BBC
Crystal Palace will listen to summer offers for Jean-Philippe Mateta if they cannot agree a new deal with the 28-year-old France forward. (Sun), external
Napoli are targeting a new midfielder in January and the Serie A side's first choice is Manchester United's 20-year-old England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external
Brighton could move for Cologne's 19-year-old German winger Said el Mala in January in a deal which could cost up to 35 million euros (£30.6m). (Teamtalk), external
Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are also admirers of El Mala, with United being tipped as "the most sensible option". (Talksport), external
Fulham will have to pay AC Milan 28 million euros (£24.5m) to make 26-year-old Nigeria winger Samuel Chukwueze's loan move permanent. (Calcio Mercato - in Italian), external
Manchester United, Arsenal and Real Madrid are competing for the signature of Eintracht Frankfurt's 22-year-old Germany defender Nathaniel Brown. (Bild - in German, subscription required), external
Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa could make a move for Brentford's 24-year-old Brazil striker Igor Thiago in January. (Caught Offside)
Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez could leave AC Milan in January with West Ham and Sunderland interested in the 24-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external
West Ham are closely monitoring Wolves' 32-year-old Portugal goalkeeper Jose Sa before the January transfer window. (Football Insider), external
Eintracht Frankfurt are no longer working on a January move for West Ham's Niclas Fullkrug but other Bundesliga sides remain interested in the Germany striker, including Wolfsburg. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Roma are targeting Tottenham's 20-year-old French forward Mathys Tel as an alternative to Manchester United's Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24. (Ekrem Konur), external
Newcastle are monitoring Morocco midfielder Bilal El Khannouss, 24, who is currently on loan at Stuttgart from Leicester City. (Teamtalk), external
Chelsea are confident of sealing deals for Lille's 18-year-old French midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and Metz's 16-year-old Luxembourg forward Brian Madjo. (Caught Offside), external
Barcelona are trying to sign highly-rated 15-year-old English forward JJ Gabriel from Manchester United. (Sun)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Barcelona are trying to sign Manchester United teenage sensation JJ Gabriel - The Sun.
Crystal Palace are ready to listen to summer offers for Jean-Philippe Mateta if they cannot agree on terms for a new deal for the striker - The Sun.
EFL
Brentford are keeping a close watch on Coventry City ace Bobby Thomas - The Sun.
European football
Barcelona have refused to rule out a move for free agent Marc Guehi next summer - The Sun.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's tough start to life at Real Madrid continued after the defender was forced off with an ankle injury against Athletic Club on Wednesday - The Sun.
Scottish football
Olympiakos have been linked with a move for Dundee United target Galymazhan Kenzhebek - Daily Record.
Scotland fans can head to nightclubs to watch World Cup games, we can reveal - The Scottish Sun.
Cricket
The owners of Hundred franchise Welsh Fire have emerged as serious candidates to buy Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru, one of the biggest beasts in the Indian Premier League - The Telegraph.
F1
F1's Godfather Bernie Ecclestone has declared that Max Verstappen will spoil the dreams of a 'cocky' Lando Norris, acclaiming the Dutchman as the best driver the sport has ever known - Daily Mail.
Rugby Union
The Rugby Football League (RFL) is considering an offer from an Australian promoter to play a hybrid rugby match against England's national rugby union team - The i Paper.
Athletics
World Athletics has scrapped plans to introduce a takeoff zone for the long jump rather than the traditional board because of widespread hostility from athletes - The Guardian.
The Athletic
Nathan Trott on his time at West Ham, the support of Mark Noble, and the myth about his move
Nathan Trott was with West Ham United from 2016 to 2024 Robin Jones/Getty Images
By Roshane Thomas
It is almost 10 years since Nathan Trott left his native Bermuda to embark on a new adventure at West Ham United and during that period he has kept quiet about how his move came about… until now.
The goalkeeper, 27, had a spell in the academy of Spanish club Valencia before joining the Premier League side in 2016. It was always assumed that former West Ham striker Clyde Best, a compatriot of Trott, played a role in the shot-stopper joining the east London side but Trott belatedly wants to set the record straight.
“A lot of people get this story mixed up,” says Trott, who joined League One side Cardiff City on a season-long loan in August from Danish club Copenhagen. “Clyde is a legend in Bermuda and everyone knows he played for West Ham, but he wasn’t the reason I got my opportunity there. The connection makes sense with us both being Bermudan but I went on trial there because my agent knew the academy’s goalkeeping coach (Jerome John, who left in 2021 ).
“Mark Noble (the former club captain and sporting director) was encouraging the club to sign me, which was a nice feeling. I was there for two weeks and they thought I had huge potential, so it wasn’t through Clyde. This is the first time I’ve said it in an interview. Obviously he’s a legend but the truth is the truth, and a lot of people get the story mixed up. I have to give the right people credit.”
