Wednesday news (includes West ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta, 28, is keen to leave West Ham in January. (Times - subscription required), external

Tottenham are keen on signing 28-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay from Napoli. (Teamtalk), external

Napoli will make another attempt to sign 20-year-old England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United in January. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Manchester City have opened negotiations with Spain defensive midfielder Rodri, 29, over a new contract and are confident of striking a deal by the end of the year. (TBR Football, external)

Tottenham are unlikely to sign Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Barcelona in January, but a loan move to Chelsea could be possible for the Germany goalkeeper, 33. (Teamtalk), external

Chelsea and Tottenham showed serious interest in Morgan Rogers, 23, during the summer but Aston Villa are currently holding talks with the England attacking midfielder over a new contract. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Fabio Carvalho will leave Brentford in January, with a permanent move being considered for the 23-year-old Portuguese winger. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Sunderland are plotting another loan move for Marc Guiu in January after Chelsea recalled the 19-year-old Spanish striker just two games into a loan move they agreed last summer. (Football Transfers), external

Chelsea are looking to strengthen at right-back with the addition of Strasbourg's Guela Doue, though Aston Villa and Brighton are also in the race for the 23-year-old Ivory Coast defender. (Football Transfers), external

Liverpool are among the clubs considering a move for Club Brugge's Joel Ordonez, with Newcastle and Aston Villa also in the race to sign the 21-year-old Ecuador centre-back. (Ekrem Konur), external

Manchester United are in negotiations over a transfer for AIK's 16-year-old Swedish forward Kevin Filling. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Robbie Keane, Kieran McKenna and Ange Postecoglou are all on the shortlist to succeed Brendan Rodgers as the next permanent Celtic manager. (Telegraph - subscription required)






Sky Paper Talk

Premier League

West Ham United have been dealt a fresh blow after it emerged that Lucas Paqueta is keen to leave the relegation-threatened club in January - The Times.

Bruno Fernandes has taken Matheus Cunha under his wing to help him realise his potential to become a Manchester United star - The Sun.

EFL

A US-based billionaire John McEvoy is among leading candidates to buy stricken Sheffield Wednesday - The Telegraph.

Women's Football

Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps has turned down the FA's invitation of a send-off at Wembley next month - The Daily Mail.

Newcastle United Women have been charged with misconduct by the Football Association after allegedly making illegal approaches to six junior players contracted to their second-tier rivals Sunderland - The Guardian.

Scottish football

Celtic have not approached Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna but the Championship side fear the job could be too big to turn down - The Sun.

Boxing

Manny Pacquiao has confirmed talks are under way for a stunning rematch against Floyd Mayweather - The Sun.





C&H

Tempers Flare But West Ham Might Have Another Young Star

For those Hammers fans struggling to enjoy watching the first team (myself included!), the Under-21s provided some much-needed entertainment in last night’s game at the County Ground. West Ham’s youngsters became the first development side to qualify for the knockout stages of the 2025/26 Vertu Trophy, edging past League Two contenders Swindon Town in dramatic fashion.

The Hammers started brightly, with Joshua Ajala opening the scoring in the 25th minute. George Earthy, returning from injury, doubled the lead before half-time. Swindon rallied in the second half, pulling one back through Paul Glatzel, before Josh Landers restored West Ham’s two-goal cushion. A late strike from Swindon made it 3-2, but the young Irons held firm to claim the win.

The result means West Ham leapfrog Reading in Southern Group D, securing their place in the next round regardless of Swindon’s final group game against MK Dons.

Late Drama and Red Cards as Tempers Flare

However, the drama didn’t end with the final whistle. Tensions boiled over in stoppage time, culminating in a heated confrontation between players from both sides. In the 100th minute, Swindon’s Joel McGregor and West Ham’s Luis Brown were both shown red cards for violent conduct following a scuffle near the halfway line.

Match officials and coaching staff quickly intervened to separate the players, and the referee issued immediate dismissals to restore order.

Greg Lincoln has taken charge of the team following the promotion of Mark Robson to Nuno’s senior side and he couldn’t have been happier: “This is a great competition to bridge that gap from academy into senior football. Swindon are a very good team. You can see that reflected in their position in the league.

“They’re coached by a very experienced manager and coaching team. I think that was clear and evident, really, in the way that they approached the game and the way that they played. It was a great challenge for us.

West Ham United U21s became the first development team to secure qualification to the knockout stages of this season’s Vertu Trophy

West Ham U21s will now prepare for the knockout stages with renewed confidence, having shown resilience and maturity against senior opposition. Nuno Espírito Santo, take note!

According to reports, the FA is expected to review footage of the melee, and further disciplinary action could follow depending on the severity of the altercation.

This match will be remembered not just for the goals and result—but for its fiery conclusion too!

[With Kind Regards]

Exiled In Surrey » 29 Oct 2025 12:12

[Exiled In Surrey]

Thanks Alan

[Texas Iron]

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