Winter '25/26 Transfer Rumours Thread

[stubbo-admin]

Well seems like with all these international breaks, and us languishing, the rumours of ins and outs are rife.

Chuck anything 'worthy' of discussion on this thread...

[Massive Attack]

Post Cup win we really have managed to royally fuck up the golden opportunity to spend some serious dough on new quality signings of epic proportions. All that Rice and European money spaffed up against the wall that would make even Boris Johnson blush. It only took 2 years to achieve it as well. Like kids in a fucking sweet shop. Fuck I hate Sullivan.

[Alan]

The Athletic

West Ham Transfer Deal Sheet: What to expect in 2026


Charlie Cresswell, left, is wanted by West Ham but Niclas Fullkrug could be set to depart Getty Images

By Roshane Thomas

The January transfer window is set to be the most important month in West Ham United’s recent history.

Following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are level on points (11) with 18th-placed Leeds United but outside the relegation zone on goal difference. West Ham have lost four of the eight league games Nuno has overseen, winning two and drawing two. Their precarious position is unlikely to improve massively any time soon, given a run of games against Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa and Manchester City before Christmas.

So who are West Ham targeting in January and beyond? Will they have money to spend? Who could be sold? Sources who have spoken on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships have offered insight into what to expect.
Who will make key decisions in January and the summer?

There are a number of signings former technical director Tim Steidten, who left his role in February, presided over, including: Niclas Fullkrug, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Mohammed Kudus, Jean-Clair Todibo, Luis Guilherme, Maximilian Kilman and Crysencio Summerville. Fullkrug is injury-prone, Todibo, Mavropanos and Kilman are inconsistent, Guilherme is an unproven young prospect, while Summerville has shown glimpses of his quality.

Although Steidten’s track record in transfers flattered to deceive, his best signing was Maximilian Hahn. The German joined as head of technical recruitment and analysis from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2023. Hahn’s influence has grown behind the scenes and he is considered one of the senior scouts at West Ham. He played a role in the scouting of El Hadji Malick Diouf before his £19million ($25m) arrival from Slavia Prague in July. Hahn will provide detailed reports for Nuno, who will make the key decisions over incomings with majority shareholder David Sullivan.
Are there any players they are already looking at?

West Ham are keen to augment their defensive and forward options. One particular player they have strong interest in signing is Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell. On deadline day in the summer, the French side rejected their offer of a £4m loan fee with an obligation based on appearances for the 23-year-old. Toulouse wanted €20m (£17.6m, $23.2m) plus bonus, which forced West Ham to alter their plans by signing Igor Julio on a season-long loan deal from Brighton & Hove Albion. The centre-back, signed by the since-sacked Graham Potter, has played only 103 minutes under Nuno.

Since the closure of the summer window, and according to sources with knowledge of the deal, Toulouse’s valuation of Cresswell has increased to €25m. But this has not deterred West Ham’s scouts from continuing to monitor his development. The defender, who has other interest from European clubs, was not downhearted that a switch to West Ham fell through in the summer. He remains happy at Toulouse but is aware a return to the Premier League will boost his chances of earning a senior England call-up. The centre-back amassed 26 caps for the U21s and was part of the side that won the European Under-21 Championship in June.

Cresswell, the ex-Leeds United defender who had a loan spell at Millwall in 2022-23, harbours hopes of playing for Thomas Tuchel’s senior England team, and believes his next switch will make him better suited to fulfilling that target.
Who will they be looking to sell?

Barring captain Jarrod Bowen, West Ham’s squad lacks high-value assets. Once upon a time Lucas Paqueta’s valuation was in the region of £80m but his stock has nosedived. A move to Manchester City fell through following the launch of a spot-fixing investigation by the Football Association in August 2023. Paqueta was cleared in July but his long-term future remains uncertain.

He was sent off against Liverpool at the weekend. The 28-year-old playmaker apologised for his actions but will be suspended for Thursday’s game against Manchester United, having also missed the recent 2-2 draw with Bournemouth through suspension.

Paqueta was the subject of interest from Aston Villa in the summer, while boyhood club Flamengo have a long-standing interest in the midfielder. The Brazilian club made an unsatisfactory offer to sign Paqueta in the summer of 2024, a bid West Ham sources described as “laughable”.

“The first moment (Flamengo tried to sign Paqueta) was when (Marcos) Braz was still at Flamengo (as vice-president), there was that contact,” Paqueta told Brazilian outlet Globoesporte in November. “I know of Flamengo’s desire, and they know of my desire, my passion for the club, so it’s something that always happens. As soon as I was accused, and the whole trial process was about to begin, Braz came to my house, made the offer, and asked what I thought.