During Trott’s eight-year spell at West Ham from 2016-2024, he had loans at AFC Wimbledon, Nancy and Vejle. In pursuit of stability and first-team football, he left in 2024 to join Copenhagen. From a young age, Trott was used to being out of his comfort zone, which prepared him for his first 12 months at West Ham. After impressing for their under-21s, former manager David Moyes handed the goalkeeper his sole first-team appearance in the FA Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers in January 2021.
“It was a new experience for me being in an environment like that, but my confidence grew and I improved a lot in my first year,” says Trott. “I didn’t get homesick so it wasn’t tough for me being away from family. I received my first England (U20) call-up after six months of being there. In the game against Doncaster, we were 4-0 up, with less than 10 minutes left and the manager said my name.
“I thought, ‘Finally, this is my chance’. Declan Rice and Michail Antonio were joking with me about being nervous before I came on, but that moment was the result of years of hard work. It was a proud moment for my family and friends. Noble was great with the young players so he also helped prepare us for that moment. He would be the first to let you know if your standards had slipped. He would have no issue with getting onto you. It was nice to have his support.”
Trott never intended to become a goalkeeper. He enjoyed playing outfield, in defence and midfield, but those plans changed during a youth tournament in Bermuda.
“I made the official change when I was 14,” Trott recalls. “I went on a tour with Bermuda and the only way to get on the trip was to be a back-up goalkeeper. Before the first game the goalkeeper (Ajai Daniels) got injured then I played against Colombia, Chile and Portugal. I played well and people started saying I should stick to being a goalkeeper. It wasn’t until that tournament when I thought if I was going to make it as a footballer, I should stick with this.
“I enjoyed playing outfield and at times I’d play everywhere. Before 14, I only went in goal for a joke. I never thought I’d become a professional goalkeeper, but I started to really enjoy it and became a big fan of David de Gea (the ex-Manchester United goalkeeper). I looked up to him and I’d watch his highlights on YouTube all the time. Then when I started playing FIFA (now known as EA Sports FC) I’d sign myself in career mode for the club I was managing. Thankfully, it’s all worked out since making the switch at 14.”
Former West Ham goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero has had a strong impact on Trott’s career. Valero, who ended his seven-year spell in July to join Liverpool, remains in touch with Trott and was sad to see the goalkeeper leave in 2024.
“I got to train with Joe Hart, Adrian, Lukasz Fabianski and Alphonse Areola,” says Trott. “Xavi helped change my mindset because as a kid, I thought I knew everything about being a goalkeeper. But he taught me so much in a short space of time and I realised I knew nothing at all. He gave me a different outlook for different situations. He’s changed my life and career so he deserves a lot of credit.
“West Ham helped me a lot with my development and I got the loans I needed, but it was the right time to leave. Xavi phoned me before I left and we still speak now. He didn’t want me to leave because he felt I was good enough to play for West Ham, but sometimes you have to go somewhere else to prove your worth.”
This season Trott has shown why Valero was right to view him as a highly-rated talent. The goalkeeper joined Cardiff in the summer following their relegation from the Championship. Under manager Brian Barry-Murphy, Trott has played an important role in the club being top of League One after 16 games. He has kept seven clean sheets, the second highest in the division behind Luton Town goalkeeper Josh Keeley. Cardiff have conceded the second fewest goals (15) behind second-place Stevenage (11).
“The manager knew me when I was on loan at Wimbledon and he was manager of Rochdale,” says Trott. “Since then he’s kept an eye on me and thought I’d be a good fit for the team. I had a few options in Denmark and I initially wanted to stay there because I had a good reputation out there. I would’ve only wanted to come back to the UK if it made sense and joining Cardiff felt like the right move.
“I had a good vibe from him during the Zoom call and so far it has worked out well. Some managers used to try and change how I am, or how I play. He doesn’t do that, he only wants to add to what I do. That’s why he’s getting the best out of me and my time here so far has been amazing. The support from the fans has been amazing and I’m forever grateful to them. That’s why I’m determined to get the club back where it deserves to be. I just want to make them even happier and hopefully we can all celebrate at the end of the season.”
Sport Witness
Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest ‘set their sights’ on striker – Tussle for January
Mateo Pellegrino has impressed for Parma so far this season. The striker is now attracting attention from Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest.
The 24-year-old Argentine has seven goals in all competitions, while playing in a team which is battling to survive relegation in Serie A.
Pellegrino arrived at Parma last January and since his arrival has ten goals in 28 games. He’s showcased a very reliable aerial ability and is also known to be very good on the ball.
Calciomercato’s Daniele Longo has reported about interest from AC Milan.
They want a striker in January but signing Pellegrino will not be easy next month.
This is because Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest have ‘set their sights’ on the player.
The journalist claims that in the summer, Parma rejected a €15m offer from a Premier League club. The exact identity of the club remains unknown but this helped the Serie A strugglers establish a price tag for their asset.
Mateo Pellegrino
In January, Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest will have to make a ‘huge offer’ to land the player.
Parma paid only €2m to Velez Sarsfield to sign Pellegrino earlier this year. Despite the possibility of a major capital profit, they aren’t keen on a January sale.
Suitors are more likely to sign the forward in the summer, with Pellegrino helping Parma battle relegation.