Tuesday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Manchester United have put England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, up for sale and would approve a cut-price move in January. (Guardian)

Liverpool's Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 32, is close to signing a new contract with the club. (Marca - in Spanish)

Southampton are considering making an approach for Sheffield Wednesday's 35-year-old German manager Danny Rohl after sacking boss Russell Martin. (Times - subscription required)

A summer move to Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Manchester City is currently off the table for 21-year-old Germany and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, who is set to extend his contract until 2028. (Sky Germany)

England winger Raheem Sterling, 30, has no plans to cut short his loan move at Arsenal despite struggling for regular minutes. (Standard)

Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior, 24, has decided to leave the Gunners in January, with Napoli interested in the Poland international. (Il Mattino - in Italian)

Manchester United are scouting Greek Olympiakos striker Charalampos Kostoulas, 17. (Sun)

Brighton have had a £20.7m offer for Brazilian 18-year-old Vitor Reis rejected, with Palmeiras only willing to negotiate on the defender's future after the Club World Cup. (ESPN Brazil - in Portuguese)

Arsenal are closely monitoring French Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoume, 22, as a potential replacement for 31-year-old Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey. (FootballTransfers)

French Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema, 36, is considering retiring as early as the end of the 2024-25 season. (Relevo - in Spanish)

Former Spain midfielder Cesc Febregas, who is now Como manager, has offered English free agent Dele Alli, 28, the chance to train with his side from January as the midfielder bids to revive his career. (ESPN)

German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, 38, is set to extend his Bayern Munich contract for another year. (Sky Germany)




Sky Paper Talk

THE SUN

Ruben Amorim has questioned two Manchester United players over the persistent leaks.

Chris Kamara will make his return to commentary on Boxing Day after a health battle.

 Liverpool are £100,000-a-week short on persuading Trent Alexander-Arnold to sign a new five-year deal.

Marcus Rashford has been warned he must "suffer" if he wants to succeed under new boss Ruben Amorim, according to Diogo Dalot.

Lucas Paqueta dropped a cryptic transfer hint just minutes before West Ham's clash against Bournemouth.

DAILY MAIL

Mohamed Salah is reportedly close to ending speculation over his Liverpool future by signing a new deal.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani.

VAR will only be in operation in the FA Cup from the fifth round onwards this season in a major change in direction from the FA.

Liverpool are poised to raid Sunderland and try to sign their academy starlet Trey Ogunsuyi, 18.

Atalanta are set to allow Ben Godfrey to leave the club for a return to the Premier League in January.

DAILY STAR

Former Premier League star Dele could be on the brink of signing for Serie A side Como, who are managed by ex-Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

THE TIMES

Jamie George believes an English team can win the Investec Champions Cup this year, despite lacking the depth and money of the French and Irish super-clubs.

Harry Maguire said that he has held "positive" talks with Manchester United regarding a contract extension.

THE TELEGRAPH

Steven Kitshoff, the South Africa prop who won back-to-back Rugby World Cups, has revealed how his recent neck injury left him "two millimetres from death".

DAILY MIRROR

The agent of AC Milan star Theo Hernandez has flown in for talks amid interest from Manchester United.

Jakub Kiwior is searching for an exit from Arsenal having been dropped by Mikel Arteta.

DAILY EXPRESS

Emma Raducanu will fly Down Under on Friday to start her Australian Open preparations, pledging to say no and play more in 2025.

Eugenie Bouchard suffered a bizarre injury that led to her being hospitalised after a pickleball training session.

Liverpool could have a youthful flavour to their squad for Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final away to Southampton.

Manchester United target Sverre Nypan was filmed posing with one of the club's calendars, further fuelling links with a dream switch to Old Trafford.

THE ATHLETIC

Lamine Yamal faces up to a month out after sustaining a right ankle injury in Barcelona's 1-0 loss against Leganes on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappe has been included in the Real Madrid squad for the Intercontinental Cup final on Wednesday.

USA and Monaco striker Folarin Balogun is expected to be sidelined for four months as he prepares to undergo shoulder surgery.

