Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 32, is set to be offered a £65m payday to tempt him to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia in the summer. (Sun)
Real Madrid have backed off in their pursuit of Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, and will return for the England defender in the summer. (Relevo - in Spanish)
Arsenal are considering options to reinforce their attack with Sporting's Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 26, and Brentford's Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo, 25, on their list. (L'Equipe - in French)
Napoli are set to join the race to sign 27-year-old England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford. (Sun)
Manchester United will not allow Rashford to join one of their Premier League rivals, with Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham having shown an interest in taking the forward on loan. (Star)
Napoli are also confident of signing Alejandro Garnacho, 20, from Manchester United and have offered the Argentina winger a five-year contract. (Il Mattino - in Italian)
However, the Serie A side will face competition from Tottenham for Garnacho. (Football Transfers)
Al-Hilal and Brazil forward Neymar, 32, is in preliminary talks with three Major League Soccer sides including Chicago Fire about joining them. (ESPN)
Brighton have expressed an interest in English centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, 27, who joined Chelsea in July. (Mail)
Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is believed to favour a move to Liverpool over Manchester City and Manchester United, with the Cherries believed to want about £50m for the 21-year-old Hungary defender. (The i Newspaper)
Deportivo La Coruna have turned down an offer from Chelsea for 22-year-old Spanish winger Yeremay Hernandez. (Metro)
City Football Group, the parent company of Manchester City, is in talks to sign Juma Bah, 18, who is on loan at Real Valladolid from AIK Freetong, in his home country of Sierra Leone. (ESPN)
West Ham's search for a striker could lead them to make a move for Fulham's 23-year-old Brazilian forward Rodrigo Muniz. (Standard)
West Ham want to cut their losses on Brazilian Luis Guilherme, 18, and sell the forward just seven months after signing him. (Times - subscription required)
Manchester United have held talks with several clubs, including Real Betis, as they attempt to offload 24-year-old Brazil winger Antony this month. (Sun)
Chelsea are unlikely to sign England defender Marc Guehi, 24, from Crystal Palace this month after recalling Trevoh Chalobah, 25, from a loan spell at Selhurst Park. (Mail)
Newcastle United have rejected a bid of £11m from Fenerbahce for 26-year-old English defender Lloyd Kelly. (Athletic)
Aston Villa have started talks with English midfielder Louie Barry, 21, over a new contract amid interest from Celtic. (Football Insider)
Chelsea and France centre-back Axel Disasi, 26, is attracting interest from Juventus, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen. (Caught Offside)
West Ham want to bring in Nottingham Forest's 27-year-old Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi. (Florian Plettenberg)
MLS side Atlanta United are hoping to reunite with Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron, 30, and could pay Newcastle in the region of £11m. (Athletic)
Aston Villa have been approached by Galatasaray over the possibility of a deal for Brazilian Diego Carlos, 31. (Fabrizio Romano)
Celtic are close to agreeing pre-contract terms with Arsenal's Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney, 27, whose contract expires at the end of the season. The Scottish champions are also exploring signing him on loan this month. (Sky Sports)
Everton, Burnley and Sheffield United are all interested in signing Leicester City striker Tom Cannon, 22, after the Republic of Ireland international was recalled from a loan spell at Stoke City. (Mail)
Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri says Southampton will be recalling influential midfielder Shea Charles from his loan at Hillsborough. (Leeds Live )
Leeds want to sign versatile Plymouth wing-back Bali Mumba to aid their promotion push this month. (Leeds United News )
The Whites are ready to let veteran French midfielder Josuha Guilavogui return home to join Paris FC just three months after his arrival at Elland Road. (Football League World )
Former Liverpool and England midfielder Jonjo Shelvey remains on trial with Burnley as he seeks to seal a move back to England. (Burnley Express )
Middlesbrough want to make George Edmundson's loan from Ipswich into a permanent deal. (Football League World )
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Napoli are set to join the race for Marcus Rashford.
Saudi Arabia chiefs are tempting Mo Salah to quit Liverpool this summer with a stunning £65m payday for just two seasons.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham are reportedly eyeing Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.
Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have hinted at plans to make the club's new stadium even bigger.
