Cheikhou Kouyate reveals he snubbed Tottenham move while at West Ham
In an interview with Belgian outlet DH (h/t Evening Standard), Crystal Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has revealed that he had a chance to join Tottenham Hotspur back when he was still at West Ham United, but refused to make the switch.
Kouyate started out ASC Yeggo in Senegal before switching to FC Brussel in Belgium. Soon enough, he made the move to Anderlecht where he spent six years, before joining West Ham United in 2014. The midfielder was with our local rivals for four years, before he switched to Crystal Palace in 2018.
Now, the 30-year-old has revealed that while at West Ham, he had been offered the chance to join Tottenham. However, he decided to stay put with the Hammers because of the presence of then-manager Slaven Bilic. (h/t Evening Standard)
“Tottenham wanted to sign me. I was being pushed to go there, but I hesitated. Slaven Bilic was my manager and wanted to keep me at West Ham, who were offering me a great contract. We’d come out of a good season after often being in the relegation zone. I preferred to stay.”
Having rejected a chance to make the switch, the Senegalese international does seem to carry a bit of regret over the decision. (h/t Evening Standard)
“I changed clubs a bit later. Maybe too late. I could tell that to a young player: a big club doesn’t always come twice.”
More Tottenham Hotspur News
- Tottenham make enquiry for Lille ace Jonathan Ikone
- Manchester City join Tottenham in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg pursuit
- Tottenham Hotspur offer Chelsea star Willian a lucrative deal
Kouyate made 174 appearances for West Ham United in his four years at the East London outfit. He has grown into a key player at Crystal Palace since making the switch two years ago.
