Wednesday news (includes West ham)
Posted: 25 Feb 2026, 10:51
BBC
Manchester United are interested in signing Nottingham Forest's England midfielders Morgan Gibbs-White, 26, and Elliot Anderson, 23, but rivals Manchester City are also monitoring both players. (Mail - subscription required), external
Borussia Dortmund will demand a fee of around 70m euros (£61m) for 25-year-old Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha, who is wanted by Manchester United and Chelsea. (Bild - in German), external
Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are interested in RB Leipzig's Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande - but a deal could be complicated by a dispute over who currently represents the 19-year-old. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Manchester City, Liverpool and Real Madrid are closely monitoring Juventus' 26-year-old Italy full-back Andrea Cambiaso. (Caughtoffside), external
Barcelona are set to open talks with Manchester United over the permanent signing of England froward Marcus Rashford but will attempt to negotiate down from the £26m purchase option for the 28-year-old. (Sport, via Mirror), external
Rashford is happy in Barcelona and has no desire to return to Manchester United - although he wants a more prominent role in the starting 11. (Marca - in Spanish), external
An Old Trafford return for Napoli's Scotland international Scott McTominay, 29, has not been discussed during Manchester United's search for midfield reinforcements this summer. (Teamtalk), external
Barcelona are currently the favourites to sign Bournemouth's Argentina centre-back Marcos Senesi, 28, on a free transfer this summer. (Football Insider), external
Arsenal are preparing to make 24-year-old Ecuador centre-back Piero Hincapie's loan deal from Bayer Leverkusen permanent for £45m. (Teamtalk), external
Tottenham's owners are planning to rip up the club's rigid wage structure before a major overhaul of the squad this summer if the team avoid relegation. (Guardian), external
Juventus have opened discussion with Tottenham's Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, 29, but the Serie A club are also interested in Liverpool's 33-year-old Brazil international Alisson. (Gazzetta, via Standard), external
Aston Villa could allow England midfielder Morgan Rogers to leave the club this summer, but would demand up to £100m for the 23-year-old. (GiveMeSport), external
Bournemouth are growing increasingly confident that they can persuade head coach Andoni Iraola to commit his future to the club with a new contract. (Teamtalk), external
Newcastle United have no plans to cash in on in-form England winger Anthony Gordon, 25, this summer. (Talksport), external
Celtic are willing to consider a big offer for Sweden midfielder Benjamin Nygren, 24, in the summer amid increasing interest from Premier League clubs. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Manchester United have joined the chase for Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, but a pay issue could derail their plans - Daily Mail
Tottenham snubbed the chance to sign Atletico Madrid's new hero Ademola Lookman in January despite their crippling injury list - The Sun
Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has blasted the Blues for taking "five steps backwards" by sacking Enzo Maresca - The Sun
John Heitinga's agent has revealed the Dutchman had designs on succeeding Thomas Frank at Tottenham - The Sun
Manchester City could be deducted 40 to 60 points if they are found guilty of some of the most serious charges against them, according to a football finance expert - Daily Mirror
John Terry has admitted that he was left "frustrated" after being overlooked for a role assisting Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane during his brief stint in the dugout last month and questioned whether the club's ownership or sporting directors had ruled him out deliberately - Daily Mail
Tottenham's owners are planning to rip up the club's rigid wage structure before a major overhaul of the squad this summer if the team avoid relegation - Guardian
Brighton have a unique plan to beat Premier League rivals in the race to land Said El Mala by making the transfer a family affair - talkSPORT
Europe
Barcelona are reportedly attempting to negotiate down the £26m purchase option with Manchester United for Marcus Rashford - Daily Mirror
Jack Grealish hit out at social media criticism towards Raheem Sterling after he endured a difficult debut for Feyenoord - Daily Mirror
Orlando City are in advanced discussions over a move for Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann for their open designated player spot - The Athletic
Scotland
Celtic are reportedly targeting an ambitious double swoop for Plymouth Argyle's prolific pair Lorent Tolaj and Aribim Pepple - Daily Record
Queen's Park have accepted an offer for Harris Afzal from Southampton - Daily Record
Dundee United-bound Jesse Randall has fired himself to the top of the A League scoring charts - Daily Record
Football internationals
Premier League wonderkid Mateus Mane is involved in a tug of war between England and Portugal - The Sun
Andreas Rettig, managing director of the German Football Association (DFB), has acknowledged that the violence in Guadalajara has left "little room for World Cup anticipation" - The Athletic
The Standard
How Nuno Espirito Santo breathed new life into West Ham's fight to stay up
Fresh energy around the training ground, a change of heart and key arrivals have boosted Hammers in bid to climb out of relegation zone
West Ham are now just two points from safety after picking up form. AFP via Getty Images
Sam Tabuteau
West Ham looked to be heading for relegation after their 2-1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest at the start of January.
