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...

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Incomings:

Pablo Felipe - €21m + €3m (Gil Vicente) | Forward
Valentin 'Taty' Castellanos - €26m + €4m (Lazio) | Forward
Adama Traore - £2m + £1m if stay up (Fulham) | Forward
Axel Disasi - Loan (Chelsea) | Centre Back
Keiber Lamadrid - £150k + £1m option | Attacking Mid

Outgoings:

Nicolas Füllkrug - 6 months loan (AC Milan)
Luis Guilherme - £17m + Sell On % (Sporting Lisbon)
George Earthy - 6 months loan (Bristol City)
Callum Marshall - 6 months loan (Bochum)
Andy Irving - 1.5m (Sparta Prague)
Guido Rodriguez - Undisclosed (Valencia)
Igor Julio - Loan Cancelled (Brighton)
James Ward Prowse - 6 months loan (Burnley)
Lucas Paqueta - £36.5m + Buy Back Clause (Flamengo)

[El Scorchio]

We’ll get him for the small fee. They are just playing silly buggers probably until their players are back from AFCON. 

[stubbo-admin]

[stubbo-admin]

Bergwin is better surely 

Think I'd rather Traore. He's pretty unique, and would be great to throw on late in games when we have no outlet and want someone who offers threat in behind and carries the ball up the pitch.

Season before this his chance creation stats were excellent too. Don't remember Begwijn offering anything of note at Spurs, and he lacks the physique or uniqueness of someone like Traore.

I'll be sad if we dont get Traore as he's a unique tool.for use in certain situations who creates space for others by how difficult he is to deal with himself.

[stubbo-admin]

Starting to look like the Traore deal is floundering...them wanting money they weren't asking originally, also wanting to keep him deep into January, and him wanting a fat off pay check.

Interesting to see if this one gets over the line...he's of course a unique profile who only Antonio has really come close to in recent times.  His stats from last season were largely awesome and exactly what we need in the squad.  And who desn't like a bit of chaos as the run away shopping trolley carries the ball aimlessly down the right.

Lets hope Hahn and his data crunchers have a couple of rabbits ready to be pulled from the hat if this one goes sideways (or morel likely, Mendes smells cash in the water).

Hahn probably does the square root of fuck all apart from agreeing blindly with what Sullivan says. Only bigged up as an excuse to fire Macauley. He’ll be scapegoated and out of the door as soon as it suits the dwarf. 

Supposedly Hahn now reports in directly to Sullivan...making player recommendations like Magassa.

[fraser]

Bergwin is better surely 

[Fauxstralian]

Understood Fulham originally asked for £2m for Traore with 6 months left on his contract
They then upped that to £7m which is ludicrous 
Could be worse, Sterling might have agreed to come

[Come On You Irons]

So the Traore deal has collapsed due to a dispute over wages. The classic cheapskate Sullivan dwarf approach to transfer dealings.

[Alan]

C&H

Exciting New Target Emerges as Traore Deal collapses

West Ham United have shifted their transfer focus after negotiations for Adama Traore collapsed late in the process – as exclusively revealed by Claret & Hugh yesterday and this morning.

The focus has now reportedly shifted to former Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn.

According to EXWHU Employee the player has been offered to the Hammers who are considering bringing the Al-Ithaad winger back to the Premier League.

This breakdown in talks for Traore opened the door for a renewed push for Bergwijn, who previously spent two and a half seasons in the Premier League with Spurs.

Now aged 28, the Netherlands international has been made available by the Saudi team having joined in 2024 for €21m on a three year contract. The player has made 33 appearances weighing in with 18 goals.

The Hammers’ attack has lacked depth, and Bergwijn’s pace and creativity are viewed as essential upgrades. West Ham have been long term admirers of the player, having tried to sign him from Ajax in January 2024.

A stumbling block is the players wages – reported at roughly £8m a year. Talks are ongoing with his representatives HCM Sports, yet according to Fabrizio Romano other clubs are also interested.

[El Scorchio]

Starting to look like the Traore deal is floundering...them wanting money they weren't asking originally, also wanting to keep him deep into January, and him wanting a fat off pay check.

Interesting to see if this one gets over the line...he's of course a unique profile who only Antonio has really come close to in recent times.  His stats from last season were largely awesome and exactly what we need in the squad.  And who desn't like a bit of chaos as the run away shopping trolley carries the ball aimlessly down the right.

Lets hope Hahn and his data crunchers have a couple of rabbits ready to be pulled from the hat if this one goes sideways (or morel likely, Mendes smells cash in the water).