Ruben Amorim has told Alejandro Garnacho he will have to learn a new way of playing if he wants a future with Manchester United.
DAILY MIRROR
Plans are taking shape for Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov to undergo his Manchester City medical tests on Friday ahead of his proposed £33.75m transfer that will also include bonuses.
Liverpool have launched a move for Lecce wonderkid Patrick Dorgu.
Pep Guardiola's new Manchester City contract is behind his split from wife Cristina Serra, it has been claimed.
Jesse Lingard has been named as the new captain of FC Seoul as he prepares for his second season in South Korea.
Real Madrid are reportedly ready to sell France star Aurelien Tchouameni this summer.
DAILY STAR
Manchester United bosses want to block Marcus Rashford from joining another English rival.
DAILY MAIL
Chelsea's efforts to land Marc Guehi this month are in the balance with Crystal Palace not planning on signing a replacement for recalled loanee Trevoh Chalobah.
Brighton have expressed an interest in Tosin Adarabioyo - just seven months after Chelsea signed him on a free transfer.
Atalanta United are interested in re-signing Miguel Almiron with Charlotte FC switching their focus to Wilfried Zaha.
Real Madrid have reportedly conceded they will not be able to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold this month.
Conor Benn's belated fight with Chris Eubank Jr will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley.
Celtic are weighing up an offer for Real Valladolid's coveted £8.5m-rated winger Raul Moro.
Harvey Vale is nearing the Chelsea exit with the starlet evaluating permanent offers from the Championship in England as well as clubs abroad in Belgium and the Netherlands.
England will be based in Zurich for the entire Euro 2025 campaign this summer, staying in the five-star Dolder Grand Hotel.
The RFU will have to temporarily abandon Twickenham's naming rights deal with Allianz for this summer's World Cup.
Owen Farrell is hoping to make his first appearance at La Defense Arena in Racing 92's game against the Stormers this weekend.
THE I
Liverpool are planning to gazump rivals Manchester United and Manchester City to sign Milos Kerkez as Andy Robertson's successor at left-back.
EVENING STANDARD
Liverpool have again been linked with interest in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo.
Brentford will let one goalkeeper leave the club on loan this month.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
England manager Thomas Tuchel was at Chelsea to see the draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday night and the German is believed to be keeping an eye on Trevoh Chalobah's progress.
TIMES
Chelsea are in negotiations with the Premier League to agree a financial settlement for secret payments related to transfers made during Roman Abramovich's ownership.
West Ham United are in talks to sell Luis Guilherme to a Saudi Arabian club just seven months after signing him for up to £25.5m from Palmeiras.
Vitor Reis has said goodbye to his Palmeiras team-mates as he closes in on a £29.5m move to Manchester City.
LIV Golf's new chief executive said he is "confident" more of the breakaway tour's players will soon be able to play in the majors, despite being denied world ranking points.
GUARDIAN
West Ham's search for a new striker has seen them target Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz.
INDEPENDENT
Napoli are pressing ahead with a move for Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho as they seek to reshape the attack from Kvicha Kvaratskhelia's move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea have reportedly made a £10m offer for Deportivo La Coruna winger Yeremay Hernandez.
THE ATHLETIC
Manchester City have had a bid rejected for Egypt international Omar Marmoush by Eintracht Frankfurt.
Crystal Palace look set to enter the transfer market after their shareholders injected £37.5m ($45.8m) in working capital into the Premier League club.
A US consortium fronted by real estate investor Al Tylis and Club Necaxa executive Sam Porter has completed a takeover of Colombian team La Equidad - backed by investors including actors Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Eva Longoria.
Atlanta United are working to reach an agreement with Newcastle United to sign Miguel Almiron.
Hellas Verona have become the latest Serie A club to be taken over by an American consortium.
Bayern Munich have signed United States youth international attacking midfielder Bajung Darboe from LAFC.
DAILY RECORD
Marseille fringe man Bamo Meite is reportedly back on Rangers' agenda this month just months after his £9m move to Stade Velodrome.
Hearts have agreed a fee with Varnamo for Michael Steinwender who has now been given permission to fly to Scotland.
Rangers star Jefte has admitted he is dreaming of playing in the Premier League in the future.
