Friday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Arsenal are ready to enter the race to sign 25-year-old England and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. (Mirror) , external

However, Manchester City are confident they will sign Guehi in the coming days, beating rivals Liverpool to his signature. (Star) , external

Tottenham have agreed personal terms with 19-year-old Brazil and Santos left-back Souza before a potential move to the Premier League. (Fabrizio Romano) , external

Wolves are determined to keep hold of England youth international Mateus Mane this month, with the club insisting the 18-year-old is not for sale at any price. (Mail) , external

Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, 26, has no plans to leave Manchester City in January and instead intends to stay at the club and fight for his place. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Real Madrid are stepping up their interest in Borussia Dortmund and Germany centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck, 26, as France defender Dayot Upamecano, 27, is expected to sign a contract extension at Bayern Munich. (Bild - subscription required) , external

Manchester City are interested in signing 21-year-old Brentford and Italy Under-21 right-back Michael Kayode. (Caughtoffside) , external

Real Madrid are willing to sell Antonio Rudiger in January for 10m euros (£9m), with former club Chelsea and Paris St-Germain keen on a move for the 32-year-old Germany centre-back, whose contract at the Bernabeu runs out in the summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Union Berlin's Dutch centre-back Danilho Doekhi, 27, is said to be very keen on a move to Leeds United to play under manager Daniel Farke. (Teamtalk), external

Aston Villa have agreed a £10m deal for 16-year-old Metz and Luxembourg forward Brian Madjo. (Fabrizio Romano)



Sky Paper Talk

Arsenal are ready to join Manchester City in the race to sign Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi - The Mirror.

Wolves are willing to sell Jorgen Strand Larsen this month with Nottingham Forest keen on securing his signature - talkSPORT.

Nottingham Forest have added Brighton forward Evan Ferguson to their list of potential striker targets in January - Daily Mail.

Wolves are determined to keep hold of Mateus Mane this month, with the club insisting the 18-year-old is not for sale at any price - Daily Mail.

Real Madrid are stepping up their interest in Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck - Bild.

Arsenal star Declan Rice has been banned from driving after being caught speeding twice in one week - Daily Mail.
Scotland

VfL Bochum manager Uwe Rosler is a leading candidate for the vacant Aberdeen job - Daily Record.

Ross County have turned down an opening offer from Gillingham for Ronan Hale - Daily Record.

Hibernian are exploring a move for Sheffield Wednesday striker Bailey Cadamarteri - Daily Record.




Guardian Rumour Mill

Taha Hashim

He was on the way to Liverpool last year and Manchester City are gunning for him now, reinforcements required after injuries to Josko Gvardiol and Rúben Dias. It’s only natural then that Arsenal feel a little bit left out. Yes, the league leaders are reportedly having a look at Crystal Palace’s in-demand captain, Marc Guéhi, whose contract runs out in the summer. Guéhi fighting it out with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães in central defence? That wall at the back could become impenetrable.

A re-jig in the Tottenham backline is also in the offing. They’re pushing hard for the Santos and Brazil left-back Souza, 19 years young, after an £8m bid was rejected, while the former Genoa centre-back Radu Dragusin – who recently returned from an ACL injury – is rumoured for a move back to Italy, Roma the proposed destination. Brentford’s Kevin Schade continues to be linked with Spurs, which would set up a reunion with his former coach Thomas Frank.

Evan Ferguson is over in Rome at the moment, on loan from Brighton, building some form with two goals in his last three league games. But the Premier League clearly wants him back; he finds himself attached with a possible switch to Nottingham Forest, who need a Big Man Up Top while Chris Wood recovers from surgery.

Jørgen Strand Larsen continues to circle around the Premier League’s relegation battlers. He is another one apparently on Forest’s list of targets, the Wolves forward having previously been under consideration by West Ham, who opted against splurging £40m on the 25-year-old. Wolves, despite their place in next season’s Championship already pencilled in, have managed to string three unbeaten games together, Mateus Mané contributing a couple of goals in that surprise run. The bottom side aren’t going to let anyone take away their bright spark, the Daily Mail reporting that the 18-year-old is not for sale.

The Everton right-back Nathan Patterson has the attention of Sevilla according to Sky Sports, while Antonio Rüdiger’s future is under spotlight as his deal at Real Madrid expires in the summer. Naturally, there’s some fanciful noise out there over a romantic return to Chelsea, where he first lifted the Champions League. Perhaps that’s just been spinned out by what Rüdiger wrote when he departed: “Chelsea will always be in my heart. London will always be my home.”



Sport Witness

Wonderkid first for Brazilian side – West Ham midfielder stays on stand-by

By Pedro Reinert

West Ham United midfielder Guido Rodríguez remains a live option for Palmeiras, but the Brazilian club have decided to place any move on hold while they assess an internal solution.

As we already covered, Rodríguez was offered to Palmeiras in recent weeks. Now according to ESPN Brazil, the club want to evaluate 17-year-old Luís Pacheco before returning to the market.

The teenager has impressed head coach Abel Ferreira, who believes the youngster shows potential beyond that displayed by former Nottingham Forest midfielder Danilo at the same stage of his development. Danilo came through Palmeiras’ youth ranks and generated €20m for the club in 2023.

