Friday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 13 Dec 2024, 09:49
BBC
Several big European clubs have shown interest in Bayern Munich's 24-year-old Canada full-back Alphonso Davies, including Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona. (Athletic - subscription required)
Manchester City have accepted they need to buy players in the January transfer window following their poor run of form, with between four and six signings possible over the next two windows. (Telegraph - subscription required)
City want Valencia's Spanish midfielder Pepelu, 26, to provide cover for the injured Rodri. (Estadio Deportivo)
Arsenal are in danger of losing Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 31, for nothing in the summer. (Mirror)
Chelsea's 21-year-old England youth forward Carney Chukwuemeka is attracting interest from Premier League clubs. (Football Insider)
Brazil forward Richarlison, 27, will reject an approach from former club Fluminense as he looks to prove himself at Tottenham. (TNT Sports Brazil - in Portuguese)
Manchester United want Girona's Spanish defender Miguel Gutierrez, 23, in January as they look to bolster their options at left-back. (TeamTalk )
United boss Ruben Amorim only views nine players in his squad as "unsellable", with Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 30, and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, among the names at risk of being sold. (Mail)
Newcastle are monitoring Monaco's 22-year-old French winger Maghnes Akliouche. (i Paper) Tottenham are monitoring French midfielder Andy Diouf, 21, after catching the eye at Lens. (GiveMeSport)
Spurs are considering recalling English defender Ashley Phillips, 19, from his loan deal at Stoke in January to help ease their injury crisis. (Standard)
Wolves could be forced to sell one of their star players in January to avoid a potential profit and sustainability breach. (Football Insider)
Former Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth might replace Edu at Arsenal, however Real Sociedad's Roberto Olabe is also being considered. (Mail - subscription required)
Crystal Palace want a trio of players from Lyon, with Ghana winger Ernest Nuamah, 21, French winger Rayan Cherki, 21, and French defender Sael Kumbedi, 19, in their sights. (TBR Football)
Manchester United and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof, 30, is attracting interest from several clubs in Serie A, including AC Milan. (TeamTalk)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot ahead of the January transfer window.
Goal machine Cole Palmer is set to make an ice little earner - by trademarking his shivering celebration.
Pep Guardiola plans to hit the January sales for the first time in seven years in a bid to halt Manchester City's alarming slump.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte could try and sign another Manchester United ace, Joshua Zirkzee, in January.
Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rejected the chance to return to management at Molde, according to reports in Norway.
Former FA Cup finalist Brett Ormerod has begun his new job as Bolton's assistant kit man.
Sandro Tonali's agent has rubbished reports that he is unhappy at Newcastle and wants a return to Italy next month.
DAILY MAIL
Manchester City's dismal run in the Champions League has already cost them almost £6m in lost prize money.
Dan Ashworth's sacking as Manchester United sporting director came amid concerns from his bosses that he lacked a clear vision for the club's head coach position.
Graham Potter was the leading contender to replace West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui this week if they had lost to Wolves.
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope is a doubt for Saturday's visit of Leicester, in what has been a bruising week for Eddie Howe.
One of Dan Ashworth's main competitors in the race to replace Edu at Arsenal is Real Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe, who is leaving the Spanish club at the end of the season.
West Ham defender Luizao is attracting interest from Brazilian side Internacional heading into the January transfer window.
Sportsbank, the investment vehicle in talks to buy a share in Crystal Palace, were alerted to the availability of Championship side Watford before switching to south London.
Millwall players were left in the dark over Neil Harris' plans to step down from his position as head coach this week.
Chelsea fans who made the journey to watch Enzo Maresca's side face FC Astana in Almaty have been given a touching commemorative gift to mark the mammoth journey.
West Ham's senior players have visited Michail Antonio in hospital as he recovers from surgery following his car crash.
DAILY MIRROR
Manchester United have claimed they are unable to put tickets on sale for their FA Cup third-round clash against Arsenal because the Gunners have not released enough information.
The last Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park has been pencilled in for Tuesday February 11.
Manchester City's miserable Champions League campaign has already cost the pre-tournament favourites almost £6m in prize money.
Arsenal are in serious danger of losing Thomas Partey for nothing in the summer.
THE ATHLETIC
Brighton & Hove Albion have been fined £20,000 by the Premier League for breaking youth development rules.
