BBC
Wolves are resigned to losing Mateus Mane this summer, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal keen on the 18-year-old England Youth international. (Caughtoffside), external
Everton have made Chelsea striker Liam Delap their top summer target. The 23-year-old Englishman only arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer from Ipswich Town. (Football Insider), external
Robbie Keane, currently managing Hungary's Ferencvaros, is a contender to replace Oliver Glasner as Crystal Palace boss. (Talksport), external
As he prepares to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, Brazil international midfielder Casemiro, 33, has drawn interest from Inter Miami, Porto and Sao Paulo. (Sun), external
Aston Villa's £35m obligation to buy midfielder Harvey Elliott from Liverpool following his season-long loan can only be triggered by Premier League appearances. The 22-year-old Englishman has played four times in the league so far. (Sky Sports), external
Meanwhile, Aston Villa's chances of keeping hold of English forward Morgan Rogers, 23, will not depend on them qualifying for the Champions League. (Football Insider), external
Lennart Karl will sign a new deal with Bayern Munich when he turns 18 this Sunday, heading off interest in the Germany Under-21 international from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain. (Teamtalk), external
Xavier Vilajoana has initiated contact over the possible signing of Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane, 32, should he win Barcelona's presidential candidate election next month. (ESPN), external
Argentine attacker Tadeo Allende, 27, is committed to Inter Miami, having established himself alongside compatriots forwards Lionel Messi, 38, and 39-year-old Luis Suárez, and midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, 31. (Goal.com)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Michael Carrick is firmly in the running to get the Manchester United job beyond the summer - The Sun.
Casemiro has drawn interest from Inter Miami and his boyhood club in Brazil - The Sun.
Robbie Keane is a contender to replace Oliver Glasner as Crystal Palace manager - talkSPORT.
Eddie Howe claims Nick Woltemade is happy in his new deeper role - The Sun.
Dele Alli will return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a special guest during the north London Derby on Sunday - The Sun.
Marcus Rashford has taken £8.5m out of his businesses as he gets set to leave Manchester United this summer - The Sun.
Tottenham's interim manager Igor Tudor looked to get his interregnum off on the right foot on Thursday evening by taking his squad out for a team bonding dinner - Daily Mail.
Premier League referees have lost faith in semi-automated offside technology and are pushing for the clubs to change provider - Telegraph.
EFL
Former Premier League icon David Dunn's son - Isaac - has signed his first professional contract at Blackburn - The Sun.
Josh Sargent is closing on his move from Norwich City to Toronto FC in the MLS after the clubs agreed a £15.5m deal - Daily Mail.
Scotland
Celtic's interim chairman Brian Wilson says lifting the Green Brigade ban and "setting aside differences" cannot be "unconditional" as he pleaded with supporters to end their "debilitating" actions - Scottish Sun.
Rangers are set to reopen contract talks with Nico Raskin - Daily Record.
World football
Werder Bremen have cancelled a trip to the United States due to concerns over unrest in Minnesota after the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as economic risks - Reuters.
Rugby union
Maro Itoje says his late mother will be at Twickenham in spirit when the England captain wins his 100th cap in the Six Nations showdown with Ireland on Saturday - Guardian.
Boxing
Conor Benn has officially split from Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn and will link up with Zuffa Boxing, ran by Hearn's promotional rival Dana White - talkSPORT.
Jake Paul has gone under the knife for a second time in two months after having his jaw broken by Anthony Joshua in December - talkSPORT.
Sport Witness
Celtic, West Ham and Barcelona in tussle for Armando González – Contact now made
By Naveen Ullal
Celtic, West Ham United and Barcelona are in the mix to sign CD Guadalajara’s Armando González in the summer. Martin O’Neill’s side have to tussle with the Hammers and the Catalan club to bring hm to Celtic Park.
That’s according to ESPN in Mexico, relayed by Fox Sports, who cover the latest on Celtic, West Ham and Barcelona.
Last month, Sport Witness relayed news from Colombia of Celtic and West Ham’s interest in Yáser Asprilla. O’Neill’s side or the London club failed to sign the Girona player, who joined Galatasaray on loan in the winter market.
Celtic, West Ham and Barcelona keen
Both Celtic and Nuno Espírito Santo’s side could now end up in a battle with the La Liga winners for the striker.
The top division in Mexico is divided into Apertura and the Clausura, competed by the same 18 teams.
Armando González was Liga MX Apertura 2025’s joint top scorer with Deportivo Toluca’s Paulinho with 12 goals. He’s now the Clausura 2026’s top scorer with five goals, along with Atlético de San Luis’s João Pedro.
His performances haven’t gone unnoticed in Europe as the report state O’Neill’s side, West Ham and Barcelona are all showing keen interest in him.
Approaches from Celtic and West Ham
Hansi Flick’s side have contacted the frontman’s agent to find out his current status. The Spanish giants aren’t alone as Celtic and the Premier League side are also in the running to sign him.
According to the report, O’Neill’s side and West Ham have also explored the possibility of securing the Mexico international’s services.
Both Celtic and the Hammers have made contact to find out his salary requirements and Guadalajara’s demand to secure his services.
As things stand, Celtic, West Ham and Barcelona have only carried out discussions with his camp.
The report makes it clear none of these three teams have contacted the Mexican club or made offers so far. ESPN suspect Celtic, West Ham or Barcelona could make concrete moves after the World Cup.
