Carlton Cole remains one of the more popular strikers of the modern era at West Ham United, but his career could have looked very different had Roman Abramovich not scotched a move from Chelsea to Tottenham Hotspur.
Last summer, Mohammed Kudus became the first player to join Spurs from the Hammers since Scott Parker 14 years previously.
It has been even longer since anyone left another London giant for Tottenham. Gus Poyet, back in 2001, is still the most recent transfer between Chelsea and their rivals from the north. Two years before Roman Abramovich completed his takeover of the Stamford Bridge outfit, and forever changed the face of English football.
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Carlton Cole of West Ham (R) celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the npower Championship match between West Ham United and Millwall, at Boleyn Ground on February 04, 2012 in London, England.
Abramovich already had a very strained relationship with Tottenham by the time Carlton Cole underwent a medical at White Hart Lane in 2005. According to Sky Sports, Martin Jolâs Spurs were on the verge of signing the Chelsea academy graduate for ÂŁ2 million on a four-year deal.
Fortunately for West Ham United, Abramovich called off that arrangement as soon as he became aware of it. Cole would move to another London outfit just one year later.
West Ham United icon Carlton Cole remembers his failed Tottenham transfer
While not a prolific goalscorer, Carlton Cole was âunplayableâ on his day in a claret and blue jersey. He would go on to score 68 goals across nearly 300 games and during almost a decadeâs worth of service.
By his own admission, Cole felt disrespected by the Chelsea supporters; chants of âChelsea rejectâ only strengthening his desire to secure a spot among the modern day heroes of West Ham.
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One can only imagine how differently his career would have mapped out had Abramovich been a more forgiving character.
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âBefore I went on holiday, I did my medical at Spurs!â Cole says opposite Adebayo Akinfenwa on his Beast Mode On podcast. âI remember Iâd done everything, was about to sign, under Martin Jol. So Iâve gone, done the medical and everything.
âThatâs when I got the Abramovich phone call. He told me, âhe doesnât do business with Spursâ. Thatâs why I didnât go to Spurs. I was going to go to Spurs!
âRemember, before he bought Chelsea, he was going to buy Spurs. The way it happened, he went in a helicopter to London because he wanted to buy a football club. Spurs were the one that stuck out to him. He did the deal with Spurs, someone up top changed the deal that heâd agreed on buying it for, and then heâs like: âI canât do business like thisâ.
âSo he says, weâll go Chelsea and buy that!'â
Roman Abramovich refused to let Spurs buy the Stamford Bridge kid
Cole remembers being extremely frustrated by Abramovichâs insistence that he return to West London, not to mention the threat of a loan stint in faraway Russia.
âTottenham came back to Chelsea and said, âWe want some money off [the price] because we found something in his kneeâ. [Abramovich] said; âNo, we arenât doing a deal with Spurs so you better come back. Iâll send him on loan to CSKA Moscowâ,â Cole recalls, speaking as his old employers prepare to face Liverpool on Saturday.
Only two Liverpool stars have a HIGHER FotMob rating than Matty! đ€Ż
Surely you wouldn't swap him for Gravenberch?
West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes celebrates scoring his side's third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Sunderland at London Stadium on January 24, 2026 in London, England.
âI was p***** off! âYou lot are doing me dirty here!âYouâre not playing me and youâre not letting me go where I want to go. What are we doing here? You want to send me to Russia?â
âSo I went away to clear my head, I went to Sierra Leone. Then I get the phone call, âweâve got something else for you, West Hamâ.
And that was it. I came back. As soon as I landed, I signed; a West Ham player.â
Flash forward twenty years, and the former England international is still earning a living with the Hammers. He is currently the clubâs Loans and Pathways Manager, responsible for the development of an exciting crop of academy kids.
Cole believes Mohamadou Kante is the âshining beaconâ of this current generation, though Ezra Mayers, Preston Fearon, Daniel Cummings and Joel Ajala have all made big strides forward themselves in recent times.
The West Ham fans are desperate to see Ajala stay and sign a new deal. His contract is expiring this summer. Cole, then, can add another chapter to his Hammers legacy if he plays a part in convincing the teenage forward that the grass is not always greener elsewhere.
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