Ruben Amorim saw the positives in Rasmus Hojlund and Amad having a heated discussion at the end of Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.
Gio Reyna says he is determined to "fight for more opportunities" after making his first Borussia Dortmund start in over a year during Wednesday's Champions League loss to Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappe is a serious doubt for the Intercontinental Cup final due to a left thigh injury sustained during Real Madrid's Champions League victory over Atalanta on Tuesday.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Pep Guardiola is facing a defensive crisis ahead of Sunday's derby.
Former American Ryder Cup captains including, it is believed, Tom Watson, have launched an unprecedented alliance against the plan to pay players to compete, with at least 12 signing a letter to the PGA of America against the proposal.
EVENING STANDARD
Tottenham are undertaking a second review of their medical department in less than a year following an injury pile-up which is threatening to further derail their season.
Fulham have been dealt a major blow after Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson was ruled out for 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.
Tottenham are considering recalling centre-half Ashley Phillips from loan at Stoke City to help cover their injury crisis.
THE TIMES
England will be unable to call up players for the U21 European Championship this summer if they are involved in the Club World Cup after FIFA tweaked its rules on reporting for international duty.
The coaches who guided Great Britain's athletics stars to the team's most successful Olympics in 40 years have had their funding slashed by as much as 60 per cent, leaving some facing the prospect of taking on part-time work away from the sport.
Pressure on the RFU leadership increased on Monday after council members demanded a formal emergency meeting that would allow for a vote of no confidence in the chairman, Tom Ilube.
DAILY RECORD
Rangers have landed 3,700 tickets for their showdown with Manchester United with the club seeking a designated fan area in the city.
Celtic are reportedly leading the race to snap up fringe man Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea on loan in January.
The possibility of a return to Rangers for out-of-favour Nathan Patterson reportedly "could open up" with the Everton defender desperate to improve his game time.
Former Rangers goal hero Nikica Jelavic is reportedly being lined up for his first senior managerial role with struggling Croatian side NK Lokomotiva Zagreb.
SCOTTISH SUN
Celtic have reportedly shown interest in Ajax star Benjamin Tahirovic ahead of the January transfer window opening.
The Athletic
Michail Antonio and what he means to West Ham – according to his team-mates and past managers
By Roshane Thomas
It is a short drive from Theydon Bois station to Coppice Row. Here, the shattered remains of Michail Antonio’s Ferrari lie between two splintered trees.
The debris consists of a car window and a few engine parts. Antonio remains in hospital following his car accident on Saturday at this spot in the Essex countryside, on London’s north-east outskirts. He is in good spirits but faces a long recovery. The 34-year-old West Ham United forward had surgery on a lower limb fracture and will continue to be closely monitored.
Tomas Soucek and captain Jarrod Bowen dedicated their goals to Antonio during Monday’s 2-1 Premier League victory over fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers — he had spoken to his London Stadium team-mates before the match. Many of those to have lined up alongside him for other clubs in his long career have been in touch to wish him well with his recovery.
The London-born Jamaica international is known for being a fan favourite and West Ham club legend, but he is also considered a brother and a son to people he has crossed paths with.
This is what Antonio means to West Ham — from those who managed and played alongside him.
Slaven Bilic was the West Ham manager who signed Antonio from Nottingham Forest in summer 2015 for £7million ($8.9m at the current exchange rate). Bilic left the club two years later but has stayed in touch with Antonio. He admits he feared the worst when he saw pictures of the wrecked Ferrari.
“I was at home on Saturday scrolling through my phone,” Bilic tells The Athletic. “Then I received an alert about Michail being involved in a car crash. I saw a picture of the car and thought: ‘No way someone can survive that’. The car was completely written off but God saved him. A lot of people have said it’s a miracle, but it was God.
“I haven’t spoken to Michail but I reached out to people at West Ham. They gave me an update and I thanked God he was alive. It’s horrible what happened to him and he has a long recovery ahead. But if anyone can come back from this, it is Michail. I love him like a son. He’s a warrior and that’s just his character.”
Antonio grew up in south London and started his career at local non-League side Tooting & Mitcham before spells at Reading, Cheltenham Town (loan), Southampton (loan), Colchester United (loan), Sheffield Wednesday (initial loan made permanent) and Forest. He is West Ham’s record Premier League goalscorer with 68 goals. He has also made the third-most Premier League appearances for the club (248), only behind Aaron Cresswell (299) and their former captain, now sporting director, Mark Noble (414).