C&H
West Ham Takeover Farce: Why Nobody’s Buying the Hammers
Photo of Sean Whetstone
Sean Whetstone
A Decade of West Ham Takeover Talk
West Ham have been the topic of takeovers since 2015, just before they moved into the London Stadium in Stratford, making it the longest takeover saga ever.
In 2016, the Daily Mail started the speculation with a report suggesting the Qatari Investment Authority were planning to spend up to £1 billion to buy the Hammers. This was quickly followed by a rumour that Red Bull had made a £650m bid for the club, which was rejected, according to the board at the time.
In 2021, a strange but doomed bid from PAI Capital came and went.
A plethora of reports have been published over the last decade involving Middle Eastern and American suitors, but nothing has come of any of it.
In the year before his death, I spoke to David Gold, who explained he and other shareholders regularly received barmy offers by email almost weekly, but the vast majority were time-wasters and unable to provide proof of funds.
In 2015, David Sullivan said:
“We have zero desire to sell the club unless the King of Saudi Arabia or the Sultan of Brunei comes along. We’re not going to sell to an American or Chinese consortium. We might sell a minority shareholding to clear our debts, but in all probability our kids will take over from us. We love West Ham — we’re not going anywhere.”
Minority Investors and Missed Opportunities
In 2017, American multi-millionaire Tripp Smith purchased 10% of West Ham United for £10.5m, also loaning the club another £9.5m interest-free.
He invested another £3m into a £30m rights issue during the pandemic, taking his total investment to £24m.
Another rights issue in 2021 reduced his shareholding from 10% to 8%. That triggered the repayment of his £9.5m loan, taking his investment back to £13.5m.
The 60-year-old was co-founder of GSO Capital Partners, a company he sold to The Blackstone Group in 2008 for around $1bn. He is now Global Head of GA Credit and Managing Director at General Atlantic. In 2020, there were rumours he was forming a consortium to purchase a controlling interest in the club, but nothing came of that.
He has been offered additional shares from Vanessa Gold since 2023, which he and other shareholders have declined to take up.
When he invested in 2017, Sullivan said:
“He just likes football and West Ham. It’s not a financial move for him, but driven by his love of football and West Ham. He will help us spread the West Ham brand in the USA. He’s a personal friend of mine.”
That didn’t stop West Ham Vice Chairman Karren Brady from earning a £1m bonus for introducing him as a new investor.
Daniel Křetínský and the Myth of a Full Takeover
Billionaire Daniel Křetínský invested £168.5m for 27% of West Ham in 2021 through a rights issue, reducing the percentages owned by other shareholders.
Křetínský has long been rumoured for a full takeover, but that remains unlikely. His ownership of West Ham played well for the takeover of Royal Mail and investments in other UK companies, including Sainsbury’s and energy providers.
His real love of football is Sparta Prague, where he is chairman and majority owner, and he is very much hands-off with West Ham, allowing his deputies on the board to look after his investment. He is rarely at games and sees his shares purely as an investment when the club is sold.
He had first refusal on the Gold shares, which he turned down, and is too busy increasing his £13 billion business empire to dedicate time to West Ham. His chance of taking over the club is slim to none.
Brady is reported to have received another £1m bonus for “finding” Křetínský as a new investor.
Phantom Bids, Qatari Rumours and Empty Promises
In 2021 came a bizarre phantom bid by PAI Capital, who approached the London Legacy Development Corporation about leasing Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the London Stadium before speaking to West Ham.
The fake takeover played out largely in the media, with West Ham denying they had received any formal bid or proof of funds.
PAI claimed they first approached West Ham in February 2021 with a £400m offer, which the club later denied. PAI also had the backing of former West Ham players Rio and Anton Ferdinand and Tony Cottee. The takeover talk fizzled out when the media got bored, and PAI Capital were never heard from again.
When David Gold sadly passed away on 4 January 2023, he left his 25% of shares in trust to his daughters. Tragically, Jacqueline later lost her battle with cancer, leaving Vanessa Gold to represent the family interests.
On 31 October 2023, Vanessa announced she had appointed Rothschild & Co to advise on a potential sale to the “right partner”. Over two years later, there have been no serious offers for the 10% on the table, including from existing shareholders.
They are thought to value their full shareholding at around £250m and the 10% at £100m.
It is this lack of interest in that 10% for over two years which is the biggest tell-tale sign of little appetite for a full takeover.
More recently, Qatari links resurfaced after a Swiss-registered Rolls-Royce appeared in the chairman’s parking space. The car belongs to Ali Hussain Alfardan, but in truth the family are personal friends of Sullivan and regular guests in the directors’ box.
Sullivan has two parking spaces and often lends one to visitors on matchdays.
In 2024, Brady flew to Dubai in search of new investors — reportedly with another £1m bonus on offer — but returned empty-handed.
Reality Check: Relegation Changes Everything
Former Microsoft executive Paul Allen was linked back in 2018. More recently, Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walters, Bobby Kotick and Woody Johnson were also loosely connected with possible investment.
As of 2026, I understand several American investors have kicked the tyres and carried out due diligence, but none have provided proof of funds and any formal offer remains distant.
The truth is simple: nobody is paying full price for a club facing relegation, and current shareholders are not prepared to discount their valuation.
Should West Ham go down this season, the most likely outcome is existing owners injecting fresh capital to push for promotion — not walking away.
It appears the current shareholders are going nowhere anytime soon.