Liverpool are open to accepting an offer of £50-60m for their 25-year-old Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez. (Football Insider)
AC Milan are the latest club to consider a potential loan move for Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford, 27. (Mail)
West Ham are drawing up a list of attacking targets for January which includes Brighton's Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson, 20, Wolves' South Korea forward Hwang Hee-chan, 28, and Middlesbrough's Ivory Coast forward Emmanuel Latte Lath, 26. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Brazil striker Matheus Cunha, 25, is close to signing a lucrative new contract at Wolves amid interest from Arsenal. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Randal Kolo Muani could leave Paris St-Germain this month, with AC Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Aston Villa and Tottenham all interested in the 26-year-old France forward. (Ben Jacobs )
Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei has agreed a deal to join Serie A side Torino, although the clubs remain apart on a fee for the 21-year-old Italian. (Gianluca di Marzio )
Galatasaray are "100%" convinced that 26-year-old Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, who is on loan from Napoli, will not leave the Turkish club in January. (Florian Plettenberg)
AC Milan have offered to take Barcelona's Dani Olmo on a six-month loan as the Spain forward, 26, is currently unavailable due to La Liga registration restrictions put on Barca. (Corriere della Sera, via Sport )
Olmo does not want to leave Barcelona, who have received some unofficial approaches about his availability but not a formal offer. (Marca - in Spanish)
Brazilian club Santos have submitted a bid to sign English midfielder Josh Windass, 30, from Sheffield Wednesday. (TalkSport)
Swansea City are among a number of European clubs eyeing a move for 20-year-old Saudi Arabian midfielder Abdulmalik al-Jaber, who plays for Bosnian side Zeljeznicar. (TeamTalk )
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Barcelona are reportedly chasing Heung-Min Son on a free transfer.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has put down roots as he has bought a stunning six-bedroom country mansion, which is just a 10-minute drive from the Cheshire pad Jack Grealish moved to a year ago.
Gillingham sacked manager Mark Bonner after a dismal run of form - and announced his appointment less than an hour later.
Chelsea look set to offload wonderkid Cesare Casadei after he reportedly agreed a permanent transfer to Torino.
DAILY MIRROR
West Ham are set to rival Arsenal for the services of Brighton striker Evan Ferguson this month - leaving Mikel Arteta with a decision to make early on in the January transfer window.
Rob Holding has emerged as a surprise transfer target for Coventry City after being exiled from the Crystal Palace squad.
Bruno Fernandes has called out the portion of Manchester United fans who booed Joshua Zirkzee when he was substituted against Newcastle on Monday night.
Thomas Partey has revealed Arsenal were left "sad" after a controversial Joao Pedro penalty earned Brighton a 1-1 draw with the Gunners.
THE GUARDIAN
A clip showing Southampton player Adam Armstrong awarding a woman a shirt has gone viral after the mum of former Southampton employee Hugo Scheckter won the prize for correctly predicting the club's 5-0 thrashing against Brentford. Clare Scheckter, who Hugo joked 'knows nothing about football', was greeted by a fanfare of boos from other Saints fans when she went up to collect her prize.
DAILY EXPRESS
Arne Slot has deflected blame away from Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Liverpool star's horror show against Manchester United.
Manchester City are primed to strike first among the Premier League's big guns in this month's transfer window as one of their main targets, Abdukodir Khusanov, is free to leave Lens.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Matheus Cunha is close to signing a lucrative new contract at Wolves which would provide Vitor Pereira with a huge lift for the club's relegation fight.
West Ham United are drawing up a list of forward targets for this month with Brighton's Evan Ferguson, Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hee-Chan Hwang and Middlesbrough's Latte Lath among those under consideration.
Bath centre Ollie Lawrence has apologised after a controversial incident that resulted in England team-mate Alex Mitchell being sin-binned in Northampton's 35-34 victory at Franklin's Gardens.
DAILY RECORD
Philippe Clement is reportedly eyeing a rapid solution to his injury crisis at Rangers - with Ivorian defender Bamo Meite said to be back on the table.
