Mohammed Kudus has reignited tensions with his former club West Ham United, using Matheus Fernandes’ arrival at Tottenham as the backdrop for a pointed message aimed at the Hammers. The Ghanaian international’s £55 million move to Spurs in the summer of 2025 was already a difficult pill for West Ham supporters to swallow, given his standout record of 19 goals and 13 assists in 80 appearances for the club. His exit prompted a bitter reaction from sections of the West Ham fanbase, with some likening his departure to a betrayal and greeting him with hostile banners at the London Stadium. At Tottenham, though, he settled in quickly, setting up two goals on his debut in a 3-0 win over Burnley and establishing himself as an instant fan favourite.
The rivalry was given fresh fuel when Tottenham confirmed the signing of highly-rated midfielder Matheus Fernandes, another marker of the club’s growing ambition under Roberto De Zerbi. For West Ham fans already frustrated by Kudus’s exit, watching Spurs continue to strengthen their squad while their own side faced uncertainty only deepened the sense of a widening gap between the two clubs.
Kudus chose not to let the moment pass quietly. In welcoming his new teammate to the club on social media, he framed the signing as proof that while some clubs lose their best players, Tottenham are busy gathering them — a message that read as much as a jab at his old club as it did a greeting for Fernandes. Spurs supporters embraced the post as a sign of confidence and unity, while West Ham fans saw it as needlessly provocative, further fanning the flames of resentment that have simmered since his departure.
Transfers directly between Tottenham and West Ham have historically been uncommon, which makes Kudus’s switch, and his willingness to continue needling his former club, all the more significant. With Fernandes now added to the mix alongside him, any future meeting between the two sides is likely to carry an extra edge, driven by pride and history as much as by the match itself.
As Tottenham press on with their rebuild in pursuit of silverware, and West Ham look to regroup and respond to the loss of one of their brightest talents, Kudus’s latest comments have added another layer to a rivalry that shows no signs of cooling. Whenever the two clubs next meet, the atmosphere is set to be charged, with emotions running high on both sides of the divide.