Seven points from safety and with five defeats in six games, the Hammers looked in serious trouble and Nuno Espirito Santo was coming under increasing external pressure.
But there was no such pressure internally, with the club retaining faith in Nuno, who vowed to keep fighting what at the time appeared to be a losing battle.
Eight games on and West Ham have lost just once in all competitions and are hot on the heels of Forest in their battle to climb out of the bottom three and beat the drop.
West Ham are still two points from safety but it has been an impressive last month and a half for the Hammers.
They have been vindicated for sticking by Nuno, who says his side are “almost getting there” as they seek to bridge the gap to Forest in 17th place.
Unwaveringly calm in the midst of the chaos, Nuno has redressed the balance of the West Ham squad after a busy January transfer window.
No Premier League team made more signings last month than West Ham, with Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos, Pablo Felipe, Adama Traore, Keiber Lamadrid and Axel Disasi all arriving as Nuno was backed with players he had personally recommended.
Castellanos has given West Ham presence up front. A focal point for Jarrod Bowen and the rejuvenated Crysencio Summerville to play off, while Disasi has kept two clean sheets in his first three appearances for the club since signing on loan from Chelsea on Deadline Day.
Castellanos’ arrival in particular has helped Nuno evolve West Ham tactically, with the Portuguese coach able to play a more expansive counter-attacking style, akin to the system that brought him so much success at Forest last season.
Outgoings were also a priority for West Ham in January, with eight players leaving the club on loan or permanently.
Sources told Standard Sport last month that Nuno had grown increasingly withdrawn from players who were on the periphery of his squad as results began to slide over a difficult winter period.
However, with many of those players now having departed, there is understood to be fresh energy and impetus around the training ground with everyone pulling in the same direction.
Nuno has also offered a second chance to goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who was previously out of favour, and the Dane has repaid his manager with a string of excellent performances.
Hermansen was close to leaving West Ham on loan in January, before the club decided to block any advances for the 25-year-old.
It is now clear that said decision was influenced by a change of heart from Nuno, who wanted to restore Hermansen as his first-choice to allow West Ham to play out from the back.
After careful work in the transfer window, a previously fractured dressing room has become a unifying force, with the addition of assistant coach Paco Jemez also providing an important voice for Nuno and his players.
With Liverpool and Manchester City to come in their next three games, West Ham must ensure they do not lose pace with their relegation rivals.
Belief, though, is streaming back at the London Stadium, and West Ham are the form team in this increasingly competitive relegation battle.
Manchester United are interested in signing Nottingham Forest's England midfielders Morgan Gibbs-White, 26, and Elliot Anderson, 23, but rivals Manchester City are also monitoring both players. (Mail - subscription required), external
Borussia Dortmund will demand a fee of around 70m euros (£61m) for 25-year-old Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha, who is wanted by Manchester United and Chelsea. (Bild - in German), external
Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are interested in RB Leipzig's Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande - but a deal could be complicated by a dispute over who currently represents the 19-year-old. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Manchester City, Liverpool and Real Madrid are closely monitoring Juventus' 26-year-old Italy full-back Andrea Cambiaso. (Caughtoffside), external
Barcelona are set to open talks with Manchester United over the permanent signing of England froward Marcus Rashford but will attempt to negotiate down from the £26m purchase option for the 28-year-old. (Sport, via Mirror), external
Rashford is happy in Barcelona and has no desire to return to Manchester United - although he wants a more prominent role in the starting 11. (Marca - in Spanish), external
An Old Trafford return for Napoli's Scotland international Scott McTominay, 29, has not been discussed during Manchester United's search for midfield reinforcements this summer. (Teamtalk), external
Barcelona are currently the favourites to sign Bournemouth's Argentina centre-back Marcos Senesi, 28, on a free transfer this summer. (Football Insider), external
Arsenal are preparing to make 24-year-old Ecuador centre-back Piero Hincapie's loan deal from Bayer Leverkusen permanent for £45m. (Teamtalk), external
Tottenham's owners are planning to rip up the club's rigid wage structure before a major overhaul of the squad this summer if the team avoid relegation. (Guardian), external
Juventus have opened discussion with Tottenham's Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, 29, but the Serie A club are also interested in Liverpool's 33-year-old Brazil international Alisson. (Gazzetta, via Standard), external
Aston Villa could allow England midfielder Morgan Rogers to leave the club this summer, but would demand up to £100m for the 23-year-old. (GiveMeSport), external
Bournemouth are growing increasingly confident that they can persuade head coach Andoni Iraola to commit his future to the club with a new contract. (Teamtalk), external
Newcastle United have no plans to cash in on in-form England winger Anthony Gordon, 25, this summer. (Talksport), external
Celtic are willing to consider a big offer for Sweden midfielder Benjamin Nygren, 24, in the summer amid increasing interest from Premier League clubs. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Manchester United have joined the chase for Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, but a pay issue could derail their plans - Daily Mail