Celtic will have the final say over the immediate future of Alex Valle after big spending Serie A outfit Como stepped up their bid to land the Barcelona kid.
Jim Goodwin is confident that Dundee United will get the green light to keep Sam Dalby, Luca Stephenson and Jack Walton at Tannadice for the season.
Neil Critchley insists Hearts cannot afford to hang about in the January transfer market - because they are still miles away from where he expects them to be.
SCOTTISH SUN
Celtic are on the brink of beating Ajax in the transfer race for Spanish wide man Raul Moro.
Celtic are in discussions over the sale of star striker Kyogo Furuhashi to French club Rennes it has been claimed.
Kilmarnock have rejected a six-figure bid for winger Danny Armstrong.
Guardian Rumour mill
Simon Burnton
Links between Napoli and Alejandro Garnacho continue to grow: multiple papers in Italy report that Giovanni Manna, Napoli’s sporting director, met the player’s agents for dinner in Barcelona earlier this week after Antonio Conte made the Manchester United forward his top priority for this transfer window.
It seems the two parties agreed the basic details of a contract, with rumours suggesting that Manna is offering a five-year deal which would see the Argentinian double his wages, which currently work out at approximately €1.5m (£1.26m) after tax. The only stumbling block – and it is a giant, €80m-sized stumbling block – is United’s asking price: the Gazzetta dello Sport says Napoli are “pushing for a substantial discount” and “ready to put €45m on the table, bonuses included” – but also that they have other options, including Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa and United’s own Marcus Rashford.
Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham have all enquired about the possibility of signing Rashford on loan, but the 27-year-old has been told he will not be allowed to join another Premier League team. He has snubbed offers from Saudi Arabia and the US and is seeking a club in Europe. Barcelona might be the most likely destination at this point: Milan remain favourites to sign him, but the Rossoneri will have to pick one of Rashford or Kyle Walker due to restrictions on the number of non-EU signings that Serie A clubs can make each season and it seems that that Walker’s experience and versatility currently look more attractive to them.
Paris Saint-Germain’s 29-year-old Slovakian defender Milan Skriniar is going to be on the move this month, with his future apparently lying between Turkey – where Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are both keen – and England – where Tottenham and Aston Villa are interested. According to L’Équipe PSG would accept €15m, or will let him go out on loan with an option to buy, with the player having the final say. Fenerbahce’s search for defensive reinforcement has also taken them to Newcastle, who appear to have rejected an initial £11m offer for Lloyd Kelly. The Magpies are meanwhile mulling over an identical offer for Miguel Almirón from Atlanta United.
Flamengo want to bring Jorginho back to Brazil and, according to O Globo, the club’s coach, Filipe Luís, has already spoken to the Arsenal midfielder about the role he would play in the team should he move to Rio de Janeiro. On the subject of London-based Brazilians, West Ham are ready to cut their losses on 18-year-old Luis Guilherme, who has played for just 43 minutes since signing for £25.5m in June. Graham Potter wants to bring in a striker, and the club could fund that deal – with Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi and Leipzig’s André Silva on the shortlist – by flogging Guilherme to Saudi Arabia, with Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah both keen.
Another potential solution to the Hammers’ striking issues is Evan Ferguson: Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler has hinted that he will be allowed to leave on loan, with a reunion with Potter, who gave him his first-team debut, a possibility: “We will negotiate what is important for him, and then we will make the decision together,” Hürzeler said.
The Athletic
Lucas Paqueta looks revitalised under Graham Potter at West Ham – and he’s not the only one
photo: Warren Little/Getty Images)
By Roshane Thomas
There was a time when Lucas Paqueta would only fleetingly show the offensive traits that made him a valuable asset to West Ham United. But two games into the Graham Potter era, those redeeming features are now the norm rather than an exception.
There has not been too much material for Paqueta’s highlights reel this season, but he has rediscovered his attacking verve against Aston Villa and Fulham, scoring in successive games for the first time since March.
The 27-year-old fell to the turf in exhaustion after Tuesday’s precious 3-2 victory over Fulham. It was a rare sight, seldom seen under former manager Julen Lopetegui, but one that shows the attacker has already bought into Potter’s methods. The Brazil international had to fulfil his media requirements with UK broadcaster TNT Sport, but a smattering of supporters in the lower tier of the west stand stayed so they could applaud him off the pitch.