Nick Kyrgios is planning to play doubles with Novak Djokovic at the Brisbane International in Australia later this month.

EVENING STANDARD

Tottenham and South Korea captain Heung-Min Son has urged supporters and the media to "avoid putting pressure" on his compatriot Min-Hyeok Yang, who will arrive at Spurs this week.

DAILY RECORD

Aberdeen winger Vicente Besuijen faces an anxious wait to see if his season is going to be over.

SCOTTISH SUN

New Rangers chief Patrick Stewart has demanded answers from the SFA over the controversial penalty blunder in the League Cup final.

Jimmy Thelin insists he will not sweat on the possibility of losing star players in the transfer window, with Duk, Jack MacKenzie and Jamie McGrath out of contract this summer.




Guardian

Enes Unal’s stunning free-kick earns Bournemouth point against West Ham

Ben Fisher at the Vitality Stadium

Change the brochures, scrap the strapline. Bournemouth has long been established as a relaxing seaside holiday destination but for Premier League teams it is becoming an increasingly uncomfortable, turbulent trip. Just ask Julen Lopetegui, whose West Ham side had to be chuffed at leaving with a point despite taking the lead via a contentious late penalty, awarded for handball and converted by Lucas Paquetá.

West Ham faced a barrage of shots, 29 in total, nine on target, but Bournemouth simply would not give in. It would have been a travesty had the hosts exited the pitch empty-handed and in the end an unstoppable free-kick from 25 yards by the substitute Enes Unal, two minutes after falling behind, earned Andoni Iraola’s side a point. It was the least they deserved.

There is nothing serene about trying to stymie one of the most voracious sides in the division, especially here, where in recent months Bournemouth have overcome Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham. And the reality is they should have beaten West Ham, too.

Both teams hit the woodwork in a lively first half, Jarrod Bowen with a clever effort after Mohammed Kudus cut loose on halfway and, moments earlier, Antoine Semenyo saw an awkward shot shave a post. Carlos Soler and Tomas Soucek also had chances but the second half was largely one-way traffic, with Lukasz Fabianski making several important saves to keep the score level before the penalty, arguably the best of which kept out the substitute Philip Billing’s effort. It said everything that Fabianski was West Ham’s best player.

For Iraola, the obvious sore point was the penalty given following a VAR review. Aaron Wan-Bissaka clipped a cross towards Niclas Füllkrug, the striker powering a header, from a rare second-half opening for the visitors, at Kepa Arrizabalaga. Then the referee, Chris Kavanagh, indicated the VAR Michael Salisbury had encouraged him to visit the pitchside monitor. Wan-Bissaka’s cross had skimmed the Bournemouth substitute Tyler Adams’s left hand en route to Füllkrug, but the tiny deviation was only clear after numerous replays, from various angles.

At the time no West Ham player appeared to claim for a penalty. Iraola was frustrated the call did not marry with the message from the PGMOL, the referees’ body, at the annual meeting at the beginning of the season. “They said players don’t need to defend with hands behind their back in an unnatural position,” the Bournemouth head coach said.

“It didn’t affect the direction of the cross. They said: ‘If it’s a natural action, it’s not going to cost you.’ Bam, penalty. It’s obviously natural because if you go running to block a cross, you finish with one hand down, one up, it’s always like this. They explicitly told us defenders should not defend with hands behind back. What do I tell the defenders?”

No wonder Lopetegui wore the look of a man worried he had left the oven on. Bournemouth were relentless. They played with their usual endearing intensity and zip, and West Ham had to withstand waves of pressure, surviving a few scares along the way.

Dango Ouattara saw an effort, engineered from a short-corner routine, deflect wide two minutes into the restart and then Fabianski gathered a Semenyo daisy cutter. Ryan Christie had no such problem with conviction, his stinging left-foot shot from Evanilson’s layoff triggering a right-hand save from Fabianski. The bad news for West Ham was that there were still 40-plus minutes to play.

