Friday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Manchester United are considering a January move for unsettled Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward Karim Adeyemi, 23. (Bild - in German, subscription required), external

Chelsea are preparing a blockbuster 150m euro (£132m) bid to sign Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, 25, from Atletico Madrid next summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Brazil and Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, 24, is also being looked at by Manchester United in their attempts to strengthen their number six position. (Mail - subscription required), external

Liverpool and Tottenham are eyeing Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, 25, to reinforce their attacks. (Teamtalk), external

English midfielder James Garner, 24, says he has "heard nothing" and there have been no talks with Everton about extending his contract, which runs out next summer. (FourFourTwo) , external

Newcastle United are keen on AZ Alkmaar's 19-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit, who is also being monitored by Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. (Mail - subscription required)

West Ham have reignited their interest in 23-year-old Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell, who has been capped by England Under-21s. (Talksport), external

Brentford, Everton and Leeds are chasing Celtic's Daizen Maeda, 28, with the Japan forward keen on a January move from Scotland. (Teamtalk), external

Roma want to sign Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee on loan from Manchester United in January but face competition from Everton, West Ham, Juventus and PSV Eindhoven. (Mirror), external

Manchester United have identified Malmo's Swedish goalkeeper Melker Ellborg, 22, as a potential back-up to Belgian Senne Lammens, 23. (Sun), external

Manchester United's English defender Harry Amass, 18, is set to continue his loan at Sheffield Wednesday beyond the January transfer window. (Express), external

Wolfsburg have set their sights on moves for West Ham and Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug, 32, and Brentford's 27-year-old Norway centre-back Kristoffer Ajer. (Sky Sports News), external

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has denied he told 19-year-old Real Madrid striker Endrick, who is set to join Lyon on loan, he had to leave the Spanish club in order to have a chance of making his squad for the 2026 World Cup. (AS - in Spanish), external

Ecuador defender Willian Pacho, 24, has signed a contract extension with Paris St-Germain that runs until 2030. (RMC Sport - in French)




Sky Paper Talk

Premier League

Manchester United are keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi following his public fall-out with manager Niko Kovac - Bild

Newcastle are prepared to compete with some of the biggest clubs in Europe for the signature of AZ Alkmaar’s 19-year-old starlet Kees Smit - Daily Mail

Former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has described his move to Chelsea in 2022 as a mistake - Daily Mail

 Harvey Elliott’s loan at Aston Villa does not include a recall clause as the midfielder continues to struggle for minutes under Unai Emery - The Athletic

A 19-year-old man has been arrested for verbally abusing Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount during the 2-2 draw with Tottenham last weekend - Daily Mail

Liverpool and Juventus are both interested in Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry - Gazzetta dello Sport

Manchester United are showing strong interest in Valencia’s Javi Guerra - Mundo Deportivo

EFL

Middlesbrough, Norwich, Southampton and Swansea are all eyeing the same candidates to fill their vacant managerial roles - The Mirror

Exeter City’s stadium St James Road has suffered damage after a fire broke out on Wednesday night - talkSPORT
Boxing

Conor Benn has ruled out the chances of a trilogy fight with Chris Eubank Jr - The Sun

Anthony Joshua’s potential fight with Jake Paul will include a £140 million prize pot - Daily Mail

David Haye believes Jake Paul has to aim for a quick finish to stand a chance against Anthony Joshua - Metro

Formula 1

Juan Pablo Montoya has backed Lewis Hamilton after a tough season at Ferrari, while Ralf Schumacher believes Oliver Bearman should replace the seven-time world champion - The Express

Pirelli are reportedly in talks over introducing a mandatory mileage limit for the Qatar Grand Prix in an attempt to alleviate tyre wear concerns - The Express




C&H

Made for each other | Reunion can be huge transfer window tonic for West Ham

FROM those heady days of the ‘summer of 24’ when West Ham were seemingly spending like never before and a never ending (well, 10 actually) procession of new signings came through the stadium doors – to the present-day realisation that more than half were destined to flop dreadfully shows how far the Hammers have fallen and how much cash was wasted.

Ringmaster general Tim Steinten got his marching orders as did Lopetegui some months later whilst the players which the duo -along with David Sullivan who signed the cheques – remain – apart from Wes Foderingham who has since departed.

Of  ‘those’ summer signings, Guido Rodriguez, Carlos Soler, Niclas Fullkrug, Luis Guilherme, have proved -‘unsuccessful‘ – shall we say whilst Jean Clair Todibo and Max Kilman probably sit in the ‘unproven’ column. Only Crysencio Summerville, Mohamadou Kanté and Aaron Wan-Bissaka look to be set to deliver on their promise.

And of the architects of the ‘spend – up’?  Lopetegui is off managing Qatar. And joy of joys, news from Sky’s Florian Plettenberg today suggests Tim Steidten is odds-on favourite to be heading back to the Bundesliga to a new job as Sporting Director at Vfl Wolfsburg.
And his first signing in January?  A reunion with a certain striker.
 Sky’s Lyall Thomas reports :

“Wolfsburg are considering a fresh January move for Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer after having a bid rejected in the summer, as well as a move for WestHam striker Niclas Fullkrug“.

