Liverpool are hoping to sign France international Dayot Upamecano, 26, when his contract expires in the summer but Real Madrid are also interested in the Bayern Munich defender. (Bild - in German and subscription required), external
Tottenham are keen to sign 30-year-old Portuguese defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha on a permanent basis following a successful start to his loan from Bayern Munich. (Talksport), external
Manchester United have agreed a deal with Fortaleza to sign 17-year-old Colombian midfielder Cristian Orozco once he turns 18 in July. (Athletic), external
United are also looking to finalise a deal for Derby's 16-year-old English goalkeeper Charlie Hardy. (Sun), external
Bayern Munich are preparing to offer a long-term contract to Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson, 24, who is currently on loan to the German side from Chelsea. (Bild – in German and subscription required), external
Chelsea opted against rivalling Manchester City for Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, in the summer in order to keep the path clear to move for AC Milan's France stopper Mike Maignan, 30, in the future. (Teamtalk), external
Barcelona and Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 28, has emerged as a target for Manchester United. (Football Insider), external
Liverpool are hoping to tie France defender Ibrahima Konate, 26, down to a new contract amid interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. (TBR Football), external
Arsenal are hoping to strike a double deal with Real Sociedad worth 75m euros (£65.6m) for Japan winger Takefusa Kubo, 24, and 23-year-old French defender Lucien Agoume. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Newcastle are among the clubs keeping an eye on the situation of France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, 22, as he considers an exit from Real Madrid. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY STAR
Manchester United are interested in signing Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, 32, if the England captain decides to leave the Bundesliga champions at the end of this season.
THE MIRROR
Kobbie Mainoo is still prepared to leave Manchester United - despite holding fresh talks with Ruben Amorim.
Eintracht Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmoller has suggested he would like to take over at Manchester United in the future.
Wayne Rooney has lifted the lid on his alcohol addiction - and admitted he could have died if it hadn't been for the help of his wife, Coleen.
THE SUN
Casemiro is set to lead the most high-profile Manchester United exodus in four years - but Harry Maguire's Old Trafford career could be prolonged.
Manchester United have reportedly agreed a deal to sign a highly-rated Colombian youngster as Ruben Amorim looks to the future at Old Trafford.
THE ATHLETIC
Barcelona midfielder Gavi is set to be sidelined for up to five months after undergoing an operation on a knee injury.
TELEGRAPH
Chelsea are facing a major ticket-price revolt over Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge as Benfica manager.
The Premier League's proposed new spending rules include measures that attempt to fend off intervention by the Independent Football Regulator, top-flight clubs believe.
DAILY MAIL
Wayne Rooney believes that he would have been 'sacked' for dressing room chat if he were in the current Manchester United squad, due to the change in culture at the club over the last decade.
SCOTTISH SUN
Brendan Rodgers refused the opportunity to sign Radamel Falcao as a free agent during the summer transfer window.
The Athletic
Nuno, O’Neil or Bilic? Which West Ham candidate would most suit their players?
By Roshane Thomas
It is a squad that has been constructed for different managers. Should West Ham United sack Graham Potter, his successor is likely to experience similar challenges to the incumbent.
Potter has always preferred a 5-3-2 formation, but after underwhelming performances, missing out on transfer targets and his role as head coach being under threat, he switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation for the victory against Nottingham Forest. Even after that win, defeats by Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have weakened the 50-year-old’s position.
Potter will remain in charge for Monday’s trip to Everton, but West Ham’s hierarchy continue to sound out potential replacements. Nuno Espirito Santo, the ex-Nottingham Forest manager; Gary O’Neil, formerly of Wolverhampton Wanderers; and ex-manager Slaven Bilic, from 2015-17, are in the frame. But whoever is viewed as Potter’s ideal replacement will inherit a squad that may not suit their playing style.
Nuno, O’Neil and Bilic have different skill sets and ways of playing. The Athletic has looked at which system would suit West Ham best.
Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno has held several conversations with West Ham’s board. Last Friday, a picture circulated on social media of the 51-year-old eating at Lot 14, a restaurant in Theydon Bois, Essex, near West Ham majority owner David Sullivan’s home. The Athletic has not been able to verify whether the photo is genuine, nor when it was taken, but it added to the sense of uncertainty around Potter’s position among supporters.
Nuno was surprisingly sacked earlier this month despite leading Forest to Europa League qualification last season. Forest’s seventh-placed finish was their highest in 30 years. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, where they lost to Manchester City. It is why Nuno’s managerial stock remains high.
