Report: Spurs & West Ham target makes £17m decision that neither side wanted

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Tottenham and West Ham have suffered a major blow in their hopes of signing Udinese star Gerard Deulofeu, with the Spanish attacker making the decision to join Napoli this summer.

According to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, the 28-year-old forward has made the decision to join the Italian giants this summer amid interest from Napoli, with the Serie A side keen on signing Deulofeu after a fantastic year with Udinese where the forward bagged 13 goals and five assists.

A former Everton and Watford player, Deulofeu has reignited his career in Italy with Udinese, and now, a move to Napoli is reportedly in the works, with the forward potentially moving on this summer for a reported €20m (£17m), much to the dismay of Tottenham and West Ham.

Both Premier League sides have been linked with Deulofeu this summer, with Spurs and the Hammers keen on adding to their attacking depth ahead of the new season, though it now appears that Napoli have beaten the London duo to the signing of the Udinese star.

Hailed as ‘majestic’ for the Udine club last season, Deulofeu has flourished as a striker in Serie A after moving away from his more natural wing position, with Napoli seemingly impressed with what they have seen from the FC Barcelona academy graduate.

Indeed, Napoli would be a great move for Deulofeu giving their participation in the UEFA Champions League next season, and signing the forward over the likes of Tottenham and West Ham will be a huge coup for Luciano Spalletti’s side this summer.

Napoli signing Deulofeu should push Spurs and West Ham to new targets

Whilst a deal hasn’t been confirmed yet, it does feel fairly imminent that Deulofeu will sign for Napoli, meaning that Tottenham and West Ham should now start looking at other attacking transfer targets in the market before the start of the season.

After all, both clubs need attackers this summer, and with Deulofeu now seemingly off the menu, Tottenham and West Ham must be looking at different options in the coming weeks if they’re to improve on their options for the new season.