Crystal Palace are in talks with England midfielder Adam Wharton, 21, over a new contract after his impressive start to the season. (Give Me Sport), external
Tottenham remain interested in signing Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, 24, and would be prepared to pay the Spanish club's asking price of £70m for the Brazil international. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Manchester United want to sign a central midfielder in January, with Atletico Madrid's former Chelsea player Conor Gallagher, 25, and Germany international Angelo Stiller of Stuttgart, 24, top of their list. (Give Me Sport), external
United are also keen on Valencia's Javi Guerra, with Atletico and AC Milan also watching the 22-year-old. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
United are unable to recall 22-year-old Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund from his loan spell with Napoli in January. (Star), external
Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay wants Napoli to sign his former Manchester United team-mate Kobbie Mainoo, 20, who is out of favour at Old Trafford. (Sun, external)
Wolves will back prospective new manager Rob Edwards in the transfer market in January, with an ambition to sign young, domestic-based players. (NBC), external
West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug, 32, is a January target for Italian club AC Milan, with the Hammers considering letting the Germany forward leave on loan. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian), external
Danish champions Copenhagen want to sign Newcastle's Sweden defender Emil Krafth, 31, in January. (Shields Gazette)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Scott McTominay is attempting to convince Napoli to rescue Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United - Daily Mirror
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has withdrawn from the Argentina squad to face Angola this month due to an ongoing knee injury - The Athletic
Taiwo Ogunlabi, the viral AFTV star known as Ty, was involved in an ugly altercation with a steward following Arsenal's 2-2 draw away at Sunderland on Saturday - Daily Mail
Former Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer has said it is unlikely he will coach again - stressing he does not miss "all that negativity" that comes with the job - Daily Mail
European football
England are working to develop a "heat-proof game model" to win next summer's World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico - The Athletic
A heartbroken Champions League victor has opened up about the devastating loss of his son at the age of just 20 - Daily Mirror
Scottish football
Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen has opened the door to a move to Celtic - admitting "nothing is certain" over his future - Daily Record
Cricket
More than 40,000 England supporters are expected to descend on Australia this winter - an unprecedented travelling contingent for an Ashes series - as fans make up for missing out on the Covid-hit 2021-22 tour - The Times
This is England's best chance of winning in Australia for years, according to Sir Geoffrey Boycott - The Telegraph
Rugby Union
Jac Morgan ruled out for rest of autumn Tests after Wales handed hiding by Argentina - The Telegraph
Elliot Daly is in contention to start for England at full-back against New Zealand on Saturday in what would be his first game since breaking his arm on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia - The Telegraph
The Athletic
Nuno has given West Ham a workable midfield core in Potts, Paqueta and Fernandes
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo gives instructions to Mateus Fernandes during West Ham's win against Burnley Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
By Conor O'Neill
For the second match running, West Ham United’s players walked off the London Stadium pitch to rapturous applause rather than a smattering of angry boos from those home fans who had not already left in frustration.
Their 3-2 defeat of Burnley on Saturday secured back-to-back Premier League victories at home for the first time this calendar year — a small but significant step in rebuilding the connection between team and supporters.
This was not as stirring a display as when they beat Newcastle United 3-1 here six days prior but was another one underpinned by a solidity that seemed unthinkable just two weeks ago. And was worthy of the full-time adulation it got.
That a consistent level of performance has come with a consistency in selection will not have escaped the attention of those in the stands.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure since he replaced Graham Potter as head coach in late September had been marked by odd team choices — full-backs deployed on the ‘wrong’ flanks, midfielders used up front — and a carousel of shifting tactical schemes.
But the tinkering has now stabilised.
Against Burnley, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest boss named his first unchanged West Ham starting XI and, more encouragingly, appears to have settled on a sturdy 4-3-3 shape, with roles and responsibilities well calibrated to the profiles of those players selected to populate it.
Nowhere was that clearer than in midfield, where the complementary attributes of Freddie Potts, Lucas Paqueta and Mateus Fernandes provided a well-balanced engine room. “The midfielders work hard and they complement each other,” Nuno told the BBC’s Match of the Day highlights show afterwards.
It was academy graduate, and already firm fan-favourite, Potts at the base of midfield again on Saturday, with Fernandes and Paqueta operating as right and left No 8s.
For someone handed their first Premier League start only last Sunday, Potts shows a tactical awareness in the single-pivot role that belies his 22 years. Shuttling from side to side in front of his defence, he constantly offered an easy out-ball before circulating play quickly and safely.
Potts is not merely a metronome either: he played more passes into the Burnley penalty area (seven) than anyone else in the home side, showing he is able to pierce lines when the opportunity presents itself. But it is out of possession where he has made the biggest difference, shoring up what had been a porous midfield unit.
Nuno had criticised his side’s lack of bite last month, and while Potts does not shy away from the physical side — winning the most duels (seven) in the game, despite being substituted after 62 minutes with a dead leg — his anticipation usually removes the need for tackles in the first place.