Paqueta has benefited most from Potter’s arrival and there are signs of a striking bond between the pair. Potter spoke to the attacking midfielder after his appointment last Thursday and his words of encouragement have had the desired effect. With Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Fullkrug and Michail Antonio sidelined with injuries, Paqueta was entrusted with playing as a false nine. Most impressive was his penchant for winning duels: 12 in total and the most by an outfield player.
Paqueta celebrates his goal (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“We tried to use Lucas as a No 9 and his responsibility for the team throughout was really good,” said Potter in his post-match press conference. “I thought he (Edson Alvarez) was also really good and has really taken on board what we’re trying to do. He’s been really important for us.
“I’ve spoken to him (Paqueta) and loads of the players. The way they’ve responded has been top and I couldn’t have asked for any more. The players have been supportive and they’re not going to be perfect, but the attention and the effort is the minimum we require. That helped us win today.”
Paqueta has registered four goals in 20 league appearances. His initial loss of form was perhaps not surprising given the ongoing investigation into alleged breaches of betting rules, which he denies. But across both games under Potter, Paqueta has removed those shackles to play with freedom.
Carlos Soler, the loanee from Paris Saint-Germain, also played an important role in West Ham’s newfound spirited determination. The midfielder scored the opener, his first league goal for the club, and was involved in the attack that led to Tomas Soucek doubling their lead.
This was the first time since October that West Ham have scored three goals in a match and while they did not create a stack of chances — they had just four shots in the whole game — they were ruthlessly efficient.
Having three different scorers in Soler, Soucek and Paqueta will also have thrilled Potter, who has insisted that all his players need to chip in with goals. Potter had goalscoring midfielders in Alexis Mac Allister, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard during his spell at Brighton & Hove Albion and he does not want his new team to be reliant on the forwards being the main marksmen. Seeing his players fulfil an objective he outlined was an encouraging sign.
Mohammed Kudus, however, struggled against Fulham’s defence and Potter had no qualms about withdrawing him after 63 minutes. Kudus punched the substitute’s bench in frustration, but his replacement, Danny Ings, immediately had an impact, forcing goalkeeper Bernd Leno into making a mistake, with Paqueta ready to capitalise.
“I didn’t think we were going to win the game by playing nice football,” said Potter. “It was about forcing an error and creating something out of nothing and Danny’s energy coming on was good. (Kudus) is a top player, but he was running a little on empty because of the effort he put in against Aston Villa and Danny was champing to get on. His attitude and personality when he came on was top.
“It was far from perfect in terms of how we want to be in the long-term, but as a starting point, the players gave everything. We started passive and didn’t put enough pressure on Fulham, but then that changed halfway through the first half. They were gifts — but from our pressure. We rode our luck at times, but where we are at and with the attacking players we have missing, and after an intense game at Villa, again I’m delighted with the three goals and win.
West Ham showed potency, physicality and above all patience. It will put them in good stead for their upcoming home game against Crystal Palace, who they beat in August.
But the two goals conceded against Fulham show they are still susceptible to lapses in concentration at the back. West Ham have kept one clean sheet in their last 10 games. It is a weakness Potter must address, with the centre-back pairing of Konstantinos Mavropanos and Maximilian Kilman still a work in progress.
But of all the positives, Paqueta’s man-of-the-match performance was most pleasing. Two different games, two energised performances and two different celebrations suggest the Brazilian is back, and not a moment too soon.
The Standard
Inside Graham Potter’s plan to break the mould at West Ham
Malik Ouzia | Dom Smith
The West Ham managerial post does not tend to be advertised with a honeymoon period.
David Moyes waded into a relegation battle on both occasions he took the job. Julen Lopetegui had Lucas Paqueta’s FA charge for alleged gambling offences slide across his desk five hours after he was unveiled. For Graham Potter, it lasted five minutes at a push.
That is all there was at Villa Park last Friday, between a wonderful first goal of the new era, scored by Paqueta, and Niclas Fullkrug’s injury.
Tied up in the sad sight of Fullkrug hobbling off, his hamstring so thoroughly twanged as to make even that an excruciating act, was a reminder why this is no ordinary job.
