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...

--------------

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)

[Manuel]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

Every time the ball is played into our box it’s the other team winning the header. 
We need a center half otherwise we will continue to leak too many goals from corners and crosses. Gotta fix it to have a real chance. Need clean sheets.

Nuts - Respect your point and appreciate it isn't as black and white as I laid it out, but if you score goals you will win games and stay up. Look at our previous great escapes, it was Tevez and then Hartson and Kitson that kept us up, not a centre back.

[Massive Attack]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

Every time the ball is played into our box it’s the other team winning the header. 
We need a center half otherwise we will continue to leak too many goals from corners and crosses. Gotta fix it to have a real chance. Need clean sheets.

Wrong approach. That's been Nuno's mindset from the outset which is why we have only won once in the previous 11 League matches. Play to our strengths, not to try and overcompensate with yet more defending. That was clear long before he arrived and it's even more evident now since his arrival. Forget clean sheets, it aint happening at this stage. The approach should be to score more than the opposition and to try and get our noses in front as early as possible. Best form of defence is attack and especially when our defence has had so many issues.

They need help by being as far up the pitch and as often as possible. That would also in turn breed confidence and respite for a weary defence shell-shocked to fuck with wave after wave of relentless unsuccessful defending due to the approach of the Gutless One. 

We've got the firepower to damage the opposition and it now needs embracing if we are to have any chance of surviving. 

Each time we've actually won a game this season is by outscoring the opposition and by at least 2 goals.

Forest

0-3

Newcastle 

3-1

Burnley 

3-2

Spurs

1-2

We cannot manage defensive 1-0s it's not in our nature to manage it these days. Play to our strengths and attack the cunts! The goals and the 3 points are there if only we approach the games the right way.

[Nutsin]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

Every time the ball is played into our box it’s the other team winning the header. 
We need a center half otherwise we will continue to leak too many goals from corners and crosses. Gotta fix it to have a real chance. Need clean sheets.

[Manuel]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

[Sir Alf]

We definitely need more signings. Weve lost a lot of games after the 60 min mark and our first 11 tire but we have no subs of the quality needed to bring on. We get weaker but cannot do anything about it. Sometimes its losing leads but also ggimg a goal down we cant fo anything from the bench.

Suppose thats what Baldie Nuno means by “rebalancing the squad” but surely its defence and centre midfield too that needs reinforcing. All I seeing online is wide men bought or linked?

[Tomshardware]

whats going on with this cummings lad we signed last year?  I know he's nowhere near first team but google 
'Daniel Cummings west ham" and you'll struggle to find a single picture of him in a west ham shirt  - maybe he got injured idk but still that was last july we signed him.

He played for Under 21's last week against Wimbledon.

[Eerie Decent]

I think a winger was more important than a CB, or certainly just as important. Our CB's are shit, but we do at least have 4 of them.

All our attacking play is done via the flanks, our 2 wingers are our 2 best players, but if one of them gets injured, our back up winger is.... ?

KWP basically. We definitely won't be winning any more games if that's the case.

Whether this lad is good enough is another question, let's fucking hope so.

I don’t think some unknown from Venezuela is going to get up to speed double quick and be our saviour, though I take your point.

That said, our centre-halves are two-bob and I’ve just seen we’re linked with Tyrone Mings who would be ideal. Not the best defender in the world, but better than what we have, a leader and up for the fight.

As I said, who knows what this young winger will do. But a point to consider about our centre backs, is they are always, and I mean always, under the pump, they have more defending to do than anyone in the league, and a big part of that is because we've been so shit at the top end of the pitch for so long, so they don't get a break.

Everyone lauds the Tottenham centre backs, but look how shit they looked on Saturday when we were proper attacking them, we could've been 0-3 up at half time. That's what our defenders have to deal with every week, our defence looked rock solid apart from the brainless AWB at the weekend.

Yes, we do need a CB, but it's just as important to be better at the top end of the pitch, because the more we do up there, the less our defenders have to do.

[Sir Alf]

Centre back and centre mid “backbone” needed. These blokes also need to be quicker than the usual “cart horse” types we get.  

[nychammer]

whats going on with this cummings lad we signed last year?  I know he's nowhere near first team but google 
'Daniel Cummings west ham" and you'll struggle to find a single picture of him in a west ham shirt  - maybe he got injured idk but still that was last july we signed him.

[fraser]

Nice googling chaps, remove the accents if you want to make it seem it was from the top of your head. 

I didn't... I Googled

[Far Cough UKunt]

Nice googling chaps, remove the accents if you want to make it seem it was from the top of your head. 

[Mad Ferret]

I'm trying to think of any player from Venezuela, they're more into baseball aren't they?

Tomás Rincón

[Westham67]

We are hiring wingers and strikers so we stay up winning every game 5-4

[fraser]

I'm trying to think of any player from Venezuela, they're more into baseball aren't they?

Salomón Rondón

[Far Cough UKunt]

I'm trying to think of any player from Venezuela, they're more into baseball aren't they?