Hahn probably does the square root of fuck all apart from agreeing blindly with what Sullivan says. Only bigged up as an excuse to fire Macauley. He’ll be scapegoated and out of the door as soon as it suits the dwarf. 

[Mike Oxsaw]

 

Sullivans ego won't like this, I would expect some sabotage down the line

I suspect Sullivan has already detailed the fine art of, and necessity to deploy, "Envelope marrom" in any transfer deal.

[Mad Dog]

Reading all the replies, technically good,  but cant score and always injured

Much better when part of a front 2 (which we dont play)

Ffs

[stubbo-admin]

Dont know much about taty, But just saw an instagram reel from a lazio fan has me concerned "When you get a premier league team to overpay for your striker who can't score", with the chap in it celebrating that hes going 

Yeah is an interesting one.  I've heard him likened to Antonio combined with Zarate....chases everything, competes for every ball, a bit greedy etc (not as physically dominant as Antonio, but makes up for that in attitude).

We've had plenty of good seasons in the last few where our central striker isn't our prime goal getter, as long as they facilitate Bowen getting our best chances in space.  Suspect this guy is being brought to run the channels, harry and harangue, and he tends to shoot a lot.  Bascially a bit of a madman/maverick up front, but maybe not top tier quality with it.

[Mad Dog]

Dont know much about taty, But just saw an instagram reel from a lazio fan has me concerned "When you get a premier league team to overpay for your striker who can't score", with the chap in it celebrating that hes going 

[stubbo-admin]

Starting to look like the Traore deal is floundering...them wanting money they weren't asking originally, also wanting to keep him deep into January, and him wanting a fat off pay check.

Interesting to see if this one gets over the line...he's of course a unique profile who only Antonio has really come close to in recent times.  His stats from last season were largely awesome and exactly what we need in the squad.  And who desn't like a bit of chaos as the run away shopping trolley carries the ball aimlessly down the right.

Lets hope Hahn and his data crunchers have a couple of rabbits ready to be pulled from the hat if this one goes sideways (or morel likely, Mendes smells cash in the water).

[stubbo-admin]

How much does that Taty MLS fella cost us, £29M I heard off claret and booze? Seems steep and a gamble when we can't afford to really waste it. 

It would be nice to think of these 2 new Forwards as the modern day equivalent of the Kitson and Hartson duo. Hit the ground running lads!

25m GBP (29 is in EUR)

Pablo was 18m GBP (+ a bit more in add ins that kick in if he does well).

[Ron Eff]

How much does that Taty MLS fella cost us, £29M I heard off claret and booze? Seems steep and a gamble when we can't afford to really waste it. 

It would be nice to think of these 2 new Forwards as the modern day equivalent of the Kitson and Hartson duo. Hit the ground running lads!

Won’t be worse value than Fullkrug, will he? Looks like he can play across the front and off the main striker. Best guess is he’ll initially play on the left and again, his end product can’t be worse than Summerville can it?

Read that he’s not dissimilar to Arnautovic in style. With South American’s you seem to either get the wishy washy flakes or proper grafters. Hopefully’s he’s the latter and that’s why he’s being signed as this team lacks a backbone. 

Sounds like Pablo likes a bit of graft too. Might not be pretty, but needs must. 

[Mad Ferret]

Heard a rumour that the traore deal is off due to wages.

could be complete bollocks

Poppycock

[twoleftfeet]

 

Sullivans ego won't like this, I would expect some sabotage down the line

Good those 2 cunts have bogged us down with some utter shit. In Mendes I trust

[Mad Dog]

Heard a rumour that the traore deal is off due to wages.

could be complete bollocks

[Massive Attack]

How much does that Taty MLS fella cost us, £29M I heard off claret and booze? Seems steep and a gamble when we can't afford to really waste it. 

It would be nice to think of these 2 new Forwards as the modern day equivalent of the Kitson and Hartson duo. Hit the ground running lads!

[Takashi Miike]

the circus is definitely back in full swing

[claypole]

 

 

Sullivans ego won't like this, I would expect some sabotage down the line

[Eerie Decent]

It's not ideally how you want to run a club, but given who our owner is, and how we operate, he's the best chance we've got.

[stubbo-admin]

[Mad Ferret]

I don't think Harvey Elliott at Villa on loan from the Scousers would be a bad idea. It all depends whether we can renegotiate his loan deal for the rest of the season that works better in our favour.
 

He can’t sign for anyone else this season.

He either stays at Villa, or goes back to Liverpool.