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)

​​​​

[scott_d]

West Ham Zone:  "This is a massive signing for Potter and West Ham."

Not sure I'd call a straight 6 month loan a massive signing unless it was Messi.

Without an obligation to buy, this serves Brighton better than it does for us. 
Same thing happened with Lingard.

I'm not against the signing but it's hardly one to blow us away or get too excited about.

If he's shit, then it's a waste of time. 
If he's good, then he goes back to Brighton more valuable and we might finish 1-2 places higher max?

[northbankboy68]

Here we go.  West Ham's Medical Team about to approve another injured player so we end up paying another club's wage bill!

[goose]

[Alan]

Celtic blog

West Ham Bid for Celtic’s Cummings as Deadline Day Decision Looms

West Ham United have submitted a £500,000 bid to sign Celtic striker Daniel Cummings before the January transfer window closes.

The 18-year-old has already agreed a pre-contract with the Premier League side, meaning he is set to leave in the summer for just £300,000 in cross-border compensation. However, West Ham are now looking to fast-track the move and have opened talks with Celtic over a deal before tomorrow’s deadline.

From a financial standpoint, accepting the £500k bid would ensure Celtic receive more than the compensation fee they would have been due in the summer. Given that Cummings had yet to fully break into the first team, cashing in now could be seen as a smart piece of business.

However, there is a squad issue to consider. If Cummings leaves, Celtic would be left with just two recognised strikers—Adam Idah and Johnny Kenny—heading into the second half of the season.

With Kyogo Furuhashi sold to Rennes, and now Cummings potentially departing, Celtic will need to dip into the market now instead of potentially waiting until the summer to avoid being short up front.

 

[fraser]

Yeah, it is a very good point, although given the doubts about Ferguson's fitness and injury proneness wouldn't it be better to get someone in who we're more sure will actually be able to play in the remaining games?

Time will tell I suppose 

[Jean-Luc Paul Goddard]

Yeah, it is a very good point, although given the doubts about Ferguson's fitness and injury proneness wouldn't it be better to get someone in who we're more sure will actually be able to play in the remaining games?

[fraser]

One goal in the last 15 months, 15 appearances this season only 4 starts. 

Though Easthammer makes a good point below that if it enables us to play as Potter prefers us to then it's not a waste of time. 

[Jean-Luc Paul Goddard]

Brighton are no mugs. Anyone who thought they'd let us have him on a loan with option to buy were fooling themselves. Would never happen unless the option was for well above his market price.

Personally I don't have a problem with loaning a player that you probably won't keep. It worked very well for us with Lingard. The issue here is that the bloke ain't fit and when he was fit he was out of form and low on confidence. If for whatever reason we can't bring in a better striker then it's preferable that we do a loan than an Ings type signing but I don't have high expectations for success if Ferguson does join.

[twoleftfeet]

I'm encouraged by the fact that we are looking at young players rather than journeymen, I appreciate that it takes time to bed in but think of the players Brighton have signed and then sold on for huge profits.

We have bid £500k for Cummings from Celtic to get him in now rather than wait till July.

[Manuel]

So have we all worked out the permutations now

[Fauxstralian]

Ferguson a year or two back looked a brilliant prospect but obviously injuries & maybe something else have got Brighton to this position with him
Potter knows the player so hopefully can get the best out of him
Dont have a problem with us taking loans now for the holes up front, in midfield & at centre half & keeping our powder dry for long term moves in the summer when Potter has assessed the squad

[honky cat]

If potter wants him, then I want him too. If we sign him now, it would be with next season in mind. introduce gradually and hit the ground running in August. This won't suit a lot of our fans who will be giving him dogs abuse if he doesn't get 10 goals by Easter. So we still need someone for right now but it's too fucking late as per. 

How does that work then we don't have an option and if he gets up to speed all be it slowly his price will rise and he'll have other options? 

Sorry I thought they only wanted to sell him to us outright, not a loan. Loan would be a shit idea.

