Manchester United have made an offer of 70m euros (£58.9m) to sign Brazil forward Raphinha, 28, from Barcelona in the summer. (Fichajes.net), external
Manchester City will have to pay at least £70m if they want to prise French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, 22, away from Real Madrid. (Football Insider), external
Arsenal and Chelsea have moved ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign Inter Milan and France striker Marcus Thuram, 27, who is reported to have a £71m release clause. (Football Insider, external)
Tottenham Hotspur are one of several Premier League clubs tracking the progress of Inter Miami's American midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi, 20. (TBR Football), external
AC Milan have sent scouts to watch Burnley defender Maxime Esteve, 22, but Everton and West Ham are also interested in the Frenchman. (Alan Nixon via Football League World), external
Arsenal are considering a move for Ajax's Dutch defender Jorrel Hato, 19, despite the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back. (TBR Football), external
Newcastle want to keep Swedish striker Alexander Isak at the club but are keeping an eye on several players, including Ipswich's young English forward Liam Delap, 22, and Sporting's Swede Viktor Gyokeres, 26, as potential replacements if Isak leaves amid reported interest from Liverpool. (Teamtalk, external)
United States and former Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic, 26, is in talks to sign a new contract with Italian club AC Milan. (ESPN, external)
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, 26, who is currently on loan at Galatasaray, is likely to move to the Premier League next season, says Nigeria team-mate William Troost-Ekong. (Talksport, external)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Man Utd are interested in signing Barcelona forward Raphinha this summer, according to reports in the Spanish press.
Manchester United chose a night when the heavens opened and the rain tumbled down to end two goal droughts.
Newcastle fans have taken over Covent Garden for a second consecutive night as they celebrate Carabao Cup success.
THE MIRROR
Lando Norris reckons McLaren are the team to beat as he began his bid for a maiden Formula One title with victory at the Australian GP.
Arne Slot reckons his side suffered Carabao Cup final defeat because they could not cope with a Newcastle aerial bombardment.
Thomas Tuchel has added Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White to his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, with Cole Palmer injured.
Man Utd duo break embarrassing goal droughts to inflict more misery on Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Ange Postecoglou branded Tottenham losing 15 Premier League games this season as "unacceptable" - and also singled out Yves Bissouma for criticism following their defeat by Fulham.
DAILY MAIL
Arne Slot rejects suggestions Newcastle beat his Liverpool side in the Carabao Cup final because they were "more hungry".
Jack Draper, 23, WINS his maiden ATP title at Indian Wells with dominant victory over Holger Rune - becoming just the fifth Brit to achieve the feat.
Rory McIlroy faces nail-biting Players Championship play-off with JJ Spaun after dramatic climax.
THE TIMES
Cole Palmer is expected to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel's England squad after sustaining a muscle injury in training with Chelsea.
DAILY EXPRESS
A disappointed Virgil van Dijk made a point to go over to the Newcastle huddle as they were celebrating their Carabao Cup final victory, before grabbing Dan Burn and every single member of their squad to shake their hand.
Wayne Rooney's son Kit has turned his attention to darts after "retiring" from football.
SCOTTISH SUN
Vaclav Cerny sprayed a bunch of Celtic fans with water as he celebrated Hamza Igamane's dramatic winning goal, leading to a furious reaction from the crowd and some supporters punching the away dugout.
Almost 100 ultras were denied entry to Sunday's Old Firm clash at Celtic Park after refusing to be searched for weapons and pyros. And 90 fans were reported to prosecutors for failing to comply.
Rangers have announced the passing of their oldest living former player Don Kichenbrand at the age of 91.
The Athletic
Tomas Soucek, an early Moyes signing at West Ham, remains integral (and underappreciated)
By Roshane Thomas
Tomas Soucek is superstitious and touches the crossbar before every game. He savoured the moment at Goodison Park, perhaps mourning the loss of a ground where the locals will be pleased to see the back of him.
