Tuesday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Barcelona's failed attempt to register Spain forward Dani Olmo for the second half of the season has opened the door for Manchester United and Manchester City to sign the 26-year-old for free. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Real Madrid would prefer to sign England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in January, but are willing to wait until the summer when his contract expires if Liverpool do not want to sell the 26-year-old next month. (Marca - in Spanish)

Newcastle's Sweden striker Alexander Isak is prepared to stay at the club if they finish in the top four of the Premier League this season, dealing a blow to Arsenal who are interested in signing the 25-year-old. (Sun)

Chelsea are eying Ipswich's English striker Liam Delap, 21, and Brighton's Republic of Ireland forward Evan Ferguson, 20, as they look to provide competition for first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson. (Talksport)

Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to rule out leaving Al-Nassr this summer, with the 39-year-old Portugal forward free to negotiate with other clubs from 1 January. (Marca - in Spanish)

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui will be given more time despite the Hammers' poor form this season. (Telegraph - subscription required)

Wolves have made Lens' 26-year-old Austria defender Kevin Danso their top centre-back transfer target in January. (Sky Sports)

Bayer Leverkusen are among a number of clubs eyeing Manchester City's 22-year-old English midfielder, James McAtee. (Mail)

Newcastle are lining up a £20m move for Burnley's 22-year-old English goalkeeper, James Trafford. (Sun)

Athletic Bilbao have identified Norwich's 23-year-old Spanish midfielder Borja Sainz as the ideal replacement for Nico Williams, should the 22-year-old Spain winger leave the club in the summer. (Sport - in Spanish)

Tottenham are unlikely to turn the loan of 28-year-old Germany forward Timo Werner into a permanent deal, meaning he will return to RB Leipzig in the summer. (Bild - in German)

AC Milan and Napoli are among clubs who could move for 33-year-old Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood, should the New Zealand international fail to agree a new contract with the club. (Football Insider)

Manchester United and Juventus have shown serious interest in signing Barcelona's 28-year-old Denmark defender Andreas Christensen in January. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Newcastle are in a strong position to clinch the signing of 27-year-old England defender Fikayo Tomori from AC Milan in January. (Caught Offside)

Manchester United are continuing to monitor the progress of Bournemouth's 21-year-old Hungary defender, Milos Kerkez. (Fabrizio Romano)





The Political Economy of Football

Player sales profit helps West Ham to overall surplus

West Ham publish 23/24 accounts, reports football finance guru Kieran Maguire.  Revenue £270m up 14%.   Wages £161m up 18%.  Average weekly wage £74,800.   Underlying losses were £30m up 146 per cent.  Player sale profits £96m up 467%.   Profit before tax was £57m.   Player purchases £124m. Player sales £142m.  Borrowings £1m.

Income increased due to more matches on back of European success leading to bonuses from sponsors and higher merch sales. Matchday income works out as £1 in every £6 generated by the club, so Maguire comments that it seems harsh to be targeting senior fans and concessions as broadcast income was £167 million.

Only a few clubs have published 23/24 accounts to date but West Ham at the top of the 'Other 14' although may be overtaken by Villa and/or Newcastle.

Main costs for clubs are player based. Euro bonuses were main driver of first significant wage rise for a few years. Wages were well within the UEFA red line of 70% of revenue.

Highest paid director had a 6% increase to £1.43m. Name not given but likely to be chief exec Karren 'Kazza' Brady, part time director, full time delayer of the football governance bill in the House Of Lords. Director pay varies wildly in PL, some do it for money, some appear to do it for love.

Other main player cost is transfer fee amortisation (transfer fees spread over contract life) which had a 28% increase due to investment in players. West Ham rent on Lomdon Stadiyum increased to just under £4m




Sport Witness

‘Best choice’ – Agent believes client should leave West Ham in January window

By Naveen Ullal

On December 14th, we covered claims from the Brazilian media which stated CR Vasco da Gama, Atlético Mineiro, SC Internacional, Fortaleza and Ceará all want to sign West Ham United’s Luizão in the winter market.

This report emerged a day after the defender’s agent, Wagner Trentin, talked about the possibility of his client leaving the Hammers next month.

O Tempo have a report on Atlético’s interest and West Ham’s stance on the 22-year-old’s transfer.

The Brazilian club have identified the centre-back as a target to improve their defence and their officials have already made contacts. At this point in time, Atlético haven’t made progress in their negotiations to sign him.

Two days ago, Atlético appointed Cuca as their new manager and he’s likely to evaluate the option of signing the West Ham man.

The Brazilian hasn’t made an appearance for the Premier League side since joining them from São Paulo in January 2023. Julen Lopetegui replaced David Moyes in the summer and is still reluctant to use the player.

Therefore, the player’s agent understands it’s the ‘best choice’ for him to leave West Ham and return to Brazil, where he sees Atlético as a ‘great opportunity’.

The London club initially wanted to let him leave only through a sale, but they have now changed their stance. The report states West Ham are willing to sanction a loan move in January as long as the club cover Luizão’s salary.



Celts are Here

Celtic Reignite Interest in West Ham Midfielder

Celtic are reportedly keeping tabs on West Ham United’s Andy Irving as the January transfer window looms.

According to The Daily Mail, the Scottish champions are exploring a potential move for the 24-year-old midfielder to bolster their already stacked engine room.

Celtic previously showed interest in Irving during the summer, when they were also pursuing Luke McCowan. While McCowan ultimately joined from Dundee for £1 million, Irving remained with West Ham and has since made a few appearances for the Hammers.

The former Hearts player has made seven appearances for the Hammers this season.

With Callum McGregor, Paulo Bernardo, Arne Engels, Reo Hatate, and Luke McCowan already competing for spots, the Hoops boast one of the strongest midfield units in their recent history. Adding Irving to the mix could be viewed as an effort to future-proof the squad or enhance squad depth for their domestic and European campaigns.

However, such a move may hinge on departures. The January window could see the likes of fringe players or those seeking more game time move on, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone that would fit that category in the middle of the pitch.

While the rumours are intriguing, signing another midfielder in January seems unlikely unless there is a significant shakeup in the squad, which also feels unlikely. Celtic’s priorities may lie elsewhere, particularly in the wings.

Andy Irving remains on Celtic’s radar, but whether the club acts on their interest will likely depend on how their January transfer plans unfold.

[Texas Iron]

Cheers…

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.  Hoping you have a great 2025.