Official January '25 Transfer Window Thread

[stubbo-admin]

Official Transfer Window Thread | I'll try and stay current with signings and rumours.

Could be The Scarf's last chance to prove his worth as well as make-or-break for Lopetegui who needs to shuffle the back to suit what we're trying to do more.

Rumoured In:

• Ewan Ferguson, ST (Brighton)
• Carney Chukwumeka, CM (Chelsea)
• Carlos Soler, CM (PSG, Loan to Perm)
• Emmanuel Latte Lath, ST (Middlesbrough)
• Shea Charles, CM (Southampton)
• Ezekiel Banzuzi, CM (Leuven)
• Arthur Carbral, ST (Benfica)
• Taiwo Awoniyi, ST (Forest)
• Igor Jesus, ST (Botofogo)
• Marcus Rashford, FW (Man Utd)
• Jonathan David, ST (Lille)
• Evann Guessand, ST, (Nice)
• Randal Kolo Muani, ST, (PSG)
• Kieran Dewsbury-Hall , CM, (Chelsea)
• André Silva, ST, (RB Leipzig)
• Elye Wahi, ST, (Marseille)
• Kristjan Asllani, CM, (Inter)
• Rodrigo Muniz, ST, (Fulham)
• Callum Wilson, ST, (Newcastle)
• Ansu Fati, AM, (Barcelona)
• Angel Gomes, CM, (Lille, pre-contract)
• Adam Webster, CB, (Brighton)
• Brian Brobbey, ST, (Ajax)
• Ricardo Pepi, ST, (PSV)
• James McAtee, MF, (Man City)
• Yuri Alberto, ST, (Corinthians)
• Tyler Morton, DM, (Liverpool)

Rumoured Out:

• Kudus (Liverpool, Newcastle, Arsenal)
• Fullkrüg (Juventus)
• Rodriguez (Betis)
• Alvarez (Monaco)
• Emerson (Juventus)
• Luis Guilherme (Al Hilal)

Confirmed In:

• Josh Landers (!), ST (Hibernian)
• James Ward-Prowse, MF, (Nottigham Forest | Return from loan)
• Evan Ferguson, ST, (Brighton, Loan...no option/obligation to buy)

Confirmed Out:

• Max Cornet (Genoa, Loan)
• Favour Fawunmi
• Sean Tarima
• Junior Robinson — Sutton United (loan)
• Regan Clayton — Dagenham & Redbridge (loan)
• Brad Dolaghan — Aldershot Town (loan)
• Michael Forbes — Colchester United (loan)
• Krisztian Hegyi — Debreceni (loan)

​​​​

[El Scorchio]

Hope you are right but does sound like Sullivan finding reasons not to do certain deals.  Because we have zilch by way of a strategy or long term plan we are back to the manager or coach and his trusted head of recruitment ( as you said like Pellegrini / Hussilos ) asking for players on their list. But Sullivan still has ultimate control as he controls the finances.

We need that box-to-box, athletic midfielder desperately but suspect nothing will happen of note until summer.  We need a young up and coming player. But I only expect another Ings type purchase thru Salthouse or Silkman towards the end of the window as a “gift” to the new manager.  

And so the cycle continues for another 10-20 years.

Totally agree.  Everything I'm now reading about our bids, negotiations and targets smacks to me of Sullivan.not wanting to spend.  What I do not understand is how the same man can spend £45m on an average central defender aged over 30 and on a 7 year contract.  Fair enough he can do whatever he likes with his money - but really!  Likewise with Ings wages.  Makes no sense at all.

Agree. Sullivan is gambling we stay up (and we will) with what we've got to avoid any spend. We will do going forward once a couple are back, but we probably still need a CD regardless. Expect nothing but some carthorse or two recommended and brokered by his mates through the door in the last five days of the window. All this talk of hot properties, young stars and (hard to type with a straight face) Neymar is just smoke and mirrors as usual.

[stubbo]

Hope you are right but does sound like Sullivan finding reasons not to do certain deals.  Because we have zilch by way of a strategy or long term plan we are back to the manager or coach and his trusted head of recruitment ( as you said like Pellegrini / Hussilos ) asking for players on their list. But Sullivan still has ultimate control as he controls the finances.

