BBC
West Ham have been watching Rio Ave's 26-year-old Brazilian forward Clayton, who is joint top scorer in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. (Teamtalk), external
Roma have officially opened negotiations to sign Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24, from Manchester United on loan with an obligation to buy for £30m. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external
United are looking to add to their defensive ranks with former Real Madrid veteran Sergio Ramos, 39, an option to sign after leaving Mexican club Monterrey. (Fichajes), external
Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi is a target for Sunderland, who have bid £21.4m for the France international, 26, who plays for Lazio. (Sunderland Echo), external
France centre-back Ibrahima Konate is out of contract next summer but the 26-year-old could still sign a new Liverpool deal in the coming weeks. (Football Insider), external
Former England and Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 32, is targeting a return to the Premier League in January having been a free agent since leaving Besiktas in August. (Athletic - subscription required), external
England striker Ivan Toney, 29, is unlikely to leave Al-Ahli in January to return to the Premier League because of tax reasons. (Talksport), external
West Ham's hopes of signing Promise David from Union Saint-Gilloise have suffered a setback as the Canada forward, 24, is reluctant to swap Champions League football for a Premier League relegation battle. (Talksport), external
West Ham are preparing a January bid for Zulte Waregem's 22-year-old Nigerian midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi. (Teamtalk), external
Wolves are exploring a January move for Fulham winger Adama Traore, 29, who spent five years at Molineux. (Football Insider), external
Sheffield Wednesday are hoping to keep hold of on-loan Manchester United midfielder Harry Amass, 18, for the rest of the season despite their points deduction in the Championship. (Sun), external
Chelsea have beaten off competition from Manchester City and Manchester United for SF Cascades and Burkina Faso youth midfielder Mohamed Zongo, 16. (Mail)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Liverpool are not planning to give Mohamed Salah an Anfield farewell on Saturday against Brighton as they look to protect their players transfer value - The Telegraph
Florian Wirtz's status as the future of Liverpool has angered Mohamed Salah and is at the heart of his animosity - BILD
Former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, is targeting a return to the Premier League in January after being released by Besiktas in the summer - The Athletic
Manchester United are potentially lining up a pre-season friendly with Wrexham next summer - Daily Mail
A parliamentary panel has indicated it plans to summon the West Midlands police chief constable again, after discovering that sections of the force's testimony about the decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters against Aston Villa were wrong - The Guardian
Fulham are eyeing a surprise move for former Everton and Juventus striker Moise Kean as they look to address their woes in front of goal - Daily Mail
Wolves are set to undergo a major overhaul in their recruitment strategy, abandoning their previous reliance on agents to strike deals - Daily Mail
Fulham are weighing up a move for Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior should they decide to replace Marco Silva - The Sun
International football
FIFA officials could be forced to move the World Cup group stage match between Egypt and Iran due to complaints from both countries about a Pride event - The Sun
Andre Onana has been sensationally named in Cameroon's 28-man AFCON squad, despite the coach who called him up being sacked last week - The Sun
European football
Jurgen Klopp has struck an agreement with Red Bull to leave his role as head of global soccer in order to replace Xabi Alonso if he is to be sacked by Real Madrid - The Sun
Scottish Football
Nico Raskin has been earmarked as a January target for Besiktas - The Scottish Sun
TeamTalk
West Ham plot stunning move for Liga Portugal’s leading scorer as Nuno prioritises January striker swoop
West Ham United are working hard on prospective striker options, and TEAMtalk understands that Rio Ave’s Clayton is someone they have been watching closely in recent weeks.
The Hammers find themselves in a battle for survival after a disappointing start to the season has left them languishing in 18th in the Premier League table, two points away from safety.
West Ham have scored just 17 goals in 15 games so far and are looking to strengthen up front, despite the positive form of Callum Wilson in recent weeks.
Clayton, 26, who turns 27 in January, has been outstanding for Portuguese side Rio Ave since joining last year.
The Brazilian scored 18 goals in his maiden campaign, and that saw then convert his loan spell from Vasco Da Gama into a permanent deal last summer, despite interest from Benfica and Nottingham Forest.
