Tuesday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Tottenham have held talks over moves for Southampton and England Under-21s forward Tyler Dibling, 18, and Lille's England international midfielder Angel Gomes, 24. (Telegraph - subscription required)

Tottenham and Arsenal are both willing to pay the £48.5m release clause for 22-year-old Athletic Bilbao and Spain winger Nico Williams. (Fichajes - in Spanish)

Arsenal are leading the race to sign Rosenborg's Norway Under-21s midfielder Sverre Nypan, 18. (Independent)

Bayer Leverkusen have made contact with Manchester City over a loan move for England Under-21s midfielder James McAtee, 22. (Daily Mail)

City boss Pep Guardiola will not stand in McAtee's way if he wants to join the German champions. (Football Insider)

Argentina midfielder Emiliano Buendia, 28, is on the verge of joining Leverkusen from Aston Villa on loan. (Florian Plettenberg)

Aston Villa have agreed personal terms with Chelsea and France defender Axel Disasi, 26. (Fabrizio Romano)

Chelsea and Portugal forward Joao Felix, 25, also interests Aston Villa but they would only be able to take one player on loan from Stamford Bridge. (Talksport)

Villa are also in talks with 27-year-old Villarreal and Argentina defender Juan Foyth. (Telegraph)

Villa and Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 21, is an £84m target for Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr as they look for a new strike partner for Cristiano Ronaldo. (Football Transfers)

Wolves are in talks to sign £16m-rated Lens and Austria defender Kevin Danso, 26. (Telegraph - subscription required)

Juventus and Porto have joined West Ham, Everton and Borussia Dortmund in expressing interest in signing Chelsea's 21-year-old English winger Carney Chukwuemeka. (Mail)

Barcelona are considering the possibility of making a loan move for Manchester City's 22-year-old Belgian winger Jeremy Doku. (Sport - in Spanish)

Liverpool and Chelsea are set to rival Napoli for Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward Karim Adeyemi, 23, but may wait until the summer to make a move. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian)

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus are interested in Bournemouth's 18-year-old Spain Under-21 international defender Dean Huijsen. (Fichajes - in Spanish)

Newcastle are interested in the Cherries' Ukraine international defender Illia Zabarnyi, 22, but know a deal will not be possible until the summer. (i Paper)

Republic of Ireland international striker Evan Ferguson, 20, is expected to leave Brighton on loan before the end of the transfer window. (Fabrizio Romano)

Ferguson is the top target of former Seagulls boss Graham Potter, who wants to bring the striker to West Ham, but Everton, Bournemouth and Arsenal are also in the running. (Talksport)

Manchester United may make a loan move for Chelsea and France forward Christopher Nkunku, 27, if England's Marcus Rashford, 27, leaves the club. (The Athletic - subscription required)

Forward Rashford is willing to wait to secure a move to Barcelona. (Mirror)

Chelsea are considering moves for RB Leipzig and Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, 21, and Bayern Munich and France forward Mathys Tel, 19, after deciding forward reinforcements are more of a priority than defensive additions in January. (TeamTalk)

Brentford are considering a move for former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, 28, but the Dane wants to fight for his place at Barcelona. (Independent)

Chelsea and Italy midfielder Cesare Casadei, 22, is set to join Lazio in a permanent £11m deal. (90min)

Wolves and Leicester are interested in England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 31, who currently plays for Besiktas. (Sun)

St Johnstone have rejected two bids from Fulham for 16-year-old Scottish forward Brodie Dair. (The Courier)

Luton Town have submitted a £6m bid to Wycombe Wanderers for striker Richard Kone in an attempt to reunite the 21-year-old with former Chairboys boss Matt Bloomfield at Kenilworth Road. (Football Insider)

Plymouth Argyle are set to sign Ukraine centre-back Maksym Talovierov from Austrian Bundesliga club LASK after they agreed a fee of £1.7m. (Sky Sports)

Leeds United have enquired about the availability of Newcastle United defender Matt Targett with the Magpies ready to consider bids for the 29-year-old left-back. (The Athletic - subscription required)

The Whites are also keen on a surprise move for former Liverpool and Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose playing time has been limited at Turkish club Besiktas. (The Sun)

