Wednesday news (includes West ham)
Posted: 01 Apr 2026, 09:13
BBC
Manchester City are in front of Manchester United in the race to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson and will push to sign the 23-year-old England international before this summer's World Cup. (Mail - subscription required), external
Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of 25-year-old Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, with Newcastle open to selling their best players for the right price this summer. (Sun), external
Liverpool are keen on Juventus' 23-year-old Portugal winger Francisco Conceicao as a replacement for Mohamed Salah when the 33-year-old Egypt forward leaves at the end of the season. (Gazzetta - in Italian), external
Manchester United are among clubs interested in 25-year-old Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes, who could be available for around £39m if Wolves get relegated. (Caught Offside), external
Manchester United are the favourites to sign Toulouse's 23-year-old English defender Charlie Cresswell this summer. (Teamtalk), external
Bayern Munich are not interested in signing 25-year-old England midfielder Phil Foden from Manchester City because the Bundesliga champions do not have the budget for the potential transfer. (Bild - in German), external
Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee, 24, is eager to stay at Manchester United next season because he believes he will be given chances under Michael Carrick, should the Englishman remain in charge of the club. (Mail - subscription required), external
Arsenal and Manchester City are the favourites to sign Newcastle's 23-year-old England defender Tino Livramento if he fails to agree a new contract with the Magpies. (Football Insider), external
Villarrael want to sign Crystal Palace's 28-year-old Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr this summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Nico Schlotterbeck has denied he is close to agreeing a new contract with Borussia Dortmund, offering new hope to Real Madrid in their pursuit of the 26-year-old Germany defender. (AS - in Spanish), external
England forward Marcus Rashford, 28, who is on loan at Barcelona, is one of five players set to leave Manchester United this summer, with the Red Devils hoping to recoup over £100m in sales. (Sky Sports), external
Barcelona are considering Benfica's 21-year-old Norway winger Andreas Schjelderup as an alternative to signing Rashford on a permanent deal when his loan from Manchester United ends. (Record - in Portuguese, subscription required), external
France striker Hugo Ekitike has climbed sharply up Real Madrid's wishlist following the 23-year-old's impressive debut season at Liverpool. (Teamtalk)
Sky Paper Talk
PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester City are winning the race with Manchester United to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson and will push to sign the England international before this summer's World Cup - Daily Mail
Manchester United have been handed a major Sandro Tonali transfer boost after Newcastle's CEO hinted at a summer shake-up - The Sun
Bayern Munich are not interested in signing Phil Foden from Manchester City because the Bundesliga champions do not have the budget for the potential transfer - Bild
Joshua Zirkzee is eager to stay at Manchester United next season - Daily Mail
Alessandro Nesta has reportedly been offered a chance to work under Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham - The Sun
Former Manchester United star Anthony Martial has been banished by his club Monterrey after throwing a touchline tantrum in Mexico - Daily Mail
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly trying to persuade Casemiro to team up with him in Saudi Arabia rather than his old rival Lionel Messi at Inter Miami when he leaves Manchester United this summer - Daily Mail
Everton made £49.2m in profit from the sale of their women's team and Goodison Park to their parent company, the club's annual accounts reveal - The Times
WORLD FOOTBALL
The childhood home of Diego Maradona has been given a shock makeover - after being transformed into a soup kitchen - The Sun
SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP
Forgotten Celtic star Odin Thiago Holm is reportedly closing in on a move away from Parkhead - Scottish Sun
London World
West Ham told price of completing midfielder transfer after rejected offer
West Ham are still said to be pushing to land a new defensive midfielder who has been impressing in South America. The Hammers still don’t know which division they will be playing in next season, currently in the relegation zone and one point from safety.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have picked up significantly over recent months, but they still have a lot of work to do, with Nottingham Forest picking up a big win in their last Premier League clash.
At this stage, West Ham’s recruitment chiefs likely have a plan for each of the leagues they may be find themselves in. For the Premier League plan, it seems West Ham have a Brazilian holding midfielder in mind, with Edson Alvarez leaving the club permanently.
Fluminense midfielder Matheus Martinelli has been impressing in Serie A both last season and this season, although the current campaign is still young.
The 24-year-old has reportedly attracted attention from a number of clubs, and West Ham are said to have submitted a deal worth £10.2million, as spotted by SportWitness. That offer was swiftly rejected.
According to a fresh report from O Dia, Fluminense are asking for a minimum of £17.1million to sell their up and coming midfielder this summer.
It’s claimed Fluminense want to bring in significant cash from player sales, but they expect Martinelli to make up a large chunk of their target goal. It’s unclear whether West Ham will rise to that figure, and especially in advance of the summer, given they could end up playing Championship football and needing to cut costs.
Fluminense control the situation due to the midfielder signing a new contract until 2030, and his release clause stands at £25.6million, so West Ham have no other way of landing a deal other than meeting the asking price set.