We need that box-to-box, athletic midfielder desperately but suspect nothing will happen of note until summer.  We need a young up and coming player. But I only expect another Ings type purchase thru Salthouse or Silkman towards the end of the window as a “gift” to the new manager.  

And so the cycle continues for another 10-20 years.

Totally agree.  Everything I'm now reading about our bids, negotiations and targets smacks to me of Sullivan.not wanting to spend.  What I do not understand is how the same man can spend £45m on an average central defender aged over 30 and on a 7 year contract.  Fair enough he can do whatever he likes with his money - but really!  Likewise with Ings wages.  Makes no sense at all.

The trouble is it's not HIS money, it's the Club's money. He's not a benevolent owner. If anything the guy leaches money from the Club through his favoured agents, not puts money in. 

[northbankboy68]

Hope you are right but does sound like Sullivan finding reasons not to do certain deals.  Because we have zilch by way of a strategy or long term plan we are back to the manager or coach and his trusted head of recruitment ( as you said like Pellegrini / Hussilos ) asking for players on their list. But Sullivan still has ultimate control as he controls the finances.

We need that box-to-box, athletic midfielder desperately but suspect nothing will happen of note until summer.  We need a young up and coming player. But I only expect another Ings type purchase thru Salthouse or Silkman towards the end of the window as a “gift” to the new manager.  

And so the cycle continues for another 10-20 years.

Totally agree.  Everything I'm now reading about our bids, negotiations and targets smacks to me of Sullivan.not wanting to spend.  What I do not understand is how the same man can spend £45m on an average central defender aged over 30 and on a 7 year contract.  Fair enough he can do whatever he likes with his money - but really!  Likewise with Ings wages.  Makes no sense at all.

[Sir Alf]

I did hear Gonzo say in passing that Sullivan was not involved in recruitment either just now. Believe that, you’ll believe anything

[Sir Alf]

Yep the opposite of Brighton, Bournemouth etc who buy for the future always.  

Sullivan is a fvckwit unfortunately

[RBshorty]

Gonzo is full of shit.And has his nose so far up Sullivan’s backside he’s got to be Pinocchio.!

[stubbo]

Hidden in another Gonzo article and unrelated to the main article (about Andre Silva), so no reason to add it unless it was valid:

"Claret & Hugh understands that the Hammers were offered one of Europe’s hottest young striking prospects yesterday but opted to turn down the opportunity, preferring to focus on securing a main striker signing next season."

The bloke at the top of our club is retarded. 

[Sir Alf]

Hope you are right but does sound like Sullivan finding reasons not to do certain deals.  Because we have zilch by way of a strategy or long term plan we are back to the manager or coach and his trusted head of recruitment ( as you said like Pellegrini / Hussilos ) asking for players on their list. But Sullivan still has ultimate control as he controls the finances.

We need that box-to-box, athletic midfielder desperately but suspect nothing will happen of note until summer.  We need a young up and coming player. But I only expect another Ings type purchase thru Salthouse or Silkman towards the end of the window as a “gift” to the new manager.  

And so the cycle continues for another 10-20 years.

[twoleftfeet]

The stuff you read from Gonzo & Nick at C & B plus the others is just click bait.

In reality nothing is happening at the moment but they need traffic to their sites so they make shit up.

I guarantee that tomorrow Hammers Chat will say we have bid £40m for a player and then the next day they will say we have a budget of £100m

I try and avoid those sites during transfer windows because it's all made up bullshit, so far we have signed Gomes, David, Neymar, Banzuzi, Lopez, Rashford and Chilwell.

I think we have money and I think we will do business, Potter wouldn't have joined without knowing we had money to spend. He wasn't desperate for a job.

[stubbo]

Latest from Gonzo is we’re skint so cannot get near wages for Gomes or anyone much. He also said we have no effective negotiating team as  Maccaulay is coming in as an analyst anyway. Inother words, Sullivan by sidelining and scapegoating ( my interpretation) Steidten took away our ability to do deals and get players. Well other than thru Sakthouse or Silkman etc which will no doubt happen near the end of the window and they will be “bargain bucket” underwhelming is my prediction.

