Leeds United are back in the big time and it’s at just the right time as far as West Ham are concerned after a major transfer twist.
When Leeds United missed out on promotion back to the Premier League last summer, they were forced to sell their best player to West Ham.
Crysencio Summerville was an exciting acquisition for the Hammers at £26m.
A serious injury derailed Summerville’s debut campaign with West Ham but he was one of the only players the club signed during a £155m splurge last summer who actually fit a sensible recruitment policy.
Leeds have put together a fine young side and are looking for some experience this summer to help them stay in the Premier League.
Sullivan is back at the wheel of West Ham’s transfers
With Graham Potter in charge, it is quite the opposite at West Ham.
There is a change of the guard in east London as Potter ruthlessly released four senior pros with 25 years and over 700 appearances between them.
One of them, Vladimir Coufal, is actually being heavily linked with a move to Leeds.
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He’s not the only Hammer the Elland Road outfit like the look of either.
According to reports Leeds boss Daniel Farke is keen to sign Coufal’s Czech mate Tomas Soucek too.
Soucek has broken his silence amid interest from Leeds and other Premier League clubs.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
With West Ham needing to sell players due to PSR, it is only Jarrod Bowen who is untouchable according to club insiders.
Hammers majority owner David Sullivan has reprised his role as de facto director of football following the sacking of technical director Tim Steidten.
It was Sullivan who was credited with the signing of Summerville from Leeds last summer.
Despite that, many Hammers fans are concerned about how their important summer rebuild will pan out with Sullivan heading up deals.
A large number of supporters feel the club would be making a massive error letting Soucek go amid the interest from the likes of Leeds and Everton.
But they’re also worried about the kind of signings West Ham will be making.
Leeds save Sullivan from agent and biggest West Ham mistake yet
Given the financial situation, the free agent market is clearly worth exploring for the Hammers.
West Ham revealed a new striker is among the top priorities for Potter this summer.
And most Hammers fans are convinced that can mean only one thing.
But Leeds have saved Sullivan from one of his biggest mistakes yet at West Ham after a transfer twist.
Top agent Will Salthouse is a close personal friend of Sullivan and his sons Dave and Jack.
The Unique Sports Group co-owner has been a major influence on Sullivan and West Ham’s dealings. Not just in the transfer market but in appointing Julen Lopetegui too.
Salthouse was key to West Ham signing Hammer of the Year Aaron Wan-Bissaka. So his influence is not always a negative.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
However, it is Salthouse’s influence that has most Irons fans believing West Ham bogeyman Callum Wilson is going to arrive at the London Stadium on a free transfer this summer.
Salthouse’s firm represents Newcastle forward Wilson, who has been linked with a move to West Ham in almost every transfer window since his Bournemouth days.
The striker, now 33, has scored more goals against the Hammers than any other team.
Wilson is exactly the kind of profile of player West Ham fans don’t want to see the club signing anymore.
The wrong side of 30, injury-prone and looking for one last pay day.
The Hammers have had their fair share of those down the years.
Just last month it was claimed West Ham were eyeing a move for Wilson as a result of the club’s difficult financial situation.
Leeds to remove Wilson from Sullivan’s Salthouse temptation
Wilson is clearly a top finisher and striker when fully fit and firing.
The problem is that is becoming an all too rare occurrence.
With Danny Ings being released and 35-year-old Michail Antonio possibly following him out of the West Ham exit, a stop-gap move for Salthouse client Wilson has looked all the more inevitable in east London.
But it is Leeds to the rescue for the Hammers.
Because The Sun and a host of other sources have claimed Leeds are in for Wilson with a deal looking highly likely.
According to reports Leeds want Wilson and his Newcastle teammate Sean Longstaff.
Leeds are doing Sullivan a massive favour by taking Wilson out of the equation.
That way the billionaire Hammers chief can’t give in to temptation or Salthouse whispering in his ear.
For Leeds it may be a shrewd signing for where they are at as a club right now.
The single metric West Ham need to look at if even remotely tempted to try and beat Leeds to Wilson is this; the striker has only managed more than 30 games in one of his last five seasons.