Thursday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Arsenal and Manchester United target Viktor Gyokeres, 27, has refused to have clear-the-air talks with Sporting and threatened to go on strike as he tries to force through a move. (Mirror), external

Newcastle want to sign England forward Marcus Rashford on loan but Manchester United would prefer offloading the 27-year-old on a permanent basis. (Sun), external

Liverpool are prepared to break the British transfer record to sign Newcastle and Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, this summer. (GiveMeSport), external

Fulham have rejected a £26m offer, with a further £6m in add-ons, from newly promoted Leeds United for 24-year-old Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz. (Standard), external

But Fulham are considering a move for 22-year-old PSV Eindhoven and USA striker Ricardo Pepi, who is being monitored by several Spanish and Italian clubs. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Arsenal and England defender Myles Lewis-Skelly, 18, is close to signing a new contract that will make him one of the best paid young players in the world. (Athletic - subscription)

Assistant manager Carlos Cuesta is set to leave Arsenal to take his first head coaching role at Parma. (Guardian), external

Chelsea retain an interest in England midfielder Morgan Rogers, 22, should Aston Villa be open to a sale. (Mail - subscription), external

Aston Villa are willing to sell 28-year-old Argentine midfielder Emi Buendia if they receive a bid in excess of £20m. (Caught Offside), external

Chelsea have made initial contact with Brighton over 23-year-old Brazil striker Joao Pedro, who is also wanted by Newcastle. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Chelsea have held further talks with West Ham about Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus, 24, but are prioritising a move for Borussia Dortmund's 20-year-old English winger Jamie Gittens. (Guardian), external

Leeds are among the clubs interested in 27-year-old Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, who is expected to leave Juventus this summer. (Tuttosport - in Italian), external

Brentford have put a £50m price tag on 28-year-old DR Congo striker Yoane Wissa, who is a target for Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Arsenal, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. (Teamtalk), external

Nice and Ivory Coast forward Evann Guessand, 23, is attracting interest from Leeds and Tottenham, who have both made contact with the player's representatives. (TBR Football), external

England goalkeeper Nick Pope, 33, does not want to leave Newcastle despite interest from Leeds, meaning Newcastle's attempts to sign Burnley's English keeper James Trafford, 22, could be held up. (TBR Football)

QPR have reached an agreement with former Rennes and Strasbourg head coach Julien Stephan to become their new manager, with the 44-year-old expected to sign and be confirmed as Marti Cifuentes' replacement this week. (Sky Sports), external

The Hoops and Stoke City are two of several Championship clubs interested in signing midfielder Habib Keita, 23, from French Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Norwich City are edging closer to the signing of Ajax centre-back Jakov Medic, 26, who spent last season on loan in the German Bundesliga with VfL Bochum, and a deal worth up to £2.5m is close to being agreed. (Sky Sports), external

Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana could be reunited with former Saints boss Ivan Juric at Atalanta with the Italian Serie A side interested in signing the 23-year-old Ghana international this summer. (Di Marzio via Daily Echo), external

Huddersfield Town have submitted an offer to Leyton Orient to sign 24-year-old midfielder Ethan Galbraith, who has also drawn interest from Charlton Athletic, Sheffield United and Swansea City. (Yorkshire Post), external

Leicester City have been approached by Scottish Premiership club Rangers over a deal for 32-year-old defender Conor Coady, while his former club Wolves have also shown interest. (Sky Sports), external

The president of Turkish club Trabzonspor has confirmed he is interested in signing Ipswich Town defender Axel Tuanzebe with the 27-year-old former Manchester United man out of contract this summer. (East Anglian Daily Times), external

Former Derby County centre-back Eiran Cashin could be set to leave Brighton on loan for the 2025-26 campaign with Bundesliga clubs reportedly interested, though a move to a Championship side has not been ruled out. (Derby Telegraph), external

Birmingham City, Hull City and Norwich are among the clubs chasing Arminia Bielefeld defender Louis Oppie, but the 23-year-old German is also attracting strong interest from Bundesliga rivals Union Berlin who have already submitted a bid. (Football Insider), external

Out-of-favour Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, who has had recent loan spells with Swansea, Los Angeles FC and Middlesbrough, is one of Hull City's top transfer targets this summer. (Hull Daily Mail)




Sky Paper Talk

THE SUN

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to sell French club OGC Nice with potential offers from Saudi Arabia, according to reports.