Stoke City have made a bid for Bristol City midfielder Mark Sykes. The Republic of Ireland international has six months left on his contract but Stoke are keen to sign the 27-year-old in the January transfer window. (Sky Sports)

The Potters are also hopeful of signing Jeffrey Schlupp from Crystal Palace and Birmingham City defender Krystian Bielik before the transfer window closes. (TeamTalk)

Sheffield Wednesday are trying to seal a deal to sign Japanese defender Ryo Hatsuse from J1 League club Vissel Kobe after he spent time training with the Owls this month. (The Star)

Sheffield United could walk away from a deal for Hertha Berlin's Jonjoe Kenny and seek an alternative right-back because the clubs are yet to agree a financial package for the transfer. (Kicker)

Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End and Stoke will have to wait until later this week to find out whether Liverpool will let 19-year-old forward Jayden Danns leave on loan. (The Athletic - subscription required)

Bolton Wanderers are leading the race to sign Cardiff City striker Kion Etete on loan. (Wales Online)

Ben Doak is set to remain on loan at Middlesbrough after his parent club Liverpool rejected transfer bids from Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town. (The Athletic - subscription required)




Sky Paper Talk

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Ruben Amorim's hardline stance on Marcus Rashford is encouraging the exiled Manchester United striker's suitors to believe that they might land a cut-price loan deal before the transfer window closes.

James McAtee's hopes of a move to Bayer Leverkusen have been quashed after Manchester City rejected a formal loan offer from the Bundesliga champions for the unsettled midfielder.

Brighton are edging closer towards a £10m deal for Derby County defender Eiran Cashin.

Transgender women are increasingly likely to be banned from the female category across Olympic sport after another leading candidate to become International Olympic Committee president backed a new blanket policy.

THE SUN

Marcus Rashford is facing a scramble to find a way out of Manchester United before Monday's deadline.

Axel Disasi is in talks over a January transfer to Aston Villa.

Patrick Dorgu's former manager has urged him to reject Manchester United.

Former Liverpool and England star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is keen on a return to England.

Amir Khan is open to a shock fight against KSI - if the price is right.

THE INDEPENDENT

Brentford are considering a move for Barcelona's Andreas Christensen, as manager Thomas Frank looks at whether he can improve his defensive options this January.

DAILY MAIL

Trafford Council has taken Lancashire County Cricket Club to court - in a move that may have serious ramifications for Manchester United's plans for a new stadium.

Arsenal are expected to use footage of Bruno Fernandes' overturned red card earlier this season as part of any appeal against Myles Lewis-Skelly's controversial sending-off against Wolves.

The Premier League and police are investigating a large-scale 'leak' of players' mobile numbers - with some of the game's biggest stars targeted by suspected fraudsters.

Barcelona are struggling to find a venue for their potential Spanish title decider against Real Madrid in May because of a Rolling Stones concert, and are even considering Wembley Stadium as an alternative venue to host the match.

Aston Villa and Wolves are interested in Chelsea defender Axel Disasi, along with other clubs across Europe.

Oscar Bobb is fighting to prove his fitness and bring an end to five months on the sidelines when Manchester City go to Arsenal this weekend.

Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad has suffered a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury to throw Oliver Glasner's defensive options into crisis.

DAILY MIRROR

Marcus Rashford is prepared to wait as long as it takes to finalise a loan move to Barcelona in the January transfer window.

Cristiano Ronaldo is eager for Al Nassr to bring Casemiro to the Saudi Pro League this month.

Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to sign Sverre Nypan, despite interest from Manchester City's sister club Girona.

Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi is eyeing a reunion with Evan Ferguson, according to Foot Mercato (via GFFN).

Leicester and Wolves are keen to snap up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain if the midfielder is allowed to leave Besiktas in January, it has been claimed.

THE ATHLETIC

New York City FC have confirmed the sale of 18-year-old defender Christian McFarlane to Manchester City.

Juventus captain Danilo has left the club by mutual consent.

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of goalkeeper Jonas Urbig from Cologne.

In-stadium video assistant referee (VAR) announcements will be trialled in the top two tiers of German football.

THE GUARDIAN

Daniel Levy wants Ange Postecoglou to plot a course through the storm at Tottenham and the chairman continues to hope the return of key players from injury can help to save a dismal Premier League season.