“It was always a journey with Michail, not just one moment,” says Bilic. “When I was manager, the fans would always say: ‘Let’s sign a striker’. First we brought (Simone) Zaza, then, after me, they signed (Sebastien) Haller, (Gianluca) Scamacca, but it was always Michail who was the first choice.
“In his second season, we played Manchester City away. Sam Allardyce was the England manager and he called up Michail for the senior squad. After the game, I told Michail and he was super happy. He went with England for their game against Slovakia but he didn’t play. He came back and he was really down. I said: ‘What’s wrong?’. He said he was disappointed he didn’t play. I had to do everything to lift his mood. But that’s Michail for you. He’s super ambitious and driven.”
Antonio, a winger at the time rather than the central striker he would become at West Ham, scored 14 goals in 46 appearances for Forest in their 2014-15 season in the second-tier Championship. Despite those impressive numbers, there were doubts over whether he could make the step up to the Premier League. West Ham were the only top-flight club willing to take a risk on him.
“When we signed him, the only question I had was why no one else had signed him,” says Bilic. “He was 25 and it seemed like no other club wanted to take a chance on him, but it worked out well for West Ham and I’m proud of what he’s gone on to accomplish. What makes me smile the most is the fact he’s gone on to become a West Ham legend. They tried to say he was just a Championship player and he’s proved them all wrong.”
Monday’s league fixture against Wolves was always going to be emotional given the severity of Antonio’s car accident, but West Ham;s players and supporters rallied together during a potentially vital win as they fight to stay in the Premier League. His team-mates, who had spoken to him by video call before the match, wore replica ‘Antonio, 9’ shirts during the warm-up and when they walked out onto the pitch for kick-off. West Ham will now auction these off, with each one having been signed by every member of the squad — yes, including Antonio.
Soucek showed nine fingers when he scored the game’s opening goal early in the second half. Bowen held an Antonio shirt up high during the celebrations after netting the winner 18 minutes later.
“That Saturday evening is probably the worst thing I’ve been involved in, in terms of finding out and waiting for the news that ultimately he was safe,” Bowen, West Ham’s current captain, tells The Athletic. “There were a lot of emotions coming into the game. Of course, there would be — he’s our friend and team-mate, and something terrible had happened to him. But we had to go out there and win for him, and you could see that with the celebrations.
“Mich has a special connection with everyone at this club. When he’s well enough to come in, I can imagine he will be the same Mich. He’s a warrior and he’s been through a lot in his career. This isn’t something he wanted but is definitely something he will fight through because that’s how he is as a character.
“He’s one of the best and since I’ve been captain, he’s helped me with it. We have a fines system going on and he’s in charge of that. We had emails from the security guard when people were coming in late, so I’m sure Michail is still receiving those emails and he’ll be telling me when people are late. I haven’t been fined. I’m always early!
“He’s a brilliant footballer but an even better person. You can see that through the love and support he’s received. He’s probably one of the best guys I’ve come across in football. Like I said, Saturday was really difficult, especially when I couldn’t do anything to help; more praying that we’ll have good news and, in the end, it was. Now we’ll be here to support him on his road to recovery.”
David Moyes, who has had two spells as Antonio’s manager at West Ham, converted him from a winger into a centre-forward in the pandemic-extended 2019-20 season. When that campaign resumed in the June after three months of lockdown, Antonio memorably scored four goals in one game against Norwich City. It was the first hat-trick of his professional career and he was the first West Ham player to net four times in a league match since David Cross did it against Tottenham Hotspur in 1981.
Antonio has 83 goals in 323 appearances for West Ham. Between 2019-20 and 2022-23, he scored in double figures for four consecutive seasons. Haller, who joined for a club-record £45million in July 2019, and Scamacca, signed in a £35m deal in summer 2022, were bought to take his place. Yet he remained a pivotal part of Moyes’ attack — capped off by West Ham winning the Europa Conference League final in May of last year.
“He’s been very hard to replace over the last four years,” Moyes tells The Athletic. “He’s done a great job and he’s someone who the fans really appreciate. A lot of the strikers we bought hadn’t been successful but they arrived with good pedigree. I’d converted Marko Arnautovic into a centre-forward and I was confident I could do the same for Michail.