Arsenal vowed to take the "strongest possible action" after a video emerged of a group of fans appearing to racially abuse Paris Saint-Germain players.

Marcus Rashford has flown to Dubai in a desperate bid to rescue his season.

Barcelona legend Xavi is the new favourite to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham should he leave at the end of this season.

Leeds United have joined Everton in the chase to sign Newcastle's Sean Longstaff.

DAILY MAIL

River Plate midfielder Franco Mastantuono has put Manchester United on notice after expressing his interest in joining Real Madrid.

Mohammed Kudus' contract contains a remarkable £125m release clause for Saudi sides this summer - but West Ham would be willing to listen to more realistic offers for their 24-year-old winger rather than demanding that lofty fee in full.

Real Madrid TV have launched a scathing fresh attack on another referee in the run-up to their LaLiga clash with Celta Vigo this weekend.

DAILY MIRROR

Manchester United have beaten Paris Saint-Germain and a host of other European clubs to a deal for Enzo Kana-Biyik, with the highly-rated teenage striker putting pen to paper on a long-term contract.

Manchester City have confirmed that their clash with Bournemouth later this month will be Kevin De Bruyne's farewell match.

Mikel Arteta faces a major striker dilemma this summer.

The FA has defended the decision to massively hike ticket prices for this year's FA Cup final.

THE ATHLETIC

Two members of Manchester United's senior leadership team - Richard Hawkins, director of football insights and innovations, and David Harrison, director of football operations - are expected to leave the club as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's second round of redundancies.

Spanish second division club Elche have banned the sale and consumption of sunflower seeds inside their stadium.

Chilean club Colo-Colo must play five home matches in continental competition without fans and will also not be allowed supporters for the next five away matches.

Barcelona are likely to be without Jules Kounde for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Inter due to a hamstring injury.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Newcastle United hold a strong interest in signing Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo but are concerned about the asking price.

THE TIMES

Arsenal face competition from other Premier League clubs, including Bournemouth, to sign Espanyol's highly rated goalkeeper Joan García this summer.

Scottish Championship club Greenock Morton have been hit by a Fifa transfer ban for failing to submit the necessary paperwork when they signed a player from Liverpool.



Guardian Rumour mill

Will Unwin

Viktor Gyökeres may or may not have spat the dummy out after reportedly refusing to hold clear-the-air talks with Sporting over his desire to move. Arsenal and Manchester United have been linked with the Sweden international but the Portuguese side want a wheelbarrow full of cash for his services, which is putting off potential suitors. Gyökeres wants the club to lower their demands but if the striker does not get what he wants, then he could go on strike to really show his employer who is boss.

In a further blow to Arsenal, the Athletic Club winger Nico Williams has told anyone who will listen that he only wants to join Barcelona this summer. It is now up to Barça to look down the back of the sofa for the cash to pay for him. If the Spain international does head from the Basque Country to Catalonia, it will end any chance of Marcus Rashford joining the Spanish champions. Rashford might need to turn to Italy where Napoli, Milan and Como are interested in helping him escape from Manchester United.

Ruben Amorim is seeking attacking reinforcements and his attention might be drawn to the Nottingham Forest wizard Callum Hudson-Odoi. The king of cutting in from the left and scoring has a year remaining on his City Ground contract, something the Tricky Trees will be eager to change with United and Napoli considering a bid or two.

Another getting flirtatious glances from San Siro is Destiny Udogie. The Tottenham full-back is seen as someone who could solve a defensive issue at Milan. The Italy international started his career at Verona and spent time with Udinese, so could be lured back to his homeland after a few years on the books in north London.