SCOTTISH SUN
Brendan Rodgers has branded Celtic supporters chanting Kieran Tierney's name disrespectful.
Celtic have reportedly rejected two bids for Honduran winger Luis Palma.
Guardian Rumour Mill
John Brewin
We’ve been waiting all season for movement on Liverpool’s “contract rebels”, as the tabloids would have it. Trent Alexander-Arnold might fancy Spain and Madrid even more if Virgil van Dijk stays on, judging by the daggers the Dutchman stared at TAA during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
The big news is that, with only hints and nudges previously made, PSG are willing to bust out Mohamed Salah, and sign him up on the three-year deal he wants from Liverpool.
Ange Postecoglou might welcome something else to talk about other than his style of play and “an even and fair playing ground” but he might not welcome the news that Barcelona are looking to sign Heung-min Son on a free transfer. How Barça can afford any deal considering their current Dani Olmo woes is the next question but we deal in rumours here and not practicalities.
Olmo meanwhile has been linked with Milan, a club linked with many others, including Marcus Rashford, mainstay of this month’s rumours. Milan are also still linked with Darwin Núñez, last seen launching a naughty challenge on Matthijs de Ligt. The word is that Liverpool are ready to listen to offers for their Uruguayan striker, yet to fit properly into Arne Slot’s system.
Anyone else? How about Randal Kolo Muani, unwanted by PSG, but also linked with Juventus, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Aston Villa and Tottenham, according to someone who is very probably adjacent to his agent.
Another player linked with a few is Evan Ferguson, once a hot property, now looking for a fresh challenge with games hard to come by at Brighton. Arsenal want a striker, but then again so do West Ham.
Both clubs have other targets, Wolves’ talisman Matheus Cunha for the Gunners and a host of strikers for the Hammers: another Wolves forward in Hwang Hee-chan and Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath are possibles, too.
The Chelsea sales begin? Cesare Casadei, considered Italy’s brightest prospect when signed in 2022 is off to Torino.
Will Manchester City cash in another youngster? In the season of Liam Delap and Morgan Rogers shining brightly in the style of Cole Palmer, could James McAtee be the next? Fulham want to add him to their already decent collection of attacking talent.
Weird rumours time: André Onana continues to be linked with Plymouth, while Cole Palmer to Real Madrid is another wild one, if a bit more likely.
Telegraph
West Ham sporting director to stay away from training ground amid Julen Lopetegui struggles
Exclusive: Tim Steidten will work on signings from London Stadium and leave Spanish manager free to try to improve form on training ground
Matt Law Football News Correspondent
West Ham United technical director Tim Steidten has decided to step away from the club’s training ground, as manager Julen Lopetegui attempts to improve performances and results.
Lopetegui has faced almost constant pressure, with West Ham 14th in the Premier League table, and was almost sacked last month when the club considered a host of potential alternatives. But rather than sticking closely to Lopetegui and working side-by-side with the Spaniard, Steidten has decided to spend more time away from West Ham’s training ground, where he has an office.
That has prompted talk around the club about a rift growing between Steidten and Lopetegui, but West Ham say Steidten’s absence from the training ground has been predominantly linked to this month’s transfer window.
Steidten was appointed by West Ham in the summer of 2023 and has operated out of an office at the club’s training ground and the London Stadium. He also travels frequently as part of his job.
It was only in May last year that it was decided Steidten would not enter the first-team dressing-room amid uncertainty over the future of former manager David Moyes. Moyes left the club at the end of last season, and it is understood Lopetegui’s appointment was made by co-owner David Sullivan rather than being recommended by Steidten.
Following last month’s defeat by Leicester City, Lopetegui was almost sacked. Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter was discussed as a successor on a contract until the end of the season, while Edin Terzic, Roger Schmidt, Sergio Conceicao and Massimiliano Allegri were all considered.