A Steidten – Fullkrug reunion would be a massive tonic for West Ham, getting the injury-prone forward out of London Stadium and his wages off the books. If Wolfsburg do relieve West Ham of their crocked striker then Steidten will be undoing one of West Ham’s worst transfers of the Sullivan era. Trouble is, you just wouldn’t bet on the Hammers learning from the experience and not making the same mistake all over again.




Brum World

Wolves and Fulham ready to swoop as West Ham want to get transfer flop's wages 'off the books'

Wolves have the opportunity to sign some players when the January transfer window opens up

Wolves have turned to Rob Edwards as their replacement for Vitor Pereira. The ex-Watford and Luton Town man has left Middlesbrough in the Championship to return to Molineux. He played for the Midlands club during his playing days before a spell as a coach.

Edwards has inherited a team who sit bottom of the Premier League table. They are inside the drop zone along with West Ham and Nottingham Forest after their first 11 fixtures of the season. Eight points separate them from safety behind Burnley in 17th position.

Wolves eye West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug

Wolves have the chance to bring in some new players when the January transfer window opens up for business. They could do with injecting some more quality into their ranks. Edwards will be keen to put his own stamp on the squad.

Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness believes they want West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug along with Fulham. He has said, as per a report by Football Insider: “I heard a whisper the other day that either Wolves or Fulham might be interested in taking Fullkrug. I’m hearing Wolves might be one club who are interested in taking him on and giving him a chance to do something and stay in the Premier League.

“Look, I know there’ll be interest for him back in Germany. He did very well there, and players often don’t settle in the Premier League for whatever reason. He hasn’t and there’s been injuries as well. I think he will be gone in January, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays in the Premier League.

“Now whether he goes on loan or not I think that might be one way forward. I think West Ham do need to fill that gap and probably want to get his wages off the books, so I’d be waiting for a move around that sort of area.”

Would West Ham’s Niclas Fullkurg suit Wolves?

Wolves could see Fullkrug as someone to boost their attacking department. If he joined, he would give them more competition and depth up top. In addition, he would give them more experience and would be a useful person to have in and around the dressing room.

West Ham signed him back in 2024 and he is under contract at the London Stadium until June 2028. The Germany international, who has made 24 caps for his country, has scored three goals in 24 games since his switch to London. Prior to his move to the Hammers, he found the net on 15 occasions in 45 outings for Borussia Dortmund during his single year with the Bundesliga giants. His move to the London Stadium has not worked out with an average of a goal every eight games along with his injury troubles.

The 32-year-old has also had spells in the past with the likes of Werder Bremen, FC Nurnberg and Hannover, among others. As Wyness alluded to, his future is up in the air this winter and he may be weighing up his options. He wouldn’t be a bad addition for Wolves if they managed to snap him up and they could do a lot worse




The 4th Official

West Ham United Are Hoping To Sign This 26-Year-Old Winger: Will He Be A Good Signing?

West Ham United are weighing up a January move for Manor Solomon, according to El Periódico Mediterráneo via Sport Witness. The Israeli winger seems ready to end his short spell at Villarreal after struggling to settle in Spain. Since he joined on loan from Tottenham last summer, Solomon has featured less frequently, and Marcelino has pushed him down the pecking order.

He started brightly, scoring and assisting in his first two appearances for the Yellow Submarine, but his form faded as opportunities dried up. Recently, Marcelino has benched the 26-year-old more often than he has played, indicating his situation has not improved.

The frustration has grown enough for Solomon to approach Tottenham about a possible return in January, while Villarreal appear willing to let him go.

West Ham are looking to sign Manor Solomon

West Ham see a chance to strengthen their attacking options midway through the season, especially with the fixture list getting busy. The Hammers have enquired about both a loan and a permanent deal, based on what Spurs decide.

Solomon’s contract in north London ends next summer, which could make negotiations easier. This move seems smart for West Ham; a simple way to add some flair out wide without spending much. Meanwhile, reports suggest that River Plate want to sign Guido Rodríguez from West Ham United in January.

Will he be a good signing for the Hammers?

Signing Manor Solomon on a free transfer in 2026 could interest West Ham, yet the move comes with a big risk. His pace and dribbling skills make him an exciting wide option, and his record at Fulham and Leeds proves he can change games when fit.

During the Israeli international’s loan spell at Leeds, he delivered 10 goals and 12 assists, which showed his creativity and alertness near the goal. However, the 26-year-old’s recurring knee injuries raise a major concern. Those setbacks have kept him out of action for long spells at Tottenham, and any club that offers high wages must compare his talent against that fragility, so this move would be a risky bet.

[COOL HAND LUKE]

Hmm... we seem to have our eye on a few crocks again, along with the usual 'not a hope in hell' possibles...

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.