Offensively, his side were good at hurting teams on the counter with their pace. Forest registered more total fast breaks (47) than West Ham (31) last season. Defensively, they were organised and disciplined, conceding 46 goals, 16 fewer than West Ham. Nuno’s side also kept 13 clean sheets in 2024-25, the second highest behind Liverpool (14).
Nuno worked with Maximilian Kilman at Wolves, and the defender could benefit most from his appointment. Kilman is struggling to overcome a loss of form and has been a weak link on corners. He was outmuscled by Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi before forward Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a header in their 2-1 victory.
“I was a big, strong boy, but I had so much to work on,” Kilman told the Birmingham Mail while explaining Nuno’s impact. “(Nuno improved) my game, understanding and my physicality. When I came in, I had never played five at the back, so I’ve had to adapt and understand my role as a defender. I’ve had to become stronger and sharper, and that’s what I lacked when I first came into Wolves.”
Central defensive duo Nikola Milenkovic, a West Ham transfer target in 2021, and Murillo formed a solid partnership under Nuno. West Ham’s central options are Kilman, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Igor Julio, and Jean-Clair Todibo, but West Ham have conceded six goals from corners this season, the highest in the league. Nuno’s proven track record in improving defenders may give him the edge over O’Neil and Bilic.
The Portuguese gave Forest an identity that allowed them to compete with the bigger clubs. Last season, they did the double over Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, beat Manchester City and earned draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Most impressive was Nuno’s ability to improve the efficiency of his attacking players.
Below is a list of players who have scored and registered the most assists from fast breaks in the league since Nuno’s appointment in December 2023. Anthony Elanga, who joined Newcastle United for £52million ($70.7m) in July, and Morgan Gibbs-White rank high, while Jarrod Bowen is not too far behind.
Bowen and Summerville would be key attacking options for Nuno. It is worth remembering that Summerville was a transfer target for Forest. When Elanga joined Newcastle, Forest viewed Summerville as an ideal replacement, but the winger stayed loyal to West Ham.
The graphic below shows that Nuno’s side did not prioritise possession or deep build-up play. They defended deep and relied on the solidity and strength of their defensive shape to absorb pressure and hit on the break.
Gary O’Neil
Another option under consideration is O’Neil. There has been no direct contact with the 42-year-old, but he is ready to return to management and is likely to be interested if the West Ham job were to become available. O’Neil played for West Ham between 2011 and 2013, making 56 appearances. He was a popular figure and featured in the team that beat Blackpool in the 2012 Championship play-off final.
O’Neil has had managerial spells at Bournemouth and Wolves. Despite being favourites for relegation, he helped Bournemouth secure their Premier League status in the 2022-23 season. O’Neil won 10 of his 34 top-flight games, guiding Bournemouth to a 15th-placed finish. He switched between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 formation, although his side were prone to not having much possession, having registered the second-lowest average in the 2022-23 campaign. But despite keeping Bournemouth up, O’Neil was surprisingly sacked less than seven months after replacing Scott Parker, the former West Ham captain, as manager.
In August 2023, O’Neil was appointed as Wolves’ head coach on a three-year deal. His original plan was to play 4-2-3-1, press high and play possession-based football. But having lost four of their opening five games, O’Neil reverted to a back three, with a medium-low block and counter-attacking playing style. Full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who joined Manchester City for €40m (£33m) in June, thrived in a 3-4-3 system. He ended the 2023-34 season with three goals and four assists across 38 appearances. Ait-Nouri would occasionally play as an inverted winger, drifting more centrally. Only four full-backs (Pedro Porro, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Lucas Digne) amassed more combined expected goals and expected assists than Ait-Nouri across the period that O’Neil managed Wolves.
El Hadji Malick Diouf, West Ham’s summer signing from Slavia Prague, could step into that Ait-Nouri role. The 20-year-old Senegal international has settled in well. His delivery is a strength. He registered assists via crosses to Callum Wilson in the victory against Nottingham Forest and captain Bowen in the defeat by Crystal Palace. Diouf ranks joint-fourth (5) for successful crosses in the league this season, along with Burnley’s Quilindschy Hartman. It is an area of Diouf’s game that the head coach could strengthen further.
The head coach wanted his Wolves side to be a threat on the transition, and his attacking players were particularly strong with dribbling. Matheus Cunha, who joined Manchester United for £62.5m ($83.7m) in June, played on the left flank and had freedom to roam in possession. He attempted 135 dribbles in 2023-24, the fourth highest in the league, behind Eberechi Eze (140), Jeremy Doku (162) and Mohammed Kudus (216). Only Bournemouth (851) and Chelsea (812) attempted more dribbles than Wolves (806) in 2023-24. But Wolves ranked highest (415) for dribbles completed.