His form has continued this term with 10 goals in 13 games, and he is currently the joint top-scorer in Portugal, attracting the interest of multiple sides.
West Ham scouts are now assessing Clayton’s form and whether he could emerge as a potential bargain option heading into the New Year.
West Ham planning January striker revamp
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has made it clear to West Ham’s hierarchy that a new forward was one of his priorities heading into the January transfer window.
Fullkrug is understood to be open to a return to the Bundesliga, with Hamburg and Stuttgart making checks on his situation in recent months.
But Nuno won’t let him leave unless a new striker is brought in to fill the void, and Rio Ave talisman Clayton is one player to keep an eye on as we head into the January window.
His proven scoring record could be exactly what West Ham need to get back on track, but of course, there is no guarantee his form in Portugal would be translated to English football.
More names are likely to emerge in the coming weeks but Clayton features prominently on the Hammers’ shortlist.
West Ham set to launch official January bid, five-year contract offer for ‘relentless’ Nigerian gem
West Ham are preparing to launch a January bid for SV Zulte Waregem’s talented midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi, though TEAMtalk understands they face growing competition from four Premier League sides for his signature.
The 22-year-old is turning heads at the highest level. The tenacious defensive midfielder has become one of the most talked-about January targets in European football, with West Ham leading a growing pack of English admirers.
Standing at 5ft7in and built like a coiled spring, Nnadi arrived from Botev Plovdiv only in January 2024 and but has since established himself as the heartbeat of Waregem’s side.
This season, he has started every league game he’s been available, winning duels, breaking up play and driving his team forward with simple, progressive passes. Scouts describe him as “relentless”, “explosive in recovery”, and “Premier League-ready physically.”
West Ham, languishing in the relegation zone, have watched him live on multiple occasions.
Sources in Belgium say the Hammers are preparing a €4m (£3.5m, $4.6m) bid – five times his current market value – and are ready to offer a five-year contract.
The Hammers recruiters sees Nnadi as the exact type of energetic, ball-winning midfielder Graham Potter’s side desperately lacks, but other sides are ready to move for the youngster…
Brighton and Hove Albion, renowned for unearthing gems from lesser leagues, have sent representatives to watch Nnadi on several occasions and view his profile as ideal for their high-pressing system.
Leeds United, pushing hard for survival, have also registered firm interest, while Newcastle and Crystal Palace are monitoring developments closely.
A product of Nigeria’s prolific youth system, Nnadi reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 Under-20 World Cup with the Flying Eagles and has since been called into senior Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Sources reveal “multiple English clubs” are in direct contact, and the player is open to a January move if the project is right.
For a club willing to gamble €4–5 million, Nnadi represents rare value: young, athletic, battle-tested and hungry.
Come January, the Premier League could have a new cult hero in the making.
Sport Witness
“Can be done” – West Ham given encouragement they can seal January arrival
On Wednesday, Il Messaggero gave hope to West Ham in a move for Lazio’s Taty Castellanos.
The Hammers have previously enquired about the Argentine but January is believed to be a good time to land the player. Lazio see Giacomo Raspadori as a replacement, with Maurizio Sarri interested in the Italian.
La Repubblica journalist Giulio Cardone has now spoken about Castellanos’ situation. He too mentioned West Ham as a destination and claimed that the move is possible.
The journalist told RadioSei, referring to Lazio’s difficult financial situation.
He said – relayed by Lazialita: “On the Raspadori-Castellanos issue, Sarri would do it. If you sell Castellanos to West Ham for €25m and take Raspadori on loan, it can be done. At the same time, we’ve seen Taty at his best.”
Cardone made it clear that everything can depend on what Sarri wants.
“For the rest, what matters is what Sarri wants, and he’d prefer the Italian, who sees him as a bit of a Mertens tactically.”
A deal like this would make financial sense for Lazio, who want to make capital profits soon.
Even for West Ham, Castellanos could become a key player. He has scored twice and has three Serie A assists this season.
In the 2024/25 campaign, he scored ten times in what was a poor season for the Rome club.
West Ham need more goals and Castellanos can provide that.