Palmeiras plan to test Pacheco with the first team throughout the first half of the season. Only if that assessment fails to deliver the expected response will the club consider an external reinforcement. In that scenario, Rodríguez is viewed as the priority target.

The Argentine’s contractual position strengthens that possibility. Now 31, Rodríguez is in the final stretch of his deal at West Ham and is already free to sign a pre-contract agreement. His agents are pushing. Also, his limited involvement in England adds weight to the discussion, as he has struggled for minutes this season.

Financial factors also play a role. West Ham consider his £75k a week salary high and would look favourably on an eventual exit. Interest from Juventus and Ajax has also been mentioned, which could add competition.

For now, Palmeiras remain patient. Still, Rodríguez’s availability, contract status and situation at West Ham keep him firmly positioned as the club’s preferred option should they decide to move.



West Ham ‘fully committed’ to signing defensive midfielder – Substantial offer on way

By Naveen Ullal

FC Metz’s Alpha Touré has emerged as a target for West Ham United in the winter market. That’s according to Wiw Sport, who make it clear it’s exclusive information.

The Senegalese player joined the Ligue 1 side from Génération Foot in 2024 and enjoyed regular game time since last year.

Metz are bottom of the table and could lose the defensive midfielder to West Ham.

The report states there’s a ‘strong push’ from the Hammers to sign the 19-year-old this month. They have already informed his entourage of their concrete interest in Touré.

West Ham are ‘fully committed’ to securing the young midfielder’s services and are prepared to ‘offer a substantial sum’. The outlet makes no mention of the fee they are ready to pay.

Although West Ham are pushing, the operation remains complicated. For now, there’s no negotiations between the two clubs. Touré has a contract until 2028, and the French club aren’t keen on sanctioning a move.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side can change Metz’s stance by tabling a convincing bid. This would allow Touré to take a step forward in his career.

On Thursday, Gazzetta dello Sport reported West Ham midfielder Guido Rodríguez has given the green light to go out on loan in this window.




torcidaflamengo

Dream closer: Lucas Paquetá signals desire to return to Flamengo and negotiations advance

Flamengo is close to repatriating Lucas Paquetá. The midfielder has expressed a desire to return to Gávea, but Tottenham has also entered the race with a multi-million dollar offer.

Flamengo fans have reason to be excited at the start of 2026. Midfielder Lucas Paquetá, currently at West Ham, is facing a defining moment regarding his future, and Flamengo appears to be the star's preferred destination. A product of Flamengo's youth academy, the player has reportedly expressed to the Rio de Janeiro club's management his interest in returning to Brazil to wear the red and black jersey again.

Despite the optimism at Gávea (Flamengo's headquarters), the path is not clear. Tottenham, from England, has emerged as a strong competitor and has already submitted an official offer of 30 million euros (approximately R$ 188 million) to West Ham to keep the Brazilian in the Premier League.

The Trump Card vs. European Offer
According to information from journalist Julio Miguel Neto, Flamengo is in advanced stages of securing the midfielder's return for the second half of the Brazilian season. The key difference in the negotiation is Paquetá's personal desire to return to his roots, a factor that could negate Tottenham's financial and visibility advantage.

Current status of the negotiation:

Flamengo: Has the player's approval and is trying to craft a business model that pleases the English club.

Tottenham: Offers him to remain in European football and immediate, substantial financial compensation.

West Ham: The London club, facing a delicate situation in the Premier League table, sees the sale of its main asset as a chance to balance its accounts for a possible restructuring.

Decisive Moment

With a year and a half remaining on his contract in London, West Ham knows that this transfer window is one of the last opportunities to obtain a high price for the player. For Flamengo, signing Paquetá would be the "checkmate" in the market, raising the technical level of Filipe Luís' team for the Libertadores and Club World Cup competitions.

The decision now rests with the English club's management, but Paquetá's "yes" to Flamengo is already the most important step taken so far. The expectation is that the outcome will occur in the coming weeks, defining whether the midfielder will continue showcasing his talent in Europe or if he will return to scoring goals at the Maracanã.



Give Me Sport

West Ham Eyeing Surprise Move for 'Incredible' Brentford Star in January

Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock is emerging as a potential January transfer target for West Ham United, according to journalist Mike McGrath.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are reportedly eyeing a move for the experienced 32-year-old defender, who has made just three Premier League appearances this season.

West Ham are expected to face competition if Pinnock is made available in January, with Brentford yet to give the green light to the Jamaica international’s departure.

Pinnock has been with Brentford since the summer of 2019, when he joined then-manager Thomas Frank’s squad from League One side Barnsley.

According to McGrath, West Ham could target a move for Pinnock amid his limited involvement at Brentford this season, though the Bees have yet to open the door to his departure.

Pinnock was an unused substitute in Brentford’s last seven Premier League games, with his last start coming in the 2-0 loss to Arsenal in December.

This term, the London-born defender has made three starts under head coach Keith Andrews, who has heavily favoured the trio of captain Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg and Kristoffer Ajer over Pinnock.

The 32-year-old was a regular starter under Frank across all six of his seasons working with the Danish tactician, amassing 213 appearances for Brentford and scoring 12 goals.

Pinnock, praised as ‘incredible’ by Frank, is under contract with the Bees until the summer of 2027.

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