Everton will leave their home of 133 years at the end of the season. Soucek scored the winner here in 2021 and a decisive late goal in 2024, and on Saturday the midfielder was five minutes away from reprising a similar outcome. Jake O’Brien’s late equaliser in the 1-1 draw denied him.
Beneath the calm exterior of Soucek lies a midfielder keen to be crucial to West Ham’s attack. When Graham Potter’s side needed someone to make a difference, the Czech Republic international answered the call.
The 30-year-old, whose contract expires in 2027, scored his seventh league goal of the season and is on track to register double figures in all competitions for the third time since 2020-21.
Soucek and captain Jarrod Bowen were the first players David Moyes signed in January 2020 from Slavia Prague and Hull City respectively. The pair played key roles in Moyes overseeing a renaissance during his four-and-a-half year managerial spell.
“I’ve built bonds with the majority of them (the West Ham squad),” said Moyes. “Tomas scored again at Goodison Park, which was a blow but it doesn’t surprise me.”
But while Bowen is deeply revered by the fanbase, conjecture over Soucek’s importance to the team has not ebbed. He is not blessed with technical ability like Lucas Paqueta, nor the offensive wizardry of Bowen, but he is someone you want in battle when the chips are down. At times he is an easy target but has the mental toughness to turn impassioned jeers to cheers. Supporters in the away enclosure chorused, “Soucek again, ole ole”. Who else would it have been to bail West Ham out of a tough situation?
This precisely underlines why he remains pivotal to the team. He scored the equaliser against Brentford in September, and his goals set the tone in victories over Newcastle United in November and Wolverhampton Wanderers in December.
“Tomas has scored some crucial goals and today was another one of those,” Bowen told The Athletic. “He’s been here as long as me and what he does for the team probably goes a bit unnoticed. He’s scored other goals this season at crucial times so he’s been very important for us. I know Tomas’ character, he’s always working hard and producing those moments like today whether it was his attacking or defensive responsibilities.”
Head coach Potter has juggled his midfield, trying to find a combination that works. Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, Carlos Soler, Andy Irving and James Ward-Prowse have all featured but it is Soucek who has put the oil back in West Ham’s engine. He has been a constant throughout a period when the club transitioned from mid-table hopefuls to UEFA Conference League champions. He is never shy of commitment and seldom happier than when executing a well-timed run into the box.
Soucek was set to be replaced by Soler before scoring against Everton. The midfielder, who was named man of the match, will hope his side ends the season in strong fashion. West Ham have remaining fixtures against Wolves (a), Bournemouth (h), Liverpool (a), Southampton (h), Brighton & Hove Albion (a), Tottenham Hotspur (h), Manchester United (a), Nottingham Forest (h) and Ipswich Town (a).
“Between now until the end of the season, it’s about putting in good performances because we can still end the season on a high,” said Bowen after the match. “For us, it’s about continuing to grow in each game. We’re still learning under the new manager. It takes time especially when you come in halfway through a season. I try to be the best captain I can for my team-mates on and off the pitch. I have open conversations with the manager and I think our performances have improved.”
Post-match, Moyes embraced his former players before heading to the away end. He applauded the fans who showed their appreciation by chanting, “Champions of Europe”. In the tunnel, the squad caught up with Moyes and ex-first team coach Billy McKinlay who followed Moyes to Everton. There was laughter when Ward-Prowse arrived and McKinlay referred to him as “Ralph”. But it was a sign of the camaraderie they shared under the previous regime.
“West Ham are a terrific team,”said Moyes. “I know, I spent most of the money there to buy a lot of really, really good players. I’ve been through so many moments with those players — the big thing was playing in Europe — and West Ham supporters have been really, really good to me over the years and gave me a great send-off. I wanted to show my respect to them. They deserved to be acknowledged.”
(Top photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The 72
West Ham lurking as European club ramp up interest in Burnley star
Burnley centre-back Maxime Esteve has been watched by AC Milan scouts again with West Ham now keen too, as per Alan Nixon.