“He scored four goals against Norwich and that kept us up. It was in the middle of covid and from that game, we started to build as a club. I remember me and Alan Irvine (West Ham first-team coach at the time) having a chat after that, saying we have to do something more than (just) avoiding relegation.
“Michail played a big part in our journey of qualifying for Europe and winning the Conference League. I remember me and him had a stand-up (argument) once in the dressing room because I didn’t think he was doing enough. Then, two minutes later, we’re hugging each other. Thankfully, I was often able to get him to respond well to criticism.
“Now he’s a West Ham legend and no one can take that from him.”
(Top photo: Jasper Jacobs/Belga mag/AFP via Getty Images)
Sport Witness
“We won’t waste any time” – West Ham player’s agent makes it clear he’s leaving
By Naveen Ullal
Over the past few days, several claims from the Brazilian media have stated West Ham United’s Luizão wants to return to Brazil in the winter market.
Two days ago, Rádio Inferno and Globo Esporte reported SC Internacional are looking to sign the centre-back. It was also stated the Hammers are ready to let him leave on a loan deal with an option to buy.
Revista Colorada, a website dedicating its coverage to the Brazilian club, got in touch with the West Ham player’s agent, Wagner Trentin, to find out about Internacional’s links.
The agent has confirmed Internacional are one of the clubs to have made an approach for the 22-year-old. Trentin has also said Julen Lopetegui’s side are open to letting his client leave in January.
“We’ve had enquiries from various clubs in Brazil, including Inter [Internacional]. But we don’t have anything official from any club, just enquiries about interest and salary. Today West Ham are loaning him out with an option to buy,” he said.
The representative hasn’t provided the details of other clubs but insists Luizão will favour a move to Internacional, if they were to convert their interest into an offer.
“But who wouldn’t want to play for Inter? Today we’re more for the clubs than for ourselves,” Trentin explained.
“Inter actually approached us in the last window and didn’t make a move, there was another preference. But we’re open, if Inter make it official we won’t waste any time.”
On Thursday, Bolavip in Brazil reported Grêmio and Bahia are also showing interest in the Brazilian.
West Ham haven’t provided Luizão an opportunity to represent their senior team since he arrived at the club from São Paulo in January 2023.
Several big European clubs have shown interest in Bayern Munich's 24-year-old Canada full-back Alphonso Davies, including Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona. (Athletic - subscription required)
Manchester City have accepted they need to buy players in the January transfer window following their poor run of form, with between four and six signings possible over the next two windows. (Telegraph - subscription required)
City want Valencia's Spanish midfielder Pepelu, 26, to provide cover for the injured Rodri. (Estadio Deportivo)
Arsenal are in danger of losing Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 31, for nothing in the summer. (Mirror)
Chelsea's 21-year-old England youth forward Carney Chukwuemeka is attracting interest from Premier League clubs. (Football Insider)
Brazil forward Richarlison, 27, will reject an approach from former club Fluminense as he looks to prove himself at Tottenham. (TNT Sports Brazil - in Portuguese)
Manchester United want Girona's Spanish defender Miguel Gutierrez, 23, in January as they look to bolster their options at left-back. (TeamTalk )
United boss Ruben Amorim only views nine players in his squad as "unsellable", with Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 30, and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, among the names at risk of being sold. (Mail)
Newcastle are monitoring Monaco's 22-year-old French winger Maghnes Akliouche. (i Paper) Tottenham are monitoring French midfielder Andy Diouf, 21, after catching the eye at Lens. (GiveMeSport)
Spurs are considering recalling English defender Ashley Phillips, 19, from his loan deal at Stoke in January to help ease their injury crisis. (Standard)
Wolves could be forced to sell one of their star players in January to avoid a potential profit and sustainability breach. (Football Insider)
Former Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth might replace Edu at Arsenal, however Real Sociedad's Roberto Olabe is also being considered. (Mail - subscription required)
Crystal Palace want a trio of players from Lyon, with Ghana winger Ernest Nuamah, 21, French winger Rayan Cherki, 21, and French defender Sael Kumbedi, 19, in their sights. (TBR Football)
Manchester United and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof, 30, is attracting interest from several clubs in Serie A, including AC Milan. (TeamTalk)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot ahead of the January transfer window.
Goal machine Cole Palmer is set to make an ice little earner - by trademarking his shivering celebration.
