The news late yesterday afternoon that West Ham had accepted a £55 million bid from their arch-enemy Tottenham for ‘starboy’ [Mohammed Kudus](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-hams-kudus-deal-stalls-hammers-board-and-that-90-million/) could prove a difficult pill to swallow for supporters who are used to having nothing to do with their north London rivals.
Especially at ‘just’ the £55 million. Ranking (and rankling) probably far worse than selling Declan Rice to Arsenal – at least the Hammers got a decent wedge from that sale – Kudus will leave behind two seasons of contrast at London Stadium with both ‘ the good and the bad’ on show – we can only hope that Tottenham get ‘the ugly’.
Replacing him will be, strangely, easier than many might think. The personnel are already on board at West Ham to minimise the impact of Kudus’ departure : In fact it could be the making of his successor.
We know the talent of **Crysencio Summerville**, played by Lopetegui as a left winger – is enormous and if Graham Potter chooses to use him as Lopetegui did, as an inverted winger, he can light up London Stadium. But he will miss the start of 2025-6 season whilst in the final phase of his hamstring surgery recovery. Which will allow ‘wonderkid’ **Luis Guilherme** to step forward into the spotlight and show us all what he’s made of.
Guilherme, according to [Matt’s article last night](https://www.claretandhugh.info/?p=139242&preview=true) apparently _rejected a transfer opportunity_ to leave West Ham and head to Brazil’s Botofago: Good on him: Maybe he knew what was about to unfold.
Cometh the hour, cometh the (young) man. Now Luis Guilherme can step up out from Mohammed Kudus’ shadow and really show us what he’s got.