“The Sullivan Effect” back in full force.

 

 

Gonzo is no longer a reliable source IMO as he's clearly now under Sulivan's influence (and is desperate for relentless titbits to keep his clickbait going).

Any suggestion we don't have any wages to offer for a pre-contract are talking shit.  We have: Cresswell, Antonio, Ings, Coufal and Fabianski all rolling off the wage bill. Also potentially Soler and Paqueta.

To suggest we can't compete on wages is ridiculous of course.  

We have headroom in PSR, so any issues are purely cashflow/Sullivan instigated.  

He also states we have a 3rd party negotiating on our behalf.  Whether that's Silkman and Salthouse, or some other duo, it's still people negotiating for us.

His also misrepresenting Macauley who isn't just an analyst. 

That's what he was demoted to at Chelsea when Potter left, but at Swansea and at Brighton he was Head of Player Recruitment...not some no-mark who sat in the back office tapping a keyboard.

Think you're being overly pessimisting on what he's saying and has said Alf (of course not overly pessimistic on the state of the Club...that's more about Sullivan).

[Lee Trundle]

Latest from Gonzo is we’re skint so cannot get near wages for Gomes or anyone much. He also said we have no effective negotiating team as  Maccaulay is coming in as an analyst anyway. Inother words, Sullivan by sidelining and scapegoating ( my interpretation) Steidten took away our ability to do deals and get players. Well other than thru Sakthouse or Silkman etc which will no doubt happen near the end of the window and they will be “bargain bucket” underwhelming is my prediction.

“The Sullivan Effect” back in full force.

Didn't Karen Brady actually do some work and negotiate the deal for Potter?  Maybe she'll actually earn her wage and do that going forward?

[Sir Alf]

Latest from Gonzo is we’re skint so cannot get near wages for Gomes or anyone much. He also said we have no effective negotiating team as  Maccaulay is coming in as an analyst anyway. Inother words, Sullivan by sidelining and scapegoating ( my interpretation) Steidten took away our ability to do deals and get players. Well other than thru Sakthouse or Silkman etc which will no doubt happen near the end of the window and they will be “bargain bucket” underwhelming is my prediction.

“The Sullivan Effect” back in full force.

[Alan]

Dan Neil

[LJC]

Wouldn’t be against that Alan but would need to come with others.

[Alan]

SportsView

West Ham eye move to sign Dan Neil

West Ham United have joined the race to sign Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil in the January window, according to Alex Crook.

Graham Potter is looking to add a few players to the squad before the end of the window, and it seems the Hammers have earmarked the 23-year-old midfielder as an option.

Writing for talkSPORT, Crook claims that West Ham and Everton are the two Premier League clubs vying for his signature.

However, the Hammers may find it really difficult to lure him away. He has captained the Championship side this season under Régis Le Bris, and Sunderland are aiming for promotion this season.

The Black Cats will try to hold on to him and are expected to want at least £15 million for Neil, who has only 18 months left on his present deal.

West Ham have been linked with a  host of players this month already, and it looks like Potter needs a massive overhaul.

Neil is a Sunderland academy graduate and boyhood Black Cats fan. Unless the offer is too good to turn down, it looks really difficult for West Ham to strike a deal.

He has made 28 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring once and setting up a further three.

[Massive Attack]

Could argue his profile and being able to attract other better players than we currently have to the Club could be a worthwhile factor in trying to raise the status of the Club?

[El Scorchio]

Hypothetical

Neymar wants to leave Al Hilal. Recent return from injury, big wages, 32yo, if you had the chance would you offer him a contract if we could afford to agree to one for a year or 2? His currrent contract expires in the summer. 

He was after all Sullivans wet dream since he arrived at the Club.

And if Claret n sozzled Nick is right, could he be the mystery cosmic out of this world signing he could have been referring to?

 

NO. For all his talent he will be a terrible disruption and he's always injured. And want obscene wages. It'll be a really divisive move at a time when the squad needs to be coming together.