Pep Guardiola plans to hit the January sales for the first time in seven years in a bid to halt Manchester City's alarming slump.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte could try and sign another Manchester United ace, Joshua Zirkzee, in January.
Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rejected the chance to return to management at Molde, according to reports in Norway.
Former FA Cup finalist Brett Ormerod has begun his new job as Bolton's assistant kit man.
Sandro Tonali's agent has rubbished reports that he is unhappy at Newcastle and wants a return to Italy next month.
DAILY MAIL
Manchester City's dismal run in the Champions League has already cost them almost £6m in lost prize money.
Dan Ashworth's sacking as Manchester United sporting director came amid concerns from his bosses that he lacked a clear vision for the club's head coach position.
Graham Potter was the leading contender to replace West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui this week if they had lost to Wolves.
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope is a doubt for Saturday's visit of Leicester, in what has been a bruising week for Eddie Howe.
One of Dan Ashworth's main competitors in the race to replace Edu at Arsenal is Real Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe, who is leaving the Spanish club at the end of the season.
West Ham defender Luizao is attracting interest from Brazilian side Internacional heading into the January transfer window.
Sportsbank, the investment vehicle in talks to buy a share in Crystal Palace, were alerted to the availability of Championship side Watford before switching to south London.
Millwall players were left in the dark over Neil Harris' plans to step down from his position as head coach this week.
Chelsea fans who made the journey to watch Enzo Maresca's side face FC Astana in Almaty have been given a touching commemorative gift to mark the mammoth journey.
West Ham's senior players have visited Michail Antonio in hospital as he recovers from surgery following his car crash.
DAILY MIRROR
Manchester United have claimed they are unable to put tickets on sale for their FA Cup third-round clash against Arsenal because the Gunners have not released enough information.
The last Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park has been pencilled in for Tuesday February 11.
Manchester City's miserable Champions League campaign has already cost the pre-tournament favourites almost £6m in prize money.
Arsenal are in serious danger of losing Thomas Partey for nothing in the summer.
THE ATHLETIC
Brighton & Hove Albion have been fined £20,000 by the Premier League for breaking youth development rules.
Ruben Amorim saw the positives in Rasmus Hojlund and Amad having a heated discussion at the end of Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.
Gio Reyna says he is determined to "fight for more opportunities" after making his first Borussia Dortmund start in over a year during Wednesday's Champions League loss to Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappe is a serious doubt for the Intercontinental Cup final due to a left thigh injury sustained during Real Madrid's Champions League victory over Atalanta on Tuesday.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Pep Guardiola is facing a defensive crisis ahead of Sunday's derby.
Former American Ryder Cup captains including, it is believed, Tom Watson, have launched an unprecedented alliance against the plan to pay players to compete, with at least 12 signing a letter to the PGA of America against the proposal.
EVENING STANDARD
Tottenham are undertaking a second review of their medical department in less than a year following an injury pile-up which is threatening to further derail their season.
Fulham have been dealt a major blow after Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson was ruled out for 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.
Tottenham are considering recalling centre-half Ashley Phillips from loan at Stoke City to help cover their injury crisis.
THE TIMES
England will be unable to call up players for the U21 European Championship this summer if they are involved in the Club World Cup after FIFA tweaked its rules on reporting for international duty.
The coaches who guided Great Britain's athletics stars to the team's most successful Olympics in 40 years have had their funding slashed by as much as 60 per cent, leaving some facing the prospect of taking on part-time work away from the sport.
Pressure on the RFU leadership increased on Monday after council members demanded a formal emergency meeting that would allow for a vote of no confidence in the chairman, Tom Ilube.
DAILY RECORD
Rangers have landed 3,700 tickets for their showdown with Manchester United with the club seeking a designated fan area in the city.
Celtic are reportedly leading the race to snap up fringe man Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea on loan in January.
The possibility of a return to Rangers for out-of-favour Nathan Patterson reportedly "could open up" with the Everton defender desperate to improve his game time.
Former Rangers goal hero Nikica Jelavic is reportedly being lined up for his first senior managerial role with struggling Croatian side NK Lokomotiva Zagreb.
SCOTTISH SUN
Celtic have reportedly shown interest in Ajax star Benjamin Tahirovic ahead of the January transfer window opening.