The structure puts extra defensive weight on Potts, but his midfield partners did not shirk their share of such duties, with the trio combining to give West Ham broad, reliable coverage across the pitch. Nuno often likes to build through his full-backs, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf both completed 28 carries against Burnley — the most in the match.
That approach inevitably leaves large gaps on the flanks, which the visitors looked to exploit with long diagonals. Paqueta and Fernandes shared the workload in plugging those holes — see the former dropping in to cover for an advancing Wan-Bissaka in the example shown below.
Nuno favourably compared Paqueta to a “Brazilian No 10” after the Newcastle win, and while he was impressively diligent tracking back, Saturday’s was a more uneven outing overall. His adventurous playmaking often fell flat and his needless yellow card for a late challenge on Florentino Luis means he is suspended for their next match, away to Bournemouth on the other side of the November international window.
The standout was Fernandes, whose relentless energy gave West Ham real thrust through the middle, especially late on as Burnley began to fade. The 21-year-old summer signing from relegated Southampton worked tirelessly without the ball, finishing with the game’s second-most defensive actions.
Nuno’s emphasis on compactness without possession meant West Ham’s midfield often sat much closer to their defensive colleagues, leaving the attacking trio of Crysencio Summerville, Callum Wilson and Jarrod Bowen stranded higher up the pitch. Fernandes’ willingness to play purposeful forward passes and drive ahead with the ball helped bridge that gap.
The move below, where he escaped the clutches of Josh Cullen with a neat turn before bursting through the centre of the pitch, led to the corner from which Tomas Soucek made it 2-1 on 77 minutes.
Soucek played a part in West Ham’s final goal, too, with Kyle Walker-Peters bundling in from his rebounded effort to make it 3-1, but it was telling that the Czech midfielder ended the match playing centre-forward. When he came on for Potts, Nuno quickly reshuffled — withdrawing Wilson a few minutes later, pushing Soucek up front and plugging the England international’s replacement Soungoutou Magassa into defensive midfield.
A lack of mobility makes Soucek a less natural fit for that single-pivot role in this system, whereas Magassa looks to share the same sprightliness Potts offers. He has made a tepid start to life in east London since a £17.3million ($22.7m at the current rate) move from Monaco in August, but the 22-year-old Frenchman looks well placed to provide competition for Potts if the manager persists with this setup.
Not that Nuno is getting ahead of himself, or suggesting he has uncovered a foolproof midfield blueprint.
Burnley were the dominant side for long spells on Saturday, and he was quick to stress that West Ham are only “slowly improving” and still need to “gel better”.
But with Potts’ ability to screen danger, Fernandes’ bustling box-to-box energy and Paqueta’s creative guile, they finally have a workable midfield at their core. One with the tools to lift them clear of relegation trouble.
C&H
‘Striker swap story’ offers prospect of 24 year-old frontman arrival
Niclas Füllkrug’s time at West Ham has largely been underwhelming, but his proven goal-scoring pedigree has attracted interest from AC Milan. Former West Ham manager target Max Allegri is looking to bolster his attacking options and sees Füllkrug as a low-risk, high-reward veteran who could thrive in Serie A’s more tactical environment.
Füllkrug arrived at West Ham United in the summer of 2024 from Borussia Dortmund for a reported £27 million, carrying the reputation of a classic No. 9 with a strong scoring record. However, his Premier League stint has been marred by injuries and tactical mismatches. He has managed just 3 goals in 24 appearances, a stark contrast to his previous form.
West Ham have pedigree at failing to integrate traditional strikers and Füllkrug’s recurring thigh injuries have sidelined him from Nuno Espírito Santo’s plans. The club is actively seeking replacements, and Füllkrug is reportedly open to a move to a European club.
Striker swap story – if true-offers West Ham the chance to bring in new blood
Interestingly, Real Madrid had strong interest in signing him earlier in June 2025. Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos sought a traditional striker to complement Kylian Mbappé’s dynamic style. Füllkrug was seen as a perfect fit for Alonso’s system, yet they didn’t pursue their initial interest.
It is curious as to why the German striker has been linked to some of Europes biggest clubs, yet outside of his West Ham stint, his career stats remain impressive.
For Germany he has 14 goals in 24 caps, and 12 goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Dortmund in 2023-2024. Prior to that he hit the back of the net sixteen times in 28 games for Werder Bremen and had consistent double-digit goal seasons for Hannover 96 and Nurnberg.
With AC Milan reportedly preparing an offer Füllkrug’s January exit seems imminent. Reports suggest that they would be willing to swap Santiago Gimenez, a former target for the Hammers. Gimenez, a Mexico international is 24 years old and scored 45 goals in 73 appearances for Feyenoord between 2022-2025. However, he has found goals hard to come by in Serie A, having only scored four goals in 23 games since joining the Italian giants for €32m in February 2025.
Whether Nuno Espírito Santo would entertain such a deal remains to be seen.
Füllkrug remains a proven finisher, yet his story at West Ham will be remembered for failure and another example of the infamous West Ham curse!