Recent recruitment has been bad, Potter’s squad is thin and at times West Ham have the feel of a club where too much stuff just seems to happen.
The scene, though, also hinted at West Ham’s potential.
Whatever Fullkrug’s faults, and the questionable merits of giving a 31-year-old a four-year deal, it still takes a club of stature to tempt Germany’s No9, whose goals had helped fire Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final only weeks before.
Potter felt the pull himself, having turned down several illustrious European jobs before saying yes to co-chairman David Sullivan’s call.
Therein lies the twin challenge of Potter’s reign. His first act must be to stabilise and correct so much of what went wrong in the final months of Moyes’s tenure and the disastrous six for which Lopetegui had the helm.
But to truly succeed in east London, he must kick on, to deliver on the ambition of a club that won a European trophy barely 18 months ago and sees itself, with its 60,000-seat stadium, Premier League coin and London advantages, as having all the tools to compete on loftier terms.
Fresh start for all
You might point out that Potter would have a better chance had he been given the job last summer.
West Ham had a long run-up at recruiting Moyes’s successor, it becoming clearer each week through the second half of the season that the campaign’s end would bring a parting of ways.
They considered Potter and flew Ruben Amorim to London, but in the end were seduced by Lopetegui’s (fairly brief) experience in English football and his CV in Spain.
He was seen as the safe choice. Long before he was sacked last week, it became clear he was the wrong one.
So, along came Potter, out of the game for 20 months since being axed by Chelsea, to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal as the board’s unanimous choice, ahead of Paulo Fonseca and Christophe Galtier.
Potter feels, and certainly looks, better for a break spent well.
He studied other coaches, in football and beyond, meeting England rugby chief Steve Borthwick among others. He travelled to the Falklands to speak to British troops, and to Spain, where he could attend games under the radar.
That became desirable after he took his sons to Arsenal vs Crystal Palace when Roy Hodgson was under pressure and ended up being linked with the Eagles job in a case of two and two making five. He has been learning Spanish, too.
Through it all, Potter told himself he was a Premier League manager at heart.
For this season, he will be one of those exclusively. West Ham are not in Europe for the first time in four seasons and Friday’s 2-1 defeat at Villa ended hope of an FA Cup run.
Barring something miraculously good or catastrophically bad, there is not a great deal to play for in terms of league position either.
That, though, may be no bad thing, serving up a version of the preseason Potter never had, with the only demand for the next five months that signs of life emerge. The hard work has already begun.
Roots and green shoots
Potter’s first training session at Rush Green last Thursday - his only session before his dugout debut - ran for 90 minutes, a quarter-of-an-hour longer than West Ham’s norm.
He focused on high-intensity pressing, set-pieces and opposition-specific threats, but was careful not to “overload” his players with too much new information or try to “reinvent the wheel”.
The first-half at Villa delivered some of West Ham’s most exciting football of the season, albeit that bar is not high.
Potter played a 4-2-3-1, but with a twist, bringing Mohammed Kudus into No10 and pushing the struggling Paqueta onto the left, where he had played much of his best football in his maiden campaign.
From there, the Brazilian finished a sweeping move for the opener that had involved the entire front-four.
Not helped by injuries to Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville, the Hammers faded, retreating into old habits and making clear the scale of Potter’s task in transforming the way his team plays.
There is an unusual focus on style before substance at the start of the new regime, and not only because there is so little left to play for this season in terms of results.
Even at the peak of Moyes’s reign, there was discontent over his conservative approach and when the defensive solidity began to fade, the Scot’s time was clearly up.
Lopetegui arrived with certain expectations, having managed Real Madrid and Spain, but brought a tactical approach players did not buy into and did not represent a radical enough change.
The same defensive flaws remain, with Potter inheriting the fourth-worst backline in the top-flight, while West Ham’s attack has not matched the form of last season and was missing two key figures - Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio - even before Fullkrug’s injury.
Success cannot come without addressing both issues and Potter has been quick to stress the need for “balance”.
There was certainly balance to West Ham on Tuesday night, when a 3-2 win over Fulham spelt lift-off for Potter at the London Stadium.