Tottenham snubbed the chance to sign Atletico Madrid's new hero Ademola Lookman in January despite their crippling injury list - The Sun
Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has blasted the Blues for taking "five steps backwards" by sacking Enzo Maresca - The Sun
John Heitinga's agent has revealed the Dutchman had designs on succeeding Thomas Frank at Tottenham - The Sun
Manchester City could be deducted 40 to 60 points if they are found guilty of some of the most serious charges against them, according to a football finance expert - Daily Mirror
John Terry has admitted that he was left "frustrated" after being overlooked for a role assisting Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane during his brief stint in the dugout last month and questioned whether the club's ownership or sporting directors had ruled him out deliberately - Daily Mail
Tottenham's owners are planning to rip up the club's rigid wage structure before a major overhaul of the squad this summer if the team avoid relegation - Guardian
Brighton have a unique plan to beat Premier League rivals in the race to land Said El Mala by making the transfer a family affair - talkSPORT
Europe
Barcelona are reportedly attempting to negotiate down the £26m purchase option with Manchester United for Marcus Rashford - Daily Mirror
Jack Grealish hit out at social media criticism towards Raheem Sterling after he endured a difficult debut for Feyenoord - Daily Mirror
Orlando City are in advanced discussions over a move for Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann for their open designated player spot - The Athletic
Scotland
Celtic are reportedly targeting an ambitious double swoop for Plymouth Argyle's prolific pair Lorent Tolaj and Aribim Pepple - Daily Record
Queen's Park have accepted an offer for Harris Afzal from Southampton - Daily Record
Dundee United-bound Jesse Randall has fired himself to the top of the A League scoring charts - Daily Record
Football internationals
Premier League wonderkid Mateus Mane is involved in a tug of war between England and Portugal - The Sun
Andreas Rettig, managing director of the German Football Association (DFB), has acknowledged that the violence in Guadalajara has left "little room for World Cup anticipation" - The Athletic
The Standard
How Nuno Espirito Santo breathed new life into West Ham's fight to stay up
Fresh energy around the training ground, a change of heart and key arrivals have boosted Hammers in bid to climb out of relegation zone
West Ham are now just two points from safety after picking up form. AFP via Getty Images
Sam Tabuteau
West Ham looked to be heading for relegation after their 2-1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest at the start of January.
Seven points from safety and with five defeats in six games, the Hammers looked in serious trouble and Nuno Espirito Santo was coming under increasing external pressure.
But there was no such pressure internally, with the club retaining faith in Nuno, who vowed to keep fighting what at the time appeared to be a losing battle.
Eight games on and West Ham have lost just once in all competitions and are hot on the heels of Forest in their battle to climb out of the bottom three and beat the drop.
West Ham are still two points from safety but it has been an impressive last month and a half for the Hammers.
They have been vindicated for sticking by Nuno, who says his side are “almost getting there” as they seek to bridge the gap to Forest in 17th place.
Unwaveringly calm in the midst of the chaos, Nuno has redressed the balance of the West Ham squad after a busy January transfer window.
No Premier League team made more signings last month than West Ham, with Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos, Pablo Felipe, Adama Traore, Keiber Lamadrid and Axel Disasi all arriving as Nuno was backed with players he had personally recommended.
Castellanos has given West Ham presence up front. A focal point for Jarrod Bowen and the rejuvenated Crysencio Summerville to play off, while Disasi has kept two clean sheets in his first three appearances for the club since signing on loan from Chelsea on Deadline Day.
Castellanos’ arrival in particular has helped Nuno evolve West Ham tactically, with the Portuguese coach able to play a more expansive counter-attacking style, akin to the system that brought him so much success at Forest last season.
Outgoings were also a priority for West Ham in January, with eight players leaving the club on loan or permanently.
Sources told Standard Sport last month that Nuno had grown increasingly withdrawn from players who were on the periphery of his squad as results began to slide over a difficult winter period.
However, with many of those players now having departed, there is understood to be fresh energy and impetus around the training ground with everyone pulling in the same direction.
Nuno has also offered a second chance to goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who was previously out of favour, and the Dane has repaid his manager with a string of excellent performances.
Hermansen was close to leaving West Ham on loan in January, before the club decided to block any advances for the 25-year-old.
It is now clear that said decision was influenced by a change of heart from Nuno, who wanted to restore Hermansen as his first-choice to allow West Ham to play out from the back.
After careful work in the transfer window, a previously fractured dressing room has become a unifying force, with the addition of assistant coach Paco Jemez also providing an important voice for Nuno and his players.
With Liverpool and Manchester City to come in their next three games, West Ham must ensure they do not lose pace with their relegation rivals.
Belief, though, is streaming back at the London Stadium, and West Ham are the form team in this increasingly competitive relegation battle.