[Pub Bigot]

I think a winger was more important than a CB, or certainly just as important. Our CB's are shit, but we do at least have 4 of them.

All our attacking play is done via the flanks, our 2 wingers are our 2 best players, but if one of them gets injured, our back up winger is.... ?

KWP basically. We definitely won't be winning any more games if that's the case.

Whether this lad is good enough is another question, let's fucking hope so.

I don’t think some unknown from Venezuela is going to get up to speed double quick and be our saviour, though I take your point.

That said, our centre-halves are two-bob and I’ve just seen we’re linked with Tyrone Mings who would be ideal. Not the best defender in the world, but better than what we have, a leader and up for the fight.

[Vexed]

Seem to be linked with anyone but the fucking centre back we desperately need. 

Why are we bringing in this Wellington Paulista replacement though? He's not gonna get games is he?

[Westham67]

360 He is a right winger, which will give us balance and more options up front

[Eerie Decent]

He doesn't get subbed because we have zero back up.

We need wing options. Badly. 

[threesixty]

Isnt Traore a right sided winger? Thats where I've normally seen him.
What happens to Bowen? 
Bowen rarely gets subbed.

 

[Council Scum]

Can anyone explain objectively why Nuno wouldn’t want Wilson?
I don’t believe all these rumours. 
if he hates him so much why was he on the bench and why did he even put him on?
he obviously doesn’t fuck around if he doesn’t like you (JWP). 

Way too many rumours with no substance going around. 




 

 

All the 'analysts' basically agree that Nuno prizes one-on-one duel performance over anything else. Win the individual battle with your opponent, and you come out on top as a team.

Callum Wilson doesn't win many duels. Thble two strikers brought in both have big duelling numbers. Can see the same in the upturn in Todibo...much more aggressive in the individual duels.

It's not that he dislikes Wilson, just that he doesn't offer what he believes he wants in his players.

But.... obviously if we're going two up top he needs a striker on the bench, and a last 5 mins poacher fits that Bill well as at that point in the game the individual duels are of less significance.  Don't expect to see Wilson starting any time soon though.

I couldn't careless how many duals my striker wins, I want him scoring goals. 

[Eerie Decent]

This boy in on loan to look like we’ve replaced Paqueta. Net £35 million in for Paqueta covers, with Guilherme fee, what we paid out for Pablo and Taty. 

The illusion of spending to try keep us up. Sullivan really is the “master of deception”?

He seems to have fooled everyone but you Alf, you wily old puzzle solver'.

[stubbo-admin]

This boy in on loan to look like we’ve replaced Paqueta. Net £35 million in for Paqueta covers, with Guilherme fee, what we paid out for Pablo and Taty. 

The illusion of spending to try keep us up. Sullivan really is the “master of deception”?

I expect we get this guy in Lamadrid as no more than a pure Sullivan 'gift' style punt. We then get Adama in as our main wing substitute, and we're net better off than one Guilherme. Adama has clearly utility, Lamadrid has played WAY more senior football than Guilherme had at 1/20th the cost and risk, and we got a large portion of our cash back.

I've no problem with a low net spend if we can balance the books and have a stronger squad....surely that is the art!

Adama > Guilherme (right now). 

Guilherme Vs Lamadrid? Who knows.  But at least it gives us two wingers and we can make attacking subs for players with more energy.

All the talk is of Kebbal to replace Paqueta....looks a bit tiny for my liking (5ft 5ish and skinny as). Will need to be a total magician to get a kick in this league. 

But if we can get 2 strikers, 2 wingers, a viable AM, and we're clearly still after a CB (and have navigated AFCON now)...then we're in better shape than we went into the window of the loss is Basically Paqueta at a mealingful level, then the Club's business will look reasonable given our current plight and strength of attraction.

[stubbo-admin]

Can anyone explain objectively why Nuno wouldn’t want Wilson?
I don’t believe all these rumours. 
if he hates him so much why was he on the bench and why did he even put him on?
he obviously doesn’t fuck around if he doesn’t like you (JWP). 

Way too many rumours with no substance going around. 



 

 

 

All the 'analysts' basically agree that Nuno prizes one-on-one duel performance over anything else. Win the individual battle with your opponent, and you come out on top as a team.

Callum Wilson doesn't win many duels. Thble two strikers brought in both have big duelling numbers. Can see the same in the upturn in Todibo...much more aggressive in the individual duels.

It's not that he dislikes Wilson, just that he doesn't offer what he believes he wants in his players.

But.... obviously if we're going two up top he needs a striker on the bench, and a last 5 mins poacher fits that Bill well as at that point in the game the individual duels are of less significance.  Don't expect to see Wilson starting any time soon though.

[Sir Alf]

This boy in on loan to look like we’ve replaced Paqueta. Net £35 million in for Paqueta covers, with Guilherme fee, what we paid out for Pablo and Taty. 

The illusion of spending to try keep us up. Sullivan really is the “master of deception”?