“Obviously, I always want to go back to Flamengo, but at that moment I was still a bit undecided about my decision, about what I was going to do. Then I also talked to the West Ham director (David Sullivan) and said, ‘Braz, I want to go back, I know I’ll feel good at Flamengo, but I can’t be ungrateful to the club that’s supporting me so much’.”

A more likely January departure is James Ward-Prowse. The 31-year-old midfielder, who joined for £30m from Southampton in August 2023, has been frozen out of the team by Nuno. Under Potter, Ward-Prowse started league games against Southampton, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace. But since Nuno’s arrival, the midfielder has not featured in the matchday squad.

“It’s just decisions and I’ve been honest with all the players,” said Nuno when asked what Ward-Prowse has to do to impress him in his pre-match press conference before the defeat by Liverpool. “All the players are committed and working hard. It’s not an easy situation, but believe me, making the squad and deciding is tough. But we decide for the best. He’s been professional and very good (during this time).”

It seems inevitable that Fullkrug will end his 15-month spell next month. The 31-year-old forward has a paltry return of three goals in 26 appearances since joining for £27m from Borussia Dortmund in 2024. Team-mate Callum Wilson has already surpassed Fullkrug’s goalscoring record (four in 10 games) having only joined in August on a free transfer from Newcastle United. Last month, Fullkrug’s agent, Thorsten Wirth, hinted at an exit during an interview with the TOMorrow Business Podcast.

“This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there,” he said. “Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugarcoating it.”

Midfielder Andy Irving has made six league appearances this season, his most recent coming in the 2-0 defeat by Leeds United in October. The 25-year-old has not featured in the past four matches. Those close to Irving say it is impossible to predict whether he will leave on loan, but he has high hopes of featuring in Scotland’s World Cup squad next summer. The midfielder, who made his international debut against Liechtenstein in June, was an unused substitute in Scotland’s World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark.
Which players’ contracts are expiring? Who will they renew?

Guido Rodriguez, George Earthy, Irving, Lukasz Fabianski and Wilson are entering the final months of their deals. Rodriguez’s contract has an option to extend for a further year but this clause does not feature in Earthy, Irving, Fabianski and Wilson’s contracts. They are all yet to enter talks over a potential extension and a January exit could be on the cards for Earthy.

He made his first-team debut in March 2024 against Freiburg but is yet to feature under Nuno. The midfielder had loan interest from Championship clubs in August but opted to stay. It was a frustrating summer for the 21-year-old, having missed pre-season after sustaining an ankle ligament injury. After recovering, Earthy pulled his hamstring in Nuno’s first training session in September.

He was sidelined for six weeks and returned for the under-21s in their EFL Trophy victory against Swindon Town. Earthy, who last season had a season-long loan at Championship side Bristol City, was an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth and did not feature in the matchday squad against Liverpool. The midfielder is open to leaving on loan next month.

What is their PSR position? What sort of budget do they have?

West Ham are not currently negatively impacted by the restrictions of profit and sustainability regulations (PSR). Sources inside the club anticipate a busy window. Nuno will be backed in the transfer market, although he was coy about where improvements will be made.

“Now is not the moment,” he said in last week’s press conference. “I think when we have to sit down is when the window opens. But the club has all the tools that they need.”

[Alfs]

Is that Nick on Crack?

[RBshorty]

Sounds like the Scream Queen trying too drum up business for his boss.! 

8.2 on the full of shit Ritter Scale. Looks like Gonzo will pump any shit about the club being sold. And Happy here got the player coming’s and going’s. If it keeps the local’s quiet then carry on.?

And don’t forget.

Please subscribe. And click that like button.!

[Massive Attack]

Pick the bones out of this then..



For what it's worth if it were true, I'd certainly smash the Fuck-it Button on doing it right now..

🖲

[zico]

Not just us, I put many an English Club in this bracket, but too many very average foreign players are in the League these days.  You can't tell me that there aren't better British players with better attitudes than some of our squad playing in the lower Leagues.  We need to scout closer to home IMO.

[ragingbull]

Probably time to sell our women’s team to ourselves for around £200 million.

Sully can't help himself and buy the team for 1 million Euros.

[Sweep]

Two players with pace for the front 3 is a definite - the CF also needs to be a unit. Fulkrug out.

If someone offers a reasonable amount for Paqueta , then a flair player probably on loan.