It is all fun and games at Craven Cottage. Fulham have shaken their head at the suits up at Elland Road, rejecting a bid of £26m with a further £6m in add-ons for Rodrigo Muniz. If Marco Silva’s side do eventually find themselves needing a new striker, the USA international Ricardo Pepi could be their man. The PSV forward scored 11 in 18 last season’s Eredivisie to get people interested.

Guess what? Evann Guessand could be on the move. The Nice forward is on the shortlist of potential new arrivals at Leeds but they face competition from Tottenham, who have also got on the blower to get a rough idea of price and whether the player has any interest in heading to the Premier League.

Chelsea have not signed anyone for a few days, so the recruitment team will be getting itchy feet. Morgan Rogers is one person who could scratch the irritation, while Brighton’s João Pedro is another the club hold an interest in.

And Leicester need to formulate a cunning plan in order to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. One player Ruud van Nistelrooy thinks might be able to help achieve his ambitions is Leeds’ Sam Greenwood, who spent last season on loan at Preston.





Football Insider

West Ham set sights on signing Aaron Martin

Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

West Ham are among a number of clubs tracking Genoa defender Aaron Martin in this summer’s transfer window, Italian sources have told Football Insider.

Martin, 28, enjoyed an outstanding season with Genoa last term and was amongst the most creative defenders in Europe – laying on eight goals in 36 Serie A games.

West Ham are in the market for left-back reinforcements following the departure of Aaron Cresswell.

Martin boasts a wealth of experience with the defender having played in Spain, Germany and Italy in his career to date.
West Ham line up deal for assist king

The Spaniard made 38 appearances across all competitions for Genoa in the 2024-25 campaign as they finished 13th in Serie A.

He is only under contract with the Liguria-based club until June 2026 after arriving from Mainz on a free transfer two years ago.

Martin has racked up more than 250 senior appearances and has also played regularly in the Bundesliga and La Liga.

The left-footer, previously a Spain Under-21 international, can play as part of a back four or in a wing-back system.

West Ham’s current left-back options are 18-year-old Oliver Scarles and Emerson, who is only under contract at the London Stadium until June 2026.

Meanwhile, Football Insider has revealed (10 June) that West Ham are definitely in the market for a goalkeeper this summer.

Lucas Fabianski, 40, has bid farewell to the Irons after seven seasons at the club and 215 appearances between the sticks.

The veteran’s exit paves the way for Alphonse Areola, 32, to become West Ham‘s undisputed number-one shot-stopper – but sources say the club have “concerns” about his ability to do so.



C&H

Tug of War for €20m Belgian Starlet

West Ham are reportedly battling Crystal Palace for the signature of Genoa defender Koni De Winter—but whether the Hammers can make a serious move remains unclear.

According to Sport Witness, both Premier League clubs have “explicitly expressed their interest” in the 23-year-old Belgian international. De Winter, who made the switch from Juventus to Genoa permanent last summer, enjoyed a standout campaign in Serie A—earning him a senior Belgium cap and plenty of attention from clubs across Europe.

Inter Milan are also circling, hoping to snap up the versatile centre-back as part of their defensive reshuffle. However, it’s West Ham who might have a subtle edge in the race. Genoa are known admirers of Maxwel Cornet, who spent time on loan with the Italian side last season. If a permanent deal for Cornet is on the cards, there could be room to negotiate a sweetener or part ex deal.

But let’s not kid ourselves—this one hinges on West Ham selling before we can buy. With striker and midfield recruits topping Graham Potter’s summer wishlist, a move for De Winter could be dependent on someone like Nayef Aguerd or Dinos Mavropanos heading out the door first.

Genoa want north of €20m, but with West Ham continuing to plead poverty it’s difficult to believe any of the breaking news reports and speculation.

[Heavi995]

Cheers Alan

[Texas Iron]

Cheers…

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.

And I just replied to your Whomail (now that you’ve brought it to my attention!).

[Alan]

...and, oi With Kind Regards, answer yer email