West Ham are now in pole position to sign a Man City player after opening talks with him, according to a report.
West Ham seal shock London derby win over Tottenham
This afternoon, West Ham are riding high after sealing a shock 2-1 victory away to Tottenham in the London derby, claiming their first Premier League win since early November and delivering a massive boost to their survival hopes.
Nuno EspÃrito Santo’s relegation-threatened side produced a spirited performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to end their miserable winless run, suddenly breathing new life into West Ham’s campaign.
Crysencio Summerville gave West Ham the perfect start, with his strike taking a wicked deflection into the back of the net to give the Hammers a 1-0 lead over Spurs.
West Ham set to be offered “quick” centre-back as Flamengo schedule Paqueta talks
The Brazilian side will put him forward to sweeten a deal.
The early goal stunned the hosts and provided the struggling visitors with vital confidence.
Tottenham responded through Cristian Romero’s header to level proceedings, but Callum Wilson restored West Ham’s advantage in stoppage time to seal three precious points.
The result represents a remarkable turnaround for a side that had looked basically doomed.
West Ham entered the fixture without a victory in their last 10 Premier League matches, having endured a torrid run that included defeats to Wolves and Nottingham Forest.
Their last league win came on November 8 against Burnley, making this triumph particularly significant for Nuno’s future at the club.
West Ham in pole position to sign Man City midfielder Mateo Kovacic
In more good news amid their vital London derby triumph, West Ham are maintaining their recruitment charge.
According to Brazilian news outlet O Dia and journalist Fabricio Lopes, as Flamengo continue to chase wantway midfielder Lucas Paqueta, the east Londoners already have their eyes on a replacement for him.
Paqueta was absent from Nuno’s squad to face Tottenham, with a move back to his homeland firmly on the cards this month.
As the 28-year-old gears up to leave, West Ham have apparently opened talks with Man City midfielder Mateo Kovacic over a potential move.
The £150,000-per-week former Chelsea star is out of contract in the summer and could potentially leave on the cheap before deadline day on February 2nd.
While AC Milan are also contenders for his signature, it is claimed that West Ham have ‘taken the lead’ for Kovacic, who has played just 37 minutes in all competitions this term.
The 111-cap Croatia veteran has been sidelined through injury for the majority of 2025/2026, and what makes West Ham’s interest a surprise is that Kovacic isn’t expected back until the first half of March, at least according to O Dia.
West Ham need players who can come in and make an impact now, and despite their lifeline win against Tottenham today, there is no guarantee they’ll remain in the top flight.
Kovacic would need to take a huge reduction in wages if he is to replace Paqueta, and perhaps even be open to the possibility of playing second-tier English football.
That is a lot to ask from West Ham’s perspective, so it remains to be seen if anything could develop here.
West Ham in fresh talks to sign “top” Premier League player with deal “likely”
The east Londoners are remaining active this window.