FIFA has rejected calls for an independent monitor to assess migrant workers' conditions in Saudi Arabia in the build-up to the 2034 World Cup.

DAILY EXPRESS

Slavia Prague chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik has suggested that both Liverpool and Chelsea have expressed interest in 20-year-old wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.

THE TIMES

England are in pole position to secure a fifth place in next season's Champions League, going into the final league phase matches of this campaign - and that claim will become even stronger if Manchester City are not knocked out of the competition on Wednesday.

West Ham United have won a court battle with their stadium owners over a £3.6m payment they were obliged to make after the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky bought a 27 per cent stake in the club.

DAILY RECORD

Chelsea are among a number of clubs to contact Jefte's agents and express interest in the Rangers star.

Celtic are reportedly among a host of clubs showing interest in Brighton's Evan Ferguson this month as they eye a replacement for Kyogo.

Rangers are set to hand rising star Findlay Curtis a new three-year deal.

Kallithea have launched a bid to land Aberdeen's James McGarry.




Guardian Rumour mill

John Brewin

If part of Tottenham’s problem is that they are tired, then help is on the way. Though the signing of Tyler Dibling looks familiar. The young Saint has been outstanding for Southampton, even amid doom. But now, like Lucas Bergvall, like Archie Gray, he is seen as the solution when he probably ought to be the future. Angel Gomes, of Lille, an England international, will add quality to the midfield and has all the skills to look proper Spurs.

A more ambitious target is Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, one of the stars of Euro 2024, also wanted by Arsenal, and available as a buyout – that’s how Athletic do their business – at €58m, which seems cheap. Though does Daniel Levy see it like that?

Feels like it was yesterday when Rosenborg’s Norway Under-21 international midfielder Sverre Nypan, one of those hot Scandi properties who come around now and then, was headed for Manchester City via Girona. Not now, he’s off to Arsenal. Talks have begun over the player compared – well, here – to Martin Odegaard.

What of City? It seems James McAtee will follow Cole Palmer and Liam Delap out as a pure profit sale, and will now get to work with Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. There he may find himself alongside Emi Buendía, unwanted by Aston Villa. Though perhaps that is an either/or situation. Jérémy Doku may never get the chance to be reduced to a boring player by Pep Guardiola as Barcelona fancy a loan. Though perhaps that one’s a flyer, as McAtee can only join Leverkusen as a permanent signing as loan rules prevent him from going abroad this month. Juma Bah, signed and loaned to Lens makes it six – the limit – with Kyle Walker, Yan Couto, Maximo Perrone, Issa Kaboré and Kayky abroad. The key question, of course, is whether McAtee wants to stay, and/or Pep Guardiola is happy with that.

Villa need reinforcements in defence and attack and, to certain Chelsea fans’ relief, the two players they are linked with are Axel Disasi, a man who goes close to living up to his name, and the enigma that is João Félix. Juan Foyth, once of Spurs, is another defensive candidate, and this may all be paid for by the sale of Jhon Durán, a favourite of this page, whose move to Saudi Arabia cannot be ruled out.

Let’s close it out with some silliness. Paul Pogba, clubless since November, fancies going to Manchester Unjted for a third time. What could possibly go wrong?




The Hard Tackle

West Ham United make approach for Giacomo Raspadori

West Ham United and Marseille are reportedly interested in signing 36-cap Italian international Giacomo Raspadori from Serie A club Napoli in the winter transfer window.

According to a report by reputed Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Giacomo Raspadori is the subject of interest from West Ham United. The Hammers have been scouring the market for a versatile attacker heading into the winter transfer window. So, the Napoli forward has emerged as a target, with the East London club submitting an enquiry for him.

Giacomo Raspadori and his career so far

Giacomo Raspadori has been in and out of the starting lineup at SSC Napoli in the last few years. A native of Bentivoglio, he spent his formative years in Italy and graduated from the youth division at US Sassuolo Calcio. However, his stock has soared during his spell with Napoli, even though he has not been an undisputed first-choice starter for the Partenopei.

The 24-year-old has been a peripheral figure in the 2024/25 season, managing only 515 minutes of game time across 14 appearances in all competitions while chipping in one goal and one assist. Meanwhile, Raspadori’s stock in the market remains high, with West Ham United among his prospective suitors.