West Ham decided to stick with Lopetegui and his job is not thought to be under immediate threat, despite West Ham suffering heavy back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City, although pressure remains on the former Real Madrid manager. The situation could change in the coming weeks with West Ham facing crucial games against Aston Villa, in the FA Cup, and Fulham and Crystal Palace at home in the League.
Steidten is also under pressure after West Ham spent around £100 million in the last transfer window on a number of players who have underperformed and failed to make an impact. Striker Niclas Fullkrug, a £27 million recruit from Borussia Dortmund, scored only his second West Ham goal in the 4-1 defeat by City and has missed most of the season with an Achilles injury.
Luis Guilherme, a £25.5 million signing from Palmeiras, is yet to start a game for West Ham, although the winger is still only 18 years of age, while 30-year-old midfielder Guido Rodriguez has struggled. West Ham are waiting to find out the extent of an injury to another summer signing, defender Jean-Clair Todibo, suffered against City, and Max Kilman is yet to live up to his £40 million fee.
West Ham weigh up striker swoop
Given his absence from the training ground, it is unclear how closely Steidten is working with Lopetegui on West Ham’s potential transfer business in this month’s window. West Ham are drawing up a list of forward targets for this month with Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan and Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath among those under consideration.
Injuries to Michail Antonio and captain Jarrod Bowen have left West Ham short of forwards and addressing that area of the pitch is the club’s top priority in January, although the east London side are also looking at midfielders. West Ham would ideally like to loan players in this month, although funds could be generated through sales for permanent moves.
As previously reported by Telegraph Sport, Ferguson has been touted for a loan move away from Brighton this month and it is believed the club would ideally like him to stay in the Premier League. Ferguson has made 14 appearances for Brighton this season, scoring only one goal, but the 20-year-old Republic of Ireland international remains highly rated and has been tracked by a number of clubs. It is understood that West Ham have already made an enquiry about Ferguson, but that Brighton want to be sure of Danny Welbeck’s fitness before making a decision on his future.
Wolves turned down a £21 million bid from Marseille for Hwang last summer and the South Korean has scored two goals in his last two games under new manager Vitor Pereira. Lath has attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs, including Leicester City, having scored nine goals for Middlesbrough this season.
Other than drawing up a list of forward targets, West Ham would like to sign a new midfielder this month with Chelsea pair Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka on the club’s radar.
The Athletic
Life without Jarrod Bowen – who is going to step up with West Ham’s best player missing?
By Roshane Thomas
Two of West Ham United’s best attacking moves against Manchester City stemmed from the right but the contrast in decision-making between Mohammed Kudus and the absent Jarrod Bowen was a reminder of how their mentality differs.
One of Bowen’s best traits is how unselfish he is in the final third, an offensive attribute scarcely shown by Kudus. West Ham made an encouraging start during their 4-1 defeat, but Kudus wasted his opportunities. There was a passage of play where the Ghana international could have threaded a pass to Niclas Fullkrug at the far post, but hit the side-netting having opted to shoot.
The outcome of those chances may have differed if Bowen had played. The captain, who is set to be sidelined for six weeks, sustained a fracture to his left foot during their 5-0 home loss against Liverpool. Post-match, head coach Julen Lopetegui lamented West Ham’s profligacy. The defeat, West Ham’s ninth in the Premier League this season, will heighten pressure on the Spaniard.
Lopetegui’s predecessor David Moyes was in the stands as the Scot eyes a return to management and supporters in the away end chanted, “You’re getting sacked in the morning”. It is the second time (the previous being the 3-1 loss to Leicester City in December) they have voiced their discontent.
“It’s not easy to explain the match,” Lopetegui said after the match. “I think we deserved more. There are a lot of little details that, all of them, can explain why the score is like this but we did very good things. We didn’t take advantage of two clear situations. We have to do better with finishing. If you don’t take advantage when you are better than the opponent, when the team is (Manchester) City away, in the end, you know that normally you are going to lose, because they have very high-quality players.”
Pep Guardiola, the City manager, was magnanimous in admitting his side rode their luck during the early stages. “In the first minutes, they (West Ham) deserved to be 0-1 or 0-2,” he said in his post-match interview. “We were lucky with the first goal (an own goal from Vladimir Coufal).”