The Athletic
Michail Antonio and what he means to West Ham – according to his team-mates and past managers
By Roshane Thomas
It is a short drive from Theydon Bois station to Coppice Row. Here, the shattered remains of Michail Antonio’s Ferrari lie between two splintered trees.
The debris consists of a car window and a few engine parts. Antonio remains in hospital following his car accident on Saturday at this spot in the Essex countryside, on London’s north-east outskirts. He is in good spirits but faces a long recovery. The 34-year-old West Ham United forward had surgery on a lower limb fracture and will continue to be closely monitored.
Tomas Soucek and captain Jarrod Bowen dedicated their goals to Antonio during Monday’s 2-1 Premier League victory over fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers — he had spoken to his London Stadium team-mates before the match. Many of those to have lined up alongside him for other clubs in his long career have been in touch to wish him well with his recovery.
The London-born Jamaica international is known for being a fan favourite and West Ham club legend, but he is also considered a brother and a son to people he has crossed paths with.
This is what Antonio means to West Ham — from those who managed and played alongside him.
Slaven Bilic was the West Ham manager who signed Antonio from Nottingham Forest in summer 2015 for £7million ($8.9m at the current exchange rate). Bilic left the club two years later but has stayed in touch with Antonio. He admits he feared the worst when he saw pictures of the wrecked Ferrari.
“I was at home on Saturday scrolling through my phone,” Bilic tells The Athletic. “Then I received an alert about Michail being involved in a car crash. I saw a picture of the car and thought: ‘No way someone can survive that’. The car was completely written off but God saved him. A lot of people have said it’s a miracle, but it was God.
“I haven’t spoken to Michail but I reached out to people at West Ham. They gave me an update and I thanked God he was alive. It’s horrible what happened to him and he has a long recovery ahead. But if anyone can come back from this, it is Michail. I love him like a son. He’s a warrior and that’s just his character.”
Antonio grew up in south London and started his career at local non-League side Tooting & Mitcham before spells at Reading, Cheltenham Town (loan), Southampton (loan), Colchester United (loan), Sheffield Wednesday (initial loan made permanent) and Forest. He is West Ham’s record Premier League goalscorer with 68 goals. He has also made the third-most Premier League appearances for the club (248), only behind Aaron Cresswell (299) and their former captain, now sporting director, Mark Noble (414).
“It was always a journey with Michail, not just one moment,” says Bilic. “When I was manager, the fans would always say: ‘Let’s sign a striker’. First we brought (Simone) Zaza, then, after me, they signed (Sebastien) Haller, (Gianluca) Scamacca, but it was always Michail who was the first choice.
“In his second season, we played Manchester City away. Sam Allardyce was the England manager and he called up Michail for the senior squad. After the game, I told Michail and he was super happy. He went with England for their game against Slovakia but he didn’t play. He came back and he was really down. I said: ‘What’s wrong?’. He said he was disappointed he didn’t play. I had to do everything to lift his mood. But that’s Michail for you. He’s super ambitious and driven.”
Antonio, a winger at the time rather than the central striker he would become at West Ham, scored 14 goals in 46 appearances for Forest in their 2014-15 season in the second-tier Championship. Despite those impressive numbers, there were doubts over whether he could make the step up to the Premier League. West Ham were the only top-flight club willing to take a risk on him.
“When we signed him, the only question I had was why no one else had signed him,” says Bilic. “He was 25 and it seemed like no other club wanted to take a chance on him, but it worked out well for West Ham and I’m proud of what he’s gone on to accomplish. What makes me smile the most is the fact he’s gone on to become a West Ham legend. They tried to say he was just a Championship player and he’s proved them all wrong.”
Monday’s league fixture against Wolves was always going to be emotional given the severity of Antonio’s car accident, but West Ham;s players and supporters rallied together during a potentially vital win as they fight to stay in the Premier League. His team-mates, who had spoken to him by video call before the match, wore replica ‘Antonio, 9’ shirts during the warm-up and when they walked out onto the pitch for kick-off. West Ham will now auction these off, with each one having been signed by every member of the squad — yes, including Antonio.
Soucek showed nine fingers when he scored the game’s opening goal early in the second half. Bowen held an Antonio shirt up high during the celebrations after netting the winner 18 minutes later.