Gianluca Di Marzio has suggested that the 36-cap Italian international is also a target for Marseille. Both clubs have submitted an enquiry to Napoli for the young attacker, hoping to secure his services in the winter transfer window.

London calling?

West Ham United’s interest in Giacomo Raspadori is understandable. The Hammers have been scouring the market for a versatile attacker heading into the winter transfer window. Graham Potter has some problems, with Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Fullkrug, and Michail Antonio being long-term absentees due to their respective issues.

In addition, Fullkrug and Antonio are on the wrong side of 30, while Danny Ings, the only fit striker in Potter’s squad, not being good enough to be the first-choice striker, the Hammers need an offensive reinforcement. So, several attackers, including Marcus Rashford, are on West Ham’s radar.

However, Raspadori is also a viable target despite the 24-year-old forward’s struggles for Napoli under Antonio Conte. It will be interesting to see if West Ham can beat the competition to the 36-cap Italian international in the winter transfer window.





C&H

West Ham’s €25 Million Midfielder Bid

Strange one, this: Coming as it does out of the blue in the last week of the transfer window. West Ham are reported to have tried a €25 million bid to buy outright midfielder Argentine Rodrigo de Paul from Atletico Madrid. Whether or not someone is having problems with their google translate this morning I don’t know but the bid is reported by Spanish site Marca.com.

The thirty year old – yes, you read that right – thirty year old midfielder is in the last year of his Madrid contract and fortunately, it is reported that the ‘bid’ has already been rejected.

Firstly there is no evidence that West Ham actually have twenty one million to spend on a ‘jack of all trades’ midfielder this winter window, with the sole priority being a striker, for which the Hammers are having to scratch around to find one who will come on six months’ loan owing to the realities of financial life.

Secondly if anyone seriously thinks that paying ‘Fullkrug’ money for another thirty year old is a good option for the club with the oldest Premier League squad in the country, then I’d consign them to the ‘fantasist’ box in a dark place in the cupboard under the stairs pretty quick.

West Ham already have an English version of De Paul and they sent him out on loan – he’s called James Ward Prowse and nobody wants him anyway. West Ham sent him out to Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan less than a year after parting with £30 million for him – now Nottingham Forest want to send him back anyway!

Quite why the club would spend another twenty-million plus on another overseas midfielder is not explained in the report: Perhaps the Spanish outlet have forgotten Julen Lopetegui isn’t at the club anymore so the Hammers’ days of filling the squad with ‘late career mediocre midfield’ players is -hopefully – long gone.




OS

U21s dig deep to see out win at Leeds

Leeds United U21s 1-2 West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, LNER Stadium, Monday 27 January 2025, 7pm GMT

West Ham United U21s secured a 2-1 victory over Leeds United at LNER Stadium in York on Monday evening, a result that lifts the young Hammers up to seventh in the Premier League 2 standings with at least a game in hand on the teams around them.

After building a healthy lead thanks to goals from Kamarai Swyer and Sean Moore in the first half-an-hour, the U21s were made to sweat after a well-taken goal from Cian Coleman shortly after half-time put the hosts within one. The young Hammers defence held firm, withstanding intense pressure to see out the win and move six points clear of the play-off cut-off point.

West Ham wasted no time in asserting themselves from the outset, winning an early free-kick after Junior Robinson was fouled. Although Swyer’s header sailed over from Regan Clayton's delivery, it set the tone for a high-tempo first half. Just minutes later, Preston Fearon launched a counterattack that saw Swyer and Moore go two-on-one against Jeremiah Mullen, but the Leeds centre-half kept his composure to snuff out the danger.

The breakthrough followed shortly after, with Moore’s high pressing forcing Mullen into an error. The winger punished, stealing possession and squaring the ball to Swyer, who made no mistake in slotting home to give the Hammers an early lead.

West Ham's dominance continued as Moore and Lewis Orford combined effectively in the final third. Orford came close to doubling the advantage, but his effort drifted narrowly wide. Moments later, Leeds threatened on the counter, only for goalkeeper Fin Herrick to produce a crucial save from Harry Gray to preserve the lead.

The young Hammers’ second goal, a moment of real quality, arrived in the 29th minute. Ezra Mayers’ incisive forward pass found Emeka Adiele, who held off his marker before involving Fearon who nutmegged his opponent and returned the ball to Adiele. The attack appeared stifled, but Moore arrived on the scene, volleying the loose ball emphatically into the top corner to extend the lead.