Summerville would suit Nuno, but would fit O’Neil too. His main attacking attributes are pace and dribbling. The 23-year-old, who occupies the left wing, displayed those traits in the win against Forest, having assisted Bowen and won a penalty. Similar to Diouf, the former Leeds United winger could also thrive under O’Neil. Below are O’Neil’s most common formations while he was at the helm. He is pretty flexible and can adapt his team to the opposition. He had his best success at Wolves when they looked to attack in a 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 shape, with three central defenders, wing-backs pushing on, two athletic central midfielders and two No10s/wingers (Cunha, Pablo Sarabia, Hwang Hee-chan, Pedro Neto) playing close to a striker.
West Ham’s central midfielders Tomas Soucek, 30, and James Ward-Prowse, 30, lack pace and may struggle to adapt to O’Neil’s system. But Mateus Fernandes, 21, and Soungoutou Magassa, 21, could bring youthful energy, while Bowen, Summerville and Lucas Paqueta are capable of playing in the No 10 roles.
Slaven Bilic
Bilic, the former West Ham defender who led them to a seventh-placed finish in his first season in 2015-16, has held talks with the club’s hierarchy. Bilic would be willing to accept a short-term deal until the end of the season should the club decide to sack Potter.
Bilic, who remains a popular figure with supporters, has been out of work since leaving his role as head coach of Saudi Arabian club Al Fateh in August 2024. Since his departure in 2017, the 57-year-old has held managerial roles at Al Ittihad, West Bromwich Albion, Beijing Guoan and Watford. Throughout Bilic’s managerial career, he has mainly favoured a 4-2-3-1 system, a formation the West Ham players have recently transitioned to.
One of Bilic’s strengths was his eye for talent. He signed Dmitri Payet from Marseille in 2015, who became a key performer. Other notable signings during Bilic’s reign include Michail Antonio, the club’s all-time Premier League goalscorer, Angelo Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini, Robert Snodgrass and Pedro Obiang.
Before Payet’s acrimonious departure back to Marseille in 2017, the former France international had many standout moments. Paqueta or Bowen have the credentials to play a similar role under Bilic. Since being cleared of spot-fixing charges following an FA investigation, Paqueta had a great period where he scored in consecutive games against Wolves and Forest for West Ham, and Chile while on international duty with Brazil.
Bilic believes he has unfinished business at West Ham. Should he be appointed, it would be the second time majority shareholder David Sullivan has reappointed a manager, the previous one being David Moyes in December 2019.
While it would be an emotional return for Bilic, West Ham securing their top-flight status is of huge importance. Nuno and O’Neil’s recent success in the league may count against the Croatian.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
C&H
£4.5bn Spurs Takeover Bid Could Impact West Ham Future
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly the target of a US consortium which has launched a record £4.5billion takeover bid.
Reports suggest that tech entrepreneur Brooklyn Earick is leading a group that has approached ENIC, just weeks after Spurs’ owners rejected two informal offers for their majority stake in the North London club.
If successful, the takeover could have two major implications for West Ham.
Firstly, former Tottenham chief executive Daniel Levy would pocket around £800m for his shareholding. Levy has previously been linked with a move for West Ham, should current majority shareholder David Sullivan decide to sell.
Secondly, such a huge deal could further inflate Sullivan’s already ambitious valuation of West Ham. Many believe the chairman’s pricing is the key reason there has been little genuine interest in a full takeover, with a significant disparity between the value of the Gold family’s shares and Sullivan’s own.
Meanwhile, Amanda Staveley, who had also shown interest in Tottenham without tabling a formal offer, is now rumoured to be considering a move for West Ham instead.
C&H
Hammers Shareholder Hosts US Investors
Claret & Hugh has learnt this morning that West Ham shareholder Albert Tripp Smith has been in discussions with potential investors in the club.
Tripp Smith, who owns 8% of West Ham shares, flew into the UK last week as C&H previously reported, although the purpose of his visit was unclear. We have since discovered that during his stay, the founder of GSO Capital Partners entertained two potential US-based investors.
At this stage, it is not known whether the interest relates to part ownership through the Gold family shares, or a full buyout. However, it is understood that the 60-year-old’s visit did involve West Ham business, and the club were made aware of his arrival. Tripp Smith has a history of brokering large business deals and has a history in dealing with acquisitions and distressed assets.
There is rumoured to be growing concern from both Daniel Kretinsky and Tripp Smith following recent fan protests and the vote of no confidence.
As has been relayed to C&H on several occasions, the stumbling block in any sale remains David Sullivan’s valuation of his own shares rather than any lack of potential buyers.