[easthammer]

Ferguson on a straight loan may not be a good deal but is a fair deal. If he breaks down then it doesn't cost us. If he doesn't it gives Potter the chance of getting the Team playing in positions and a style that he wants now rather next August. If Ferguson is a massive success and goes back to Brighton we will either pay their asking price or get in a cheaper alternative to fit the system.

[goose]

Straight loan seems odd. If he’s as good as people think we’ve no chance of keeping him.

but I’m past caring about the continual fuck ups of this club.

[Massive Attack]

I would have preferred a loan with an option but this is the next best thing so we can be sure of his recent injury to his ankle. Didn't want us to buy him for a significant amount before seeing how he went first. With a loan it means we check his health, see what current form he can get to with us and also gets the lad through the door and hopefully catches the West Ham bug it makes it difficult for Brighton to keep him upon his return. And if he performs well for us, then we'll be a lot less reluctant to pay big money for him in the Summer. And if he goes back and we can't get him for next season permanently then so be it and on to the next one to find..

[Sir Alf]

Looking forward the need for “legs” in central midfield is being deferred to summer? Imho that is as critical if not more than a central striker for the long term if we want to play Potter’s preferred 3-box-3 system.  

But for now it might also be Ferguson is no more than a stop gap? Talk of 2 more forwards being lined up. Cummings the 18 year old from Celtic on a pre contract deal and the other 18-20 year old in Ligue 2 France who I think is also a forward with  L’Orient? Or maybe we are hedging bets if Ferguson doesnt work out or Brighton want too much ( likely if he does work out for us) we have these others ready to go next season? Sounds too sensible to be our plan though

[fraser]

If potter wants him, then I want him too. If we sign him now, it would be with next season in mind. introduce gradually and hit the ground running in August. This won't suit a lot of our fans who will be giving him dogs abuse if he doesn't get 10 goals by Easter. So we still need someone for right now but it's too fucking late as per. 

How does that work then we don't have an option and if he gets up to speed all be it slowly his price will rise and he'll have other options? 

[honky cat]

If potter wants him, then I want him too. If we sign him now, it would be with next season in mind. introduce gradually and hit the ground running in August. This won't suit a lot of our fans who will be giving him dogs abuse if he doesn't get 10 goals by Easter. So we still need someone for right now but it's too fucking late as per. 

[Sir Alf]

Brighton have an ageing Wellbeck but not sure who else to lead the line? If Ferguson does well, keeps fit he will go back there ? Even if he wants to stay at West Ham the price goes right back up and they were calling him a £100 million striker when he first emerged and before dodgy ankle issues ? 

It maybe gets us 10-20 million extra prize money for finishing higher up the league is the only obvious benefit and thats before you take out the loan fee. Assuming he is a success. 

[fraser]

Harry Kane doesn’t have pace but he scores goals.

This lad is 20, he knows where the net is. This is a great deal for all involved.

I predict 8-10 goals by season end.

The same was said about Fullkrug who has looked like a passenger for us, we've again gone from looking at a pacey explosive forward to a slow (all be it very skillful) injury prone striker. 

To score 8-10 goals in half a season he will need to be on the pitch, and hasn't he scored only three goals or something in his last 30 Brighton games, so 8-10 in the 13 games he's available for us is a very optimistic prediction.. . 

[Manuel]

Not having an option would be insanity, surely there must be something written into the deal otherwise its totally pointless

 

 

Nah. Brentford next week it's 1-1 he comes on and nets the winner, how is that pointless? Besides, just because there is no option doesn't mean we can't try to get him in the summer if it goes well.

[twoleftfeet]

Harry Kane doesn’t have pace but he scores goals.

This lad is 20, he knows where the net is. This is a great deal for all involved.

I predict 8-10 goals by season end.

[fraser]

Not having an option would be insanity, surely there must be something written into the deal otherwise its totally pointless

We don't have a striker other than Ungs, if he's better than Ings it isn't pointless I suppose. 

[WHUDeano]

Not having an option would be insanity, surely there must be something written into the deal otherwise its totally pointless

[fraser]

We get an extra body in I suppose, which we desperately need and allows us to put it off till the summer window... 

But that's about it..