does feel as there is no way back for Sullivan at the club right now.
Given his age and the way the club has operated over the last few years, now seems like the right time for him to step back to allow others to take over proceedings before things potentially get even worse.