David Sullivan could finally get the chance to right one of his biggest transfer regrets with a second chance at signing a Tottenham Hotspur star.
The star in question slipped through his fingers previously with Spurs blowing West Ham out of the water leaving him “gutted”.
Especially after the player’s family had held positive talks over a move to east London after a game in which he was involved.
One look at how West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur have used winning their first major trophies for decades sums up the gulf between the bitter rivals.
The Hammers have regressed to the brink of being relegation certainties in the couple of years since their Europa Conference League triumph.
Spurs show West Ham how to use trophy as springboard not trapdoor
Spurs meanwhile, have instantly used their Europa League success to drastically improve their manager, squad and standing.
West Ham are stuck in the bottom three a quarter of the way through the new season while Champions League Tottenham Hotspur are in the top three.
To rub salt in the wound, the Hammers allowed their finances to deteriorate to such a degree they were forced to sell Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for just £54.5m in the summer.
Kudus has been one of the most impressive players in the Premier League this season while West Ham have been utterly abysmal.
A big problem, identified after just one game at the Hammers helm for ex Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo, is the lack of a competent striker.
Niclas Fullkrug is injured yet again but the ageing, immobile German has proved beyond any doubt he’s not up to it in the Premier League anyway.
Nuno doesn’t fancy Callum Wilson and West Ham’s only other recognised forward is unproven young Northern Irishman Callum Marshall.
Nuno has already told West Ham’s board he wants a striker in January.
That will clearly be a necessity if the Irons are to have any chance of Premier League survival.
Now David Sullivan could be handed a second chance to sign a Spurs star who left him ‘gutted’ after his family’s West Ham talks.
Sullivan’s second chance to sign Spurs star who left him ‘gutted’
When Tottenham signed striker Dominic Solanke for £65m last summer, West Ham’s majority owner made a major admission about the deal.
The fee Tottenham spent on Solanke made headlines and raised eyebrows.
Heading into that window, Solanke was one of West Ham’s top targets along with Jhon Duran.
In the end Tim Steidten opted to stretch West Ham’s budget by going for £27m Fullkrug instead.
West Ham had held talks with Solanke’s family – who act as his agents – over a summer move to the London Stadium after the Hammers played Bournemouth.
The Irons were keen to show Solanke how serious they were about building their new-look team around him.
But Spurs hijacked West Ham’s move for Solanke.
And Sullivan said the Hammers simply couldn’t compete with Tottenham for Solanke in a brutally honest admission.
“We were interested,” the senior London Stadium contact told Hammers News last year.
“David Sullivan would have loved Solanke.
“We just didn’t have £65m to spend on a single player.”
Now the Hammers might be able to get Solanke after all.
BBC Sport has repeated rumours that Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is not impressed with Solanke and could look to sell the England striker in January.
Could Solanke solve West Ham’s biggest problem after Frank decision?
The 28-year-old is reportedly not part of Frank’s plans and could be moved on after just 18 months in north London.
Given Sullivan’s admiration of the player, this could be a deal which works for all parties.
Especially if Spurs are open to an initial loan with option or obligation to buy should West Ham stay up.
Solanke scored 16 goals in 45 games for Tottenham in his debut season but has played just three games so far this term.
West Ham are in desperate need of a strong, mobile striker leading their line.
Having Solanke with Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen either side would transform the Hammers overnight.
And at 28, Solanke should still have some of his best years ahead of him.
Lines of communication are clearly open between West Ham and Spurs after the Kudus deal.
That in itself may help grease the wheels because Spurs still owe the Hammers £36m for the Ghanaian after agreeing to pay the £54.5m fee in three instalments.
This could be one to watch as the most important January transfer window of West Ham’s modern history edges ever closer.
