Thursday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Roma are interested in signing Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24, from Manchester United in January. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Crystal Palace are considering making a move for Manchester City's Netherlands defender Nathan Ake, 30, next summer. (Teamtalk), external

The Saudi Pro League's offer for Liverpool's Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 33, remains on the table. (TBR Football), external

Tottenham are considering a move for West Ham's 28-year-old England forward Jarrod Bowen. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Fabio Carvalho is set for talks with Brentford over his future as the Portuguese winger, 23, seeks a January move. (Sky Sports), external

Chelsea are planning to replace manager Enzo Maresca with Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. (Caught Offside), external

Lyon are in talks to sign Brazil forward Endrick, 19, on a six-month loan from Real Madrid in January. (Mail), external

Brazil forward Neymar is set to sign a new short-term contract with Santos after the 33-year-old initially planned to return to Europe before next year's World Cup. (AS - in Spanish), external

Celtic have a concrete interest in Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen as Brendan Rodgers' successor. (Nieuwsblad - in Dutch), external

Former Italy and Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has agreed to become the new Juventus boss until June 2026, with an option to extend. (Sky Italia - in Italian)




Sky Paper Talk

European Football

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid revolution has caused an early rift with big stars - The Athletic.

Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior wants to leave next summer and would be interested in joining Paris Saint-Germain - Sport.
Scottish football

Ange Postecoglou is set to take a break from football and has ruled out a return to Celtic - The Scottish Sun.

Premier League

Napoli midfielder Kevin De Bruyne could miss the 2026 World Cup with Belgium after picking up a thigh injury - The Sun.

West Ham value midfielder Lucas Paqueta at around £60m after reports emerged he could leave in January - The Sun.

Bournemouth star Justin Kluivert has been banned from driving after he was caught speeding twice in three months.- The Sun.

UFC

Tom Aspinall is still unable to see out of one eye, four days after the UFC champion was poked in both eyes by Ciryl Gane - The Independent.





C&H

West Ham Loan Recall Spells Bad News For £15M Summer Signing

West Ham United have taken the surprise decision to recall Fin Herrick from his loan spell at Boreham Wood – a move that could spell serious trouble for summer signing Mads Hermansen.

The 19-year-old goalkeeper has been in excellent form during his stint in the National League, keeping seven clean sheets in eleven games and conceding just five goals. Herrick’s standout displays even earned him a call-up to the England U20s, showing the rapid development of one of the brightest prospects in the Hammers Academy.

But with Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianski already vying for the gloves — and £15m recruit Hermansen warming the bench — the decision to bring Herrick back into the fold seems . . . a bit odd really.

Writing on the wall for Hermansen?

That said, it could be a statement on Hermansen’s status. The Danish keeper arrived with high hopes in the summer but endured a series of calamitous Roberto like performances before being dropped by Nuno Espirito Santo. Now, with Herrick recalled and training with the first team, the writing appears could be on the wall for his Hammers career.

Herrick joined Boreham Wood from Wets Ham in September and made an immediate impact, keeping a clean sheet on debut in a 3-0 win over Morecambe. Since then, he’s grown in stature, commanding his box with maturity well beyond his years.

Boreham Wood will be sorry to see Herrick return to Rush Green and had this to say about the Irons stopper: “His presence, leadership and quality performances have played a key role in the team’s recent form and success.”

Academy sources have been raving about Herrick for some time, but his recall to West Ham is a surprise. Nuno Espirito Santo is a former goalkeeper and has recently appointed a specialist coach for the position.

Time to Try Kanté

The French midfielder recently signed a new contract with the Club until the summer of 2031 and appears to have exactly the qualities West Ham’s midfield is crying out for.

The 20-year-old joined from Paris FC before returning there on loan, helping the club win promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in 46 years. Since returning, Kanté has been a revelation for West Ham’s U21s — showing brute strength, direct running, and a knack for goal contributions from deep. He’s started all of the last eight matches, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

Clearly, Nuno is targeting a midfielder in January, but that’s still two months away. Considering how poor Irving and Souček were in their recent outings, would a combination of Kanté and Potts or Fernandes really be any worse? I suspect not.

Espirito Santo has already used Potts, Marshall, and Scarles in his four games in charge. With academy staff now integrated into his backroom team, the West Ham manager is fully aware of what’s coming through the system.

So give him a go, Nuno — what’s there to lose? Nothing really, because right now, we’re losing anyway

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.