West Ham Online

BBC

Inter Milan are interested in Liverpool's Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, 33, with Juventus also keen. (La Repubblica - subscription required - in Italian), external

Manchester United want Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, 28, to replace midfielder Casemiro this summer - with the 34-year-old United midfielder endorsing his Brazil team-mate. (AS), external

Tottenham players are facing mandatory wage cuts if the club are relegated from the Premier League into the Championship. (The Athletic - subscription required), external

Spurs defender Micky van de Ven is not interested in extending his contract with the under-performing club with Barcelona and Real Madrid monitoring the Netherlands international, 24, for a summer move. (Give Me Sport), external

Bayern Munich will turn their attentions to a new contract for 32-year-old England striker Harry Kane after France defender Dayot Upamecano, 27, signed a new deal last month. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona are all monitoring Inter Milan's 26-year-old Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni. (Caughtoffside), external

Arsenal are leading the race to sign Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka when his contract expires this summer with the 31-year-old Germany midfielder keen to play in the Premier League despite interest from Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan. (Christian Falk via Bayern Insider), external

Barcelona are ready to pay Manchester United the fee they want to turn 28-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford's loan move into a permanent one. (Mirror), external

Manchester City are keen on re-signing Felix Nmecha from Borussia Dortmund. The 25-year-old was released by City five years ago without making a Premier League appearance but is wanted back by Pep Guardiola. (Goal), external

Manchester United have added Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovac, 54, to their shortlist for their next managerial appointment. (Football Insider), external

Real Madrid have the upper hand in the race to sign Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck, 26, from Borussia Dortmund due to their friendly relationship with the Bundesliga club. (AS - in Spanish), external

Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover receives a bonus every time the team score from a dead-ball situation. (Times - subscription required)




Sky Paper Talk

PREMIER LEAGUE

Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their hunt for a new sporting director with checks believed to have been made on a number of potential candidates, including Paul Winstanley and Dougie Freedman - The Telegraph

Spurs players face wage cuts if the club are relegated from the Premier League, owing to clauses written into their contracts - The Athletic

The Arsenal set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, receives a bonus every time the team score from a dead-ball situation - The Times

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be in for a culture shock at Mansfield Town this weekend, with the pitch described as a "tricky surface" - The Mirror

Chelsea are cracking down on players earning needless yellow and red cards as the club aim to stop their disciplinary record from derailing their season - The Telegraph

Mykhailo Mudryk has returned to training at semi-professional club Uxbridge FC's facilities amid a continued silence over his doping ban at Chelsea - Daily Mail

Benjamin Sesko has taken flight at Manchester United after drowning out the noise of aeroplanes at his home by having double glazing fitted at his Cheshire home - The Sun

Ex-Premier League referee Mark Halsey has called for the PGMOL to take a 'no-nonsense' approach to incidents from corners, and likened the current game to rugby - The Sun

The Football Association is keen to explore a challenge system for subjective VAR decisions - The Telegraph

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe is in Paris for additional tests and treatment on his left knee injury, but is not expecting to undergo surgery at this time - The Athletic

Weston McKennie has agreed a new Juventus contract through to 2030 - The Athletic

WORLD CUP

Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are viewed as the most likely beneficiaries should Iran withdraw from the World Cup - The Guardian

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL

Scotland look set to play Venezuela instead of Peru in their final World Cup warm-up game - The Scottish Sun

RUGBY UNION

Steve Borthwick has completely ripped up his back line for England's Six Nations match against Italy, with playmakers Elliot Daly and Fin Smith set to be handed starting roles - The Telegraph

Steve Borthwick is ready to radically overhaul his misfiring England side for the Six Nations clash against Italy on Saturday, with Fin Smith expected to be handed the No 10 jersey - The Guardian

Steve Borthwick looks set to make an unprecedented overhaul of his England back line for the Italy match on Saturday, plotting a change in every position - The Times

Gloucester have sought to address their current malaise by securing the services of Chris Boyd, the former Northampton director of rugby, as technical director and Bath's Rob Burgess as general manager - The Telegraph

Drugs tests on rugby players in South Africa have plunged more than sixfold in the last decade - The Telegraph

FORMULA 1

Formula 1 has chartered flights to ensure key team staff arrive on time for this weekend's 2026 Australian Grand Prix, after the ongoing conflict in the Middle East heavily disrupted travel through the region - The Athletic




The Athletic

Adama Traore banned from lifting weights at West Ham, says Nuno Espirito Santo


 Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

By Roshane Thomas

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo says Adama Traore has been banned from lifting weights at West Ham United’s training ground in Rush Green.