We'll probably off another three in midfield (JWP/Irving/Rodriguez) so another one there too. 

They can't hold back if they want to stay up. 

[Gaffer58]

Probably time to sell our women’s team to ourselves for around £200 million.

[fraser]

I would be happy with them being equal to what we have in our starting line up, it's the drop off when we introduce our subs which kills us. 

[Sweep]

If he can’t drop straight in. Or last a full 90.? Then he’s another Guilherme. ie. A expensive passenger. Something. We are being told. We can I’ll afford.

That's the thing.

Think we can all pretty much name what's become our best XI so far this season - Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Diouf, Kilman, Todibo, Potts, Fernandes, Paqueta, Summerville, Bowen, Wilson - there's only the odd question mark about whether another player in the current squad gets in that XI.

The signings who come in need to be an improvement on what's already there - whether that's a better player, or the same standard player but fitter/healthier and much less likely to be in the sick bay.

[Massive Attack]

They always break their promises so if he has any sense he'd swerve our Club for his own healths sake.

[Iron Duke]

The only Promise David we need is the midget cսnt promising to fuck off with his family and never to come back.

[ironsofcanada]

ie Josh Sargent.!

 

If we go American, I'd rather bring back Jonny "the sweater" Spector.

[RBshorty]

We're being primed for the drop. So that will mean a Jordan Hugill type of deal. ie Josh Sargent.!

COYI.

[ironsofcanada]

If he can’t drop straight in. Or last a full 90.? Then he’s another Guilherme. ie. A expensive passenger. Something. We are being told. We can I’ll afford.

I agree, trying to stay unbiased.  I think he is a huge talent and would love to see him with West Ham at some point. What he has done with very spotty football training is impressive.  

If we bought 2 strikers, maybe, but he is not going to be the main striker that you rely on Wilson alone to spell off.  

[RBshorty]

If he can’t drop straight in. Or last a full 90.? Then he’s another Guilherme. ie. A expensive passenger. Something. We are being told. We can I’ll afford.

[Massive Attack]

I actually liked old Wanchope, so unpredictable at times that even he didn't know what he'd do next with the ball but every now and again he'd produce quality. One to keep an eye on though, sounds promising. 

[ironsofcanada]

The new Paulo Wanchope?

 

 

My memories say Promise is a better finisher (except Wanchope against Canada in World Cup Qualifying) but he does have some of the same problems. 
Here is the good:



The bad is that I saw him end of last season miscontrol a long ball bad enough that he booted it back past his own centre back and lead directly to an easy goal against. But some the first touch stuff has improved some this year.  
He also is not a 90' striker and therefore doesn't start in a high-tempo (Red Bull-esque) Canada team. 

It would be a punt, maybe a really good for the future one at the prices listed but not as the only non-Wilson striker we have. Also selfishly I would rather he stay settled and improving until the World Cup. 

[Massive Attack]

Some rumours about some fella called Promise David too - one of those gigantic strikers that seem to do well in Belgium.

He's big and strong as you would suspect at 6'5" and a very suspect (low) 200 lbs.  But has really good pace for someone that size.  He can finish and takes penalties for his Belgian team.

Couple concerns, he really has never trained to be a hold up man, so even at 24 years old, he is not great  with his control or passing out of a pivot.  Though some improvment there recently.  He also rarely goes 90' for club or country and looks gassed beyond 45' a lot of the time. 

The new Paulo Wanchope?

[claypole]

West Ham reject January loan - Hammers want €17m transfer

Willing to sell Magassa for £15m.

Sullivan has got his placard out
will dance for money

[nychammer]

Some rumours about some fella called Promise David too - one of those gigantic strikers that seem to do well in Belgium.

He's big and strong as you would suspect at 6'5" and a very suspect (low) 200 lbs.  But has really good pace for someone that size.  He can finish and takes penalties for his Belgian team.

Couple concerns, he really has never trained to be a hold up man, so even at 24 years old, he is not great  with his control or passing out of a pivot.  Though some improvment there recently.  He also rarely goes 90' for club or country and looks gassed beyond 45' a lot of the time. 

Yeah just what we need another striker who can’t control or pass ball or last past half time. So then, Welcome promise old son !! 

[Sweep]

West Ham reject January loan - Hammers want €17m transfer

Willing to sell Magassa for £15m.

[Sweep]

Loan move attempted for West Ham midfielder - Offer for January switch - Sport Witness

Napoli interested in Magassa

[honky cat]

Promise just scored