They needed to stem the flow but Maximilian Kilman, who impressed at centre-back, made a vital interception to shuffle across and block Semenyo’s shot, after Bournemouth bombed upfield, via Evanilson’s backheel. Illia Zabarnyi headed wide. West Ham’s creative juices, meanwhile, had run dry.

When West Ham did get a glimpse of the Bournemouth goal in the second half, Zabarnyi was quickly on the scene to extinguish the danger. After Füllkrug clipped a pass through for Kudus, Zabarnyi flung his body to the floor to make a timely intervention.

Fabianski made a fine stop at his front post to push Evanilson’s header from Christie’s corner to safety late on and by now West Ham’s focus was solely on keeping the ball out, not attacking at the other end.

Lopetegui’s switch to a back five, handing Ollie Scarles his Premier League debut and only second his senior appearance, was indicative of the plan to ride out the storm. It seemed a dangerous game to play against a team with a habit of scoring late.

Strangely, it almost paid off but Bournemouth have now registered a league-high 10 goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, including five in stoppage time. “Bournemouth are one of the most demanding teams, especially at home,” Lopetegui said. “It was a pity for us because we were very close to three points.”




The Athletic

Lukasz Fabianski has proved he deserves a new contract at West Ham

By Roshane Thomas

Lukasz Fabianski is eligible to talk to overseas clubs in 15 days as he enters the final six months of his West Ham contract.

The club have the option of activating a one-year extension before that deal runs out on June 30 and the decision should not require much ruminating. If any doubts persisted, then his performance against Bournemouth is a good reference point.

The 39-year-old made eight saves in Monday night’s 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium — most notably an outstanding stop to deny Dango Ouattara at the end of the first half — and was only denied a fourth clean sheet of the campaign thanks to spectacular free kick from Enes Unal in the dying moments. It was a highlights-reel performance and there were moments during the evening when it was his name being bellowed loudest by the travelling fans.

Age can no longer be cited as a reason not to extend Fabianski’s six-year spell. He turns 40 in April and has now racked up 209 appearances for West Ham since arriving from Swansea in 2018, yet he continues to improve with age, a calming presence for the back four and not prone to any major blunders, or corner‑flapping howlers.

Positioning and organising is part of Fabianski’s armoury and he is capable of playing from the back, a style of play which exposed Alphonse Areola’s unconvincing distribution.

It is why head coach Julen Lopetegui had no qualms about dropping Areola against Manchester United in October: ever since that game, Fabianski has been his No 1 and he has repaid that faith.

He kept clean sheets against Bournemouth (in the Carabao Cup in August), Everton and Newcastle; in contrast, Areola only managed one shut-out in his eight games, in August against Crystal Palace. The France international and Fabianski may be friends but the latter always knew his talents would be required at some point.

“Lukasz was always ready,” said Lopetegui. “He works very hard whether he plays or not. We are competitive in each position. We are happy with Lukasz and Alphonse and they have to keep this mentality. I am not surprised (about Fabianski’s performances). His daily work at the training ground is why he is playing, but we trust a lot in our goalkeepers.”

Fabianski is, in many ways, the model pro. He is an avid gym user, practises meditation and is aware that his body needs more rest now that he is at the tail-end of his career. Staying ready ensured that when Fabianski was restored to the starting XI, he did not miss a beat.

Even at West Ham’s lowest moments this season — think of the chastening 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest in November — Fabianski provided a positive. His outstanding stop to deny Ramon Sosa did not just prevent any further embarrassment on the night, but led to a Premier League save of the month nomination.

Confidence is the easiest thing to lose and hardest to gain, as Fabianski knows only too well. He lacked consistency during his seven-year spell at Arsenal from 2007 to 2014. Goalkeeping coaches Javier García and Tony Roberts helped restore his confidence at Swansea and, at West Ham, Fabianski has never lacked self-belief: he was named Player of the Year in his debut season, the first goalkeeper to receive the award since Robert Green in 2008.

