Mohammed Kudus leaving for Spurs wasn’t in anyone’s summer wishlist — and while his final season in claret and blue didn’t quite explode stats-wise, anyone watching knew what he brought: chaos, class, and that uncoachable spark.
Five Premier League goals don’t tell the full story of a player who could win a match on his own.
Now with £55m in the bank and a Kudus-shaped hole in the attack, the Hammers and Graham Potter need to get it right. And it looks like they’re already moving.
According to The Telegraph, the club’s got their eye on one of Man City’s most exciting academy products — but they’re not alone.
Hammers Battling for McAtee
James McAtee. If you know, you know.
The Telegraph reports that West Ham are in the race to sign the 22-year-old attacking midfielder — alongside Nottingham Forest and German sides Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. He’s got just one year left on his City deal, which has clubs circling. Forest are apparently pushing hardest right now, but West Ham are well in the mix.
City are holding out for £35m. Most suitors would prefer to do business around £20–25 million, but the fee hasn’t scared anyone off just yet.
McAtee spent 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons on loan at Sheffield United, where he impressed enough to be given a shot with City last term. In 2024/25 he made 15 league appearances, scored seven goals in all comps, and more minutes than you’d expect from a young midfielder in Guardiola’s rotation-heavy squad.
And Pep clearly rates him.
“I am so happy for him, he is a special player,” Guardiola said after McAtee’s senior hat-trick against Salford in the EFL Cup. “He has an incredible sense in front of goal, he has the right tempo, he changed the rhythm to score and I am very happy for him.”
Sound familiar? Cole Palmer got similar treatment — then got sold — and now he’s lighting up the Premier League in blue. McAtee could well be the next one out the door, and West Ham would be wise to make sure he’s heading south, not back up north or off to Germany.
He’s young, sharp, confident, and hungry — exactly the kind of player you want taking that No. 10 space post-Kudus. £35m might be a stretch, but if there’s a deal to be done, this is one worth chasing.