[threesixty]

I must admit I like Nick at C & Bs current take on “The Sullivan Effect” . He quite rightly, imo, makes the claim that deals for West Gam totally depend on who represents the player and not the quality of the player. Many of us have thought that for a very long time.  The Duran deal was scuppered by Sullivan because he ignored the deal brokered and tried to go thru the “back door” ( very appropriate pun for Sullivan) and tried to include his “friends” ( friends meanung agents Salthouse, Silkman or Mackay with vested interests to use their players or get a cut of all deals to  ensure Sulluvan only pays a preferred percentage agent fee) . Villa were upset by this brinkmanship as they had agreement thru another intermediary who had done the groundwork with the player reps and Villa before presenting to WH people who were not Sullivan.

Sane now with Angel Gomes who Potter wants for next season a a free.  Sullivan getting word out thru mouthpieces that theres no deal. Probably will try a back door route again thru Salthouse, Silkman etc but present it as “difficult or excesive agent fees” etc when it doesnt happen. We then get a Salthouse ir Silkman client as back up.  

Sullivan has done this time and time again. He’s absolute poison to our club.



 

 

I remember an interview with John Carew about how agents often just jump into a deal and block a process by demanding a fee. Some had nothing to with the deal originally and managed to insert themselves in (threatening law suits possibly or something more sinister to slow down the deal process). 

it’s a very murky world. I do think people who have had a go at Tim Steidten should remember how deals were brokered in the past through Sullivan. How many times did we go in for Calvahol from Lisbon etc? With Tim, he just gets it done unless Sullivan scuppers it. 

I think transfers are far more than just identfiying the player. I’m not even sure that’s Tim’s actual job. Tim’s job seems to be to get these deals over the line. I feel what upsets Sullivan and his friends is they don’t get a cut of these deals. Rather than he’s recruited poorly. He’s recruited better players than whatever previous strategy was being used before from what I can see. seems far more professional.




 

[LJC]

Hypothetical

Neymar wants to leave Al Hilal. Recent return from injury, big wages, 32yo, if you had the chance would you offer him a contract if we could afford to agree to one for a year or 2? His currrent contract expires in the summer. 

He was after all Sullivans wet dream since he arrived at the Club.

And if Claret n sozzled Nick is right, could he be the mystery cosmic out of this world signing he could have been referring to?


 

If it was me yes as I think he is still head and shoulders above anything else at the club but I would guess that would stop us bringing anyone else in. Don’t think Potter and Macaulay will do that though. I think we will look at three players between £10m and £20m for CF, CM, CB. I reckon the CM and CF will be of the stature of Banzuzi, young, energetic units that will help improve us now but more with an eye to getting them ready for next season and an old head at CB to grab the rest by the collar and get them organised.

Might get a cheeky loan off of Chelsea with an option.

[Massive Attack]

Hypothetical

Neymar wants to leave Al Hilal. Recent return from injury, big wages, 32yo, if you had the chance would you offer him a contract if we could afford to agree to one for a year or 2? His currrent contract expires in the summer. 

He was after all Sullivans wet dream since he arrived at the Club.

And if Claret n sozzled Nick is right, could he be the mystery cosmic out of this world signing he could have been referring to?
 

[Takashi Miike]

Ex is a fucking wind up merchant, with Sullivan's hand up his backside

[Maverick180180]

Absolutely criminal that we’re going into another game without a single signing that we’re so desperate for 
you’d struggle to find a worse run club in the country

[stubbo-admin]

Banzuzi deal agreed. Player in talks over personal terms. Has been described as 'one for the future' apparently.

Was that Steinberg again? I’m certain he will get plenty of minutes this season. Looks like a Potter player.

About turn. Ex was texting his 'source' and misread. They replied 'agreed' in a different context. So deal still NOT agreed.

[LJC]

Banzuzi deal agreed. Player in talks over personal terms. Has been described as 'one for the future' apparently.

Was that Steinberg again? I’m certain he will get plenty of minutes this season. Looks like a Potter player.

[LJC]

---

Have you seen the other site. Adam Webster is being looked at as a cheap option to help out the defense. Got to say I like the sound of the midfielders and strikers linked in the last couple of days.