Having built their two-goal cushion, West Ham continued to push forward. Captain Kaelan Casey and Moore both came close to adding a third, but Leeds goalkeeper Rory Mahady produced a series of fine saves to keep his team in contention heading into half-time.

The hosts emerged from the break with purpose, and their persistence was rewarded in the 52nd minute. A clever pass from Leeds captain Alfie Cresswell released Coleman, who cut inside before curling a superb effort beyond Herrick's reach to halve the deficit. Leeds continued piling on the pressure, but the Hammers’ defence, bolstered by substitute Airidas Golambeckis who made a number of crucial interventions, stood firm.

As the match wore on, West Ham regained control. Orford, Fearon, and Moore continued to threaten on the counter, with Moore forcing another fine save from Mahady late on. At the other end, Herrick remained composed, making key stops to deny Leeds an equaliser during a high-intensity closing period. The five minutes of stoppage time tested the Hammers' mettle, but their disciplined shape at the back saw them weather the storm.

The final whistle confirmed a vital three points and a hard-earned victory on the road in Yorkshire. The result lifts the young Hammers into the Premier League 2 top seven, and they could climb as high as fourth by the next matchweek with a victory in their next game in hand, a Friday evening clash at home to Stoke City.

Leeds U21s: Mahady, Richard, Ferguson (Lopata-White 83), Monteiro, Debayo (McFadden 55), Mullen, McDonald (Douglas 61), Cresswell ©, Gray (Trialist 61), Coleman, Chadwick
Subs not used: Ombang (GK)

Goal: Coleman 52

Booked: McDonald, Ferguson, Lopata-White, Coleman

West Ham United U21s: Herrick, Casey © Luizão, Mayers, Robinson, Orford, Fearon, Clayton (Golambeckis 60), Moore (Akpata 90+1), Adiele (Rigge 80) Swyer
Subs not used: Awesu (GK), Dolaghan

Goals: Swyer 7, Moore 29

Booked: Casey, Robinson


Robson: We started the game really well

Securing their second league win in a row, lead coach Mark Robson reflected on the team's efforts and the influence of first-team youngsters Kaelan Casey and Lewis Orford.

“We started the game really well tonight. Having Kaelan [Casey] and Lew [Orford] back with us after being involved with the first team was a big boost for the boys. They got some really important match minutes and it gave the group a big lift.

“As a group, we looked confident early on. Credit to coach Steve [Potts] and the work around defending, we pressed excellently from the front, made it really hard for them to play, and limited their chances to break us down or get in behind. The only disappointment is that we didn’t put the game to bed when we had the opportunities. We created enough good moments but made the wrong decisions at times. When we did make the right decisions, we scored two fantastic goals.

“In the second half, we had to dig in. They put us under a lot of pressure by going more direct and playing longer balls. I felt our game management in the first half could have been better, but it’s something we’ll continue to work on. But credit to the boys, we saw the game out well in the end.”

Reflecting on the importance of competitive minutes for Casey and Orford, who have been transitioning to the first-team environment and were on the bench for the men’s Premier League draw away at Aston Villa just a day before, Robson continued: “Getting 90 minutes under their belts is massive. The intensity in first-team training has helped them improve. These games are crucial for them to keep their match sharpness as high as possible. They made the most of it tonight, which was great to see.”

Returning to U21 action fresh from Premier League duties, Casey captained the side, leading with a solid defensive performance to secure a hard-fought three points.

The centre-back said: “It was great to get the win, but on a personal note, it felt good to be back out there with the boys. We had to work really hard for those three points.

“We could have scored a lot more in the first half, but in the second half, it was one of those games where we had to hang on. The boys defended brilliantly, stuck together, and got the job done.”

On balancing first-team duties with competitive minutes in the development squad, Casey concluded: “It’s so good to be involved with the first-team set-up, they’re all role models, and that’s where I want to be. But it’s also really important to get match minutes and keep myself in the best possible shape. Nights like this help me do that.”

 
Up Next...

The young Hammers return to action on Friday 31 January to play Stoke City U21s at Rush Green Stadium, one of their two games in hand in Premier League 2.

[Texas Iron]

Cheers…