“That Saturday evening is probably the worst thing I’ve been involved in, in terms of finding out and waiting for the news that ultimately he was safe,” Bowen, West Ham’s current captain, tells The Athletic. “There were a lot of emotions coming into the game. Of course, there would be — he’s our friend and team-mate, and something terrible had happened to him. But we had to go out there and win for him, and you could see that with the celebrations.
“Mich has a special connection with everyone at this club. When he’s well enough to come in, I can imagine he will be the same Mich. He’s a warrior and he’s been through a lot in his career. This isn’t something he wanted but is definitely something he will fight through because that’s how he is as a character.
“He’s one of the best and since I’ve been captain, he’s helped me with it. We have a fines system going on and he’s in charge of that. We had emails from the security guard when people were coming in late, so I’m sure Michail is still receiving those emails and he’ll be telling me when people are late. I haven’t been fined. I’m always early!
“He’s a brilliant footballer but an even better person. You can see that through the love and support he’s received. He’s probably one of the best guys I’ve come across in football. Like I said, Saturday was really difficult, especially when I couldn’t do anything to help; more praying that we’ll have good news and, in the end, it was. Now we’ll be here to support him on his road to recovery.”
David Moyes, who has had two spells as Antonio’s manager at West Ham, converted him from a winger into a centre-forward in the pandemic-extended 2019-20 season. When that campaign resumed in the June after three months of lockdown, Antonio memorably scored four goals in one game against Norwich City. It was the first hat-trick of his professional career and he was the first West Ham player to net four times in a league match since David Cross did it against Tottenham Hotspur in 1981.
Antonio has 83 goals in 323 appearances for West Ham. Between 2019-20 and 2022-23, he scored in double figures for four consecutive seasons. Haller, who joined for a club-record £45million in July 2019, and Scamacca, signed in a £35m deal in summer 2022, were bought to take his place. Yet he remained a pivotal part of Moyes’ attack — capped off by West Ham winning the Europa Conference League final in May of last year.
“He’s been very hard to replace over the last four years,” Moyes tells The Athletic. “He’s done a great job and he’s someone who the fans really appreciate. A lot of the strikers we bought hadn’t been successful but they arrived with good pedigree. I’d converted Marko Arnautovic into a centre-forward and I was confident I could do the same for Michail.
“He scored four goals against Norwich and that kept us up. It was in the middle of covid and from that game, we started to build as a club. I remember me and Alan Irvine (West Ham first-team coach at the time) having a chat after that, saying we have to do something more than (just) avoiding relegation.
“Michail played a big part in our journey of qualifying for Europe and winning the Conference League. I remember me and him had a stand-up (argument) once in the dressing room because I didn’t think he was doing enough. Then, two minutes later, we’re hugging each other. Thankfully, I was often able to get him to respond well to criticism.
“Now he’s a West Ham legend and no one can take that from him.”
(Top photo: Jasper Jacobs/Belga mag/AFP via Getty Images)
Sport Witness
“We won’t waste any time” – West Ham player’s agent makes it clear he’s leaving
By Naveen Ullal
Over the past few days, several claims from the Brazilian media have stated West Ham United’s Luizão wants to return to Brazil in the winter market.
Two days ago, Rádio Inferno and Globo Esporte reported SC Internacional are looking to sign the centre-back. It was also stated the Hammers are ready to let him leave on a loan deal with an option to buy.
Revista Colorada, a website dedicating its coverage to the Brazilian club, got in touch with the West Ham player’s agent, Wagner Trentin, to find out about Internacional’s links.
The agent has confirmed Internacional are one of the clubs to have made an approach for the 22-year-old. Trentin has also said Julen Lopetegui’s side are open to letting his client leave in January.
“We’ve had enquiries from various clubs in Brazil, including Inter [Internacional]. But we don’t have anything official from any club, just enquiries about interest and salary. Today West Ham are loaning him out with an option to buy,” he said.
The representative hasn’t provided the details of other clubs but insists Luizão will favour a move to Internacional, if they were to convert their interest into an offer.
“But who wouldn’t want to play for Inter? Today we’re more for the clubs than for ourselves,” Trentin explained.
“Inter actually approached us in the last window and didn’t make a move, there was another preference. But we’re open, if Inter make it official we won’t waste any time.”
On Thursday, Bolavip in Brazil reported Grêmio and Bahia are also showing interest in the Brazilian.
West Ham haven’t provided Luizão an opportunity to represent their senior team since he arrived at the club from São Paulo in January 2023.