The ban is due to Traore’s muscular frame, which Nuno described as “incredible”. The 30-year-old winger joined West Ham from Fulham on a permanent deal in the January transfer window. Traore previously worked with Nuno between 2018 and 2021 at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Before last Saturday’s 5-2 defeat at Liverpool, attacker Crysencio Summerville posted a video on social media of Traore sitting on a weight bench. The eight-time Spain international denied using it and Nuno hopes that remains the case.

“It’s incredible (his muscles), it’s genetics”, said the 52-year-old Portuguese at Monday’s pre-match press conference. “His genetics has been like this for some time now and he should avoid the gym. I’ve told him to stay out of the gym. It’s one of the things that I think he needs to realise. It’s enough weight that he carries. He’ll do prevention work (in the gym), but he’s not in there lifting weights.

“For example, Airidas Golambeckis (an 18-year-old defender in the U21s) he spends hours in the gym. We have to get weight on him! He’s the one that needs some muscle. It’s the other way around.”

Traore, who made 15 appearances for Fulham this season, is yet to start a Premier League game for West Ham. He was one of five January arrivals, following the additions of Pablo Felipe, Taty Castellanos, Axel Disasi and Keiber Lamadrid. Felipe — who is sidelined with a calf injury — Castellanos and Disasi have all had a positive impact.

But Traore has been limited to substitute appearances against Chelsea, Burnley, Manchester United and Liverpool. His sole start was in the fourth-round extra-time FA Cup victory over League One side Burton Albion. Despite his lack of involvement, Nuno is pleased with how the Spaniard has settled.

“You have to realise the players that are not involved are hugely important for us in terms of preparation and options for the game itself,” Nuno added. “Traore’s unique. There’s not many players in world football with his ability, pace and skills in 1v1 situations.

“He’s a talent that we have to take advantage of, but it will take time. He has to adapt. He has to understand many things inside of the dynamic of the team. But he’s proven, not only at Wolves, he’s proven in England in the Spain squad not long ago. So we’re talking about a high-level player.

“I think the squad has accepted him really well. He has brought new energy to us. We’ve been trying every day to help him. But of course ahead of him he has two players at the top of their game (in club captain Jarrod) Bowen and Summerville. Traore’s patient enough to realise his chance will come.”



Scouse Blog

Liverpool Eye £33m West Ham Left-Back as Robertson Successor

Liverpool are reportedly tracking West Ham United’s 21-year-old full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf as a potential summer target, with the club keeping tabs on options to refresh their left side of defence. Diouf, a Senegalese left-back/wing-back, has impressed enough to catch the eye of several Premier League clubs since moving to the Hammers last season, and is now seen as a realistic squad replacement for Andy Robertson.

The young full-back, capable of playing both as a traditional left-back and farther up the flank, has already carved out a reputation for dynamism and attacking threat in West Ham’s back line — and his versatility makes him an exciting option for clubs looking to add depth and future potential to their squad. Reports suggest his price could be around £33 million, a fee that many view as a bargain for a talented player with both Premier League and international experience.

What This Could Mean for Robertson

If Liverpool were to make a move for Diouf it would signal a clear step towards planning for life beyond Andy Robertson — a player who has been a fan favourite for years but is approaching the end of his contract and may not be tied down long-term. Both targets offer different profiles: Diouf as a value, younger option with room to grow, and Brown as a more polished but pricier solution.

For Liverpool fans, this means an intriguing summer ahead in the transfer market — and potentially a new face slotting in at left-back as the club looks to blend youth, quality, and value in their squad rebuild.