But Guardiola watched a reinvigorated Savinho produce a match-winning display, forcing Coufal’s own goal and assisting Erling Haaland twice. It must have been startling for Lopetegui, however, to see Kudus fail to mirror a similar performance in Bowen’s absence. A first glimpse into life without West Ham’s best player did not offer much encouragement before games against Aston Villa, Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Bowen is expected to be out for six weeks (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
While the club are prioritising the purchase of a striker in the January transfer window, it will be down to Kudus, Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Lucas Paqueta to step up in the coming weeks. This season, Kudus has registered three goals and one assist in 15 league games. In 2023-24, he amassed 14 goals and six assists across 45 appearances. It is Kudus who should have been the conductor with the ball but he seldom showed his offensive qualities. It was a performance in which he relinquished his grip on being viewed as West Ham’s second-best attacking option.
The positives from the loss were the performances of Summerville, Paqueta and Fullkrug. The latter scored a consolation goal, courtesy of an assist from Tomas Soucek, and his recent displays have offered encouragement. The £27million ($33.5m) summer signing from Borussia Dortmund is attempting to make up for late time, having been sidelined from September to December with an Achilles tendon injury. The 31-year-old forward was initially starved of service but showed his predatory instinct once presented with a goalscoring opportunity.
“It is always good when a striker scores and he did well in a lot of moments for the team,” said Lopetegui. “He worked hard, allowed us to play through him and it was a very consistent performance. Step-by-step he is getting better and it is good news for us, but not only him because Summerville and Paqueta played well. That’s why I have to review the match again because it’s not easy for me to explain the scoreline being 4-1. That’s why I am frustrated because despite their two chances after the 50th minute, they didn’t overcome us. But it happened and we have to look forward.”
To add to Lopetegui’s frustrations, defender Jean-Clair Todibo was forced off with injury. The head coach admitted he is not optimistic about the extent of it. The centre-back has struggled with calf problems and joins Bowen and Emerson Palmieri on the sidelines. There will be much-needed introspection in the coming days among the players. Soucek and Coufal felt compelled to apologise to supporters in the away end with both players giving away their jerseys to fans.
They offered solace on the back of another heavy defeat. Now it is time for Kudus and company to show they do the same on the field in Bowen’s absence.
(Top photo: Mohammed Kudus against Manchester City; Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Sport Witness
Sporting director speaks to West Ham player’s agent – Talks held with father over transfer
Over the past few months, West Ham’s Niclas Füllkrug has been linked with an early exit from the London club.
That talk was dismissed in Germany and it was suggested that West Ham are fully behind the striker.
There is now an update from Italy about the situation of the 31-year-old, who continues to attract attention from abroad.
Domenica Sportiva journalist Ciro Venerato has revealed that Juventus have been in contact for the forward and talks have been held with his father.
The journalist said, as relayed by TuttoJuve: “There is a new name that concerns Juventus. A few hours ago, the sporting director of Juventus Cristiano Giuntoli had a conversation with the father of the German striker Niclas Füllkrug who plays for West Ham.”
Venerato stated that Füllkrug is managed by his father but for now, the ex-Borussia Dortmund man is not at the top of Juve’s January shortlist. The likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Randal Kolo Muani are higher up in the list of targets.
“The father takes care of the management of the player and Juve has put him on the waiting list. Why? Because the first name is Zirkzee from United. Juventus hopes that United will do two things, either accept the loan or buy Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting by paying the clause of €100m.
“He is a favourite of the new United coach Amorim. Then there is Kolo Muani, a player liked by both Giuntoli and Motta.”
For now, there doesn’t seem to be any immediate threat of West Ham losing Füllkrug.
The Germany international has also become a much more important part of Julen Lopetegui’s side over the past four or five weeks, having put an Achilles injury behind him.
The next step for Füllkrug should be scoring goals and that can happen soon, with games set to come thick and fast now.