Burnley are looking to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
The Clarets are battling Leeds United and Sheffield United in the fight for automatic promotion from the Championship. Two defeats in 38 games has the club in a fine position with a fantastic defensive record key to their success.
Their brilliant backline has featured star man Maxime Esteve. The Frenchman was solid in the Premier League and after staying following relegation, the 22-year-old has arguably been one of the most important players for Scott Parker.
Esteve has been linked with clubs before and now, Alan Nixon states admirers AC Milan have been on another scouting trip to watch the Burnley star.
The Italian giants watched him impress against West Brom, but also in attendance were Everton and West Ham.
The Hammers’ interest is new, with Esteve potentially a summer option at the London Stadium.
Esteve’s stock on the up
Esteve had caught the eye in France with Montpellier, hence why Burnley signed him for Premier League football.
There was perhaps a bit of surprise he stayed at Turf Moor before the start of the season despite how recently the buy option in his loan had been triggered. However, he stayed put and as touched on before, his presence in the backline has been vital.
The defender has formed a fine partnership with CJ Egan-Riley, playing 38 times in the Championship. On all but two occasions, Esteve has completed the full 90 minutes.
Promotion needed to keep him at Burnley?
As Esteve develops and impresses, it feels as though promotion is a must if Burnley are to have any chance of keeping him.
That is especially the case with the calibre of some of the sides eyeing him ahead of the summer.
Even then, promotion might not be enough. There could be big money on offer for the left-footed centre-back and even with a step back up to the Premier League, it could be that he makes a bigger jump to a side eager to challenge further up the table, or even for titles overseas at AC Milan.
Until then though, Esteve and Burnley will be laser focused on the final eight games of their season.
The 4th Official
West Ham United Want To Sign 27-Year-Old Full Back From Southampton: Will The Move Be Beneficial For The Hammers?
West Ham United are bracing up for the upcoming summer transfer window. They might be looking at several positions to strengthen for the upcoming season. They would want to have a better season next year and one area that they might be looking to improve on is the defensive backline and the full-back position.
The long-term futures of Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, and Emerson Palmieri are unclear at the club. Football Insider has reported that the Hammers have been keeping tabs on Kyle Walker-Peters, the versatile full-back for Southampton and want to sign him in the summer transfer window.
The 27-year-old has been performing really well for Southampton after moving from Tottenham. He has conceded 59 goals and kept two clean sheets in 27 matches in the Premier League 2024/2025 season. That means when Walker-Peters is on the pitch, his team concedes a goal every 40 minutes. He has also assisted two goals in 27 matches so far in the Premier League 2024/2025 season.
The Southampton player is a dynamic full-back whose playing traits make him a standout talent. Known for his quick pace, he excels at bombing down the flank, delivering pinpoint crosses, and tracking back with relentless energy. Walker-Peters’ versatility shines through—comfortable at right back or left back, he adapts seamlessly to tactical demands.
A product of Tottenham’s youth system, Walker-Peters boasts superb technical ability, with a sharp first touch and composure on the ball that belies his age. Defensively, he’s tenacious, reading the game well to intercept danger. At 27, his traits of athleticism, skill, and football intelligence make him a Premier League gem.
The player has entered the last few months of his contract and the report has stated that Southampton could be ready to let him leave this summer for a decent price as his club is also on the brink of relegation. The player wants to continue playing in the Premier League and does not view staying a Southampton as good for his future.
Will the move be beneficial for the Hammers?
West Ham United should absolutely sign Kyle Walker-Peters in the summer of 2025—it’s a no-brainer. With his contract expiring at Southampton, he’s a free transfer, saving the club millions. At 27, he is in his prime, offering pace, and versatility across both full-back roles, and Premier League nous. With Coufal ageing and Emerson’s future uncertain, Walker-Peters brings dynamism and depth. It’s a smart, cost-effective move to boost the Hammers’ European ambitions.