He is like a boxer who leaves his opponent bewildered at his inability to concede defeat. When Fabianski was dropped by former manager David Moyes, he waited patiently before justifying his return to the team. Fabianski’s self-belief never wavered.

As for West Ham, the point at Bournemouth represented another step in the right direction. There was a Premier League debut for academy prospect Ollie Scarles, while Kaelan Casey was brought on as a late substitute.

Four points from their past two league fixtures have eased pressure on Lopetegui, who earned an embrace from Lucas Paqueta when he converted a late penalty to give West Ham the lead.

The Spaniard often bemoans West Ham’s lack of consistency, but upcoming games against an out-of-form Brighton & Hove Albion and bottom side Southampton present an opportunity to build momentum.

“It was a demanding match for both teams and we did very well over 90 minutes,” said Lopetegui. “We were better than them in the first half and we had more expected goals than them, despite the fact they had more shots. We ended the match with two academy players on the pitch, so there were many positive things.”

It was a positive night for the youngsters, and for West Ham. But, above all, this was Fabianski’s evening.




TBR

Agent opens door for West Ham or Wolves to sign £20m striker in January

Dan Owen

Strikers are always in demand. And with West Ham United and Wolves among those linked, a Premier League switch could be on the cards in January.

At least, that is what the agent of one of one of the brightest talents outside of England’s top flight is indicating.

According to reports, West Ham United scouted Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath a few weeks ago. Wolverhampton Wanderers were heavily linked over the summer too, and could look to bring in an alternative to Jorgen Strand-Larsen as Hwang Hee Chan builds up his fitness following a spell out with injury.

Wolves’ lack of depth in the attacking areas could be exposed pretty brutally, meanwhile, should Matheus Cunha cop a lengthy ban following that unseemly brawl at the end of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Ipswich Town.

A defeat which proved to be the final straw at Molineux; Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil soon after with Vitor Pereira, currently working in Saudi Arabia with Al-Shabab, expected to take the former Bournemouth boss’ place.
Agent opens door for West Ham or Wolves to sign Emmanuel Latte Lath

The aforementioned Latte Lath is valued at around £20 million by Middlesbrough, per Molineux News.

O’Neil hinted, before his departure, that Wolves would have money to spend in January. Whether there is enough in the bank to tempt Middlesbrough into selling their star striker, in the midst of a promotion battle, remains to be seen.

Though Matthias Veneroso, speaking to Tuttomercatoweb, will certainly be happy to hear the phone ring.

“He’s back to scoring. Eight goals in the first half of the season, and we expect something to happen in January,” Latte Lath’s agent explains.

“He’s a striker and strikers are always the subject of attention in the January transfer window.”

Seven of those eight Championship goals have come in the last 11 games. Latte Lath, who ended his debut season at Middlesbrough with 18 to his name, scored the winner against Millwall over the weekend.
Michael Carrick explains Latte Lath turnaround at Middlesbrough

Boro boss Michael Carrick has been linked with West Ham too as a potential replacement for Julen Lopetegui. Carrick is focused on taking Middlesbrough into the top six for the time being, however, and is delighted to see Latte Lath rediscover his form after a difficult start to the campaign.

“Fantastic. I’m delighted for Manu,” Carrick told Teesside Live after Latte Lath scored a hat-trick in a 6-2 obliteration of Oxford United. “He’s found his stride and that sharpness and zip.

“Confidence is so hard to put a price on. When you’ve got it and you’re in that moment, in the zone, you see the solution all the time. You don’t see the problem or the hazards, you just see the solution.”

TBR understands that, in addition to Latte Lath, West Ham are chasing long-time target Yuri Alberto again. The Hammers saw a £14 million bid for the Corinthians hitman rejected back in 2023. A year-and-a-half on, he is in the form of his life.

Yuri Alberto won Brazil’s Golden Boot last week after scoring a career-best 31 goals across all competitions.

West Ham director Tim Steidten likes Mainz’ Jonathan Burkhardt. The Londoners are also expected to be in the race if Brighton and Hove Albion make Evan Ferguson available for loan.

[Texas Iron]

Cheers…

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.