Efforts to paper over the cracks of a depleted forward line prompted Potter to ignore calls to start 32-year-old Danny Ings, instead deploying Paqueta up front.
The Brazilian scored and was man of the match, while a midfield trio of Guido Rodriguez, Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek appeared stodgy on paper but worked a treat in thwarting Fulham.
Soucek finished off a slick move for the second goal, as the Hammers jumped to 12th in the league.
“It is hard to be a sexy name when you’re called Potter,” the new man once quipped. “Especially if your first name is Graham.”
His Brighton side, though, played attractive football, with their possession share lifted from 41 per cent to 52 per cent in Potter’s first season in charge.
Crucially, their tactical discipline without the ball and pressing improved dramatically, as well.
It did not happen overnight and the London Stadium is not renowned for patience. But such is the desperation for change that Potter may be afforded more time than most.
Investment available
Before having an unhelpful number of expensive purchases thrust upon him at Chelsea, Potter’s name was made moulding teams at Ostersunds, Swansea and Brighton into more than the sum of their parts.
Under Lopetegui, West Ham were far less than theirs. Talented as their respective squads are, none of Bournemouth, Fulham and Nottingham Forest boast the star power of Paqueta, Kudus (left) and Bowen, yet all have broken into the top half (and higher) of the Premier League.
The success of these savvier sides is frustrating for West Ham supporters, both for broadening the field of European contenders and highlighting how far their own club have underachieved this term.
Injuries have hit brutally hard, particularly in attack, where the loss of Antonio for months following an horrific car accident has been compounded by serious injuries to Bowen and Fullkrug.
Moyes used to fret over striker signings, worrying that the wrong one could cost a manager his job, but with Ings the only fit centre-forward at the club, West Ham plan to bolster their attack this month, with Potter heavily involved in recruitment decisions.
Brighton’s Evan Ferguson is injured but of interest and may become available on loan, while Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is one of the more aspirational names linked with a move.
Funds have also been made available in case it is possible to affordably strengthen in midfield, where attempts to replace Declan Rice have failed across three windows.
Though his first start under Potter on Tuesday displayed a marked improvement, the free agent signing of Rodriguez from Real Betis, pushed hard by Lopetegui, has so far been a disaster.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka are short of game time at Chelsea and on the Hammers’ radar.
Potter, though, is also ready to look within, handing teenage left-back Ollie Scarles a first domestic start and already paying heed to the club’s tradition of developing homegrown talent.
Steidten’s influence
Potter memorably described his time amid the chaos at Chelsea as like being caught in a washing machine.
At West Ham, off-field trouble tends to come more often from dirty laundry being hung up for all to see.
There has been both internal ire and external criticism at the way Lopetegui was treated in his final days, the 58-year-old taking training even as leaks told the world he was a lame duck.
Moyes, too, had found himself working for weeks while other managers were lined up for his job.
All clubs do their due diligence ahead of time on such appointments and many deals are done long before they are announced, but few seem to conduct their business quite so noisily.
None of that is Potter’s fault, but serves as a warning that the narrative at West Ham will not always be within his, or his players’, control.
Criticised through his time at Chelsea as a bland communicator, the new boss must now become the convincing face of a well-aligned club, which will not be straightforward since there remains a degree of uncertainty behind the scenes.
In the immediate future, there is the question of Tim Steidten’s role.
The technical director was the common denominator in what have been described as “strained” relationships with both Lopetegui and Moyes and while Potter committed to working with him in his opening press conference, he was not exactly effusive, never mentioning Steidten by name.
Among fans, the prevalent view is that Steidten is a figure too often seen and heard, gratingly so given the return on recent investment in the squad is mixed at best.
There have been reports that the German may soon be out of the door.
Meanwhile, questions over the club’s long-term ownership remain unresolved.
Part of the Gold family’s stake has been up for sale since October 2023, while Sullivan will surely cash his chips at some stage, particularly now that a penalty clause for doing so that was linked to the London Stadium move has expired.
Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky had an option for a full buyout written in when buying a 27 per cent share in 2021, but has so far been content to sit tight, focusing instead on his takeover of Royal Mail.
All, though, are united behind Potter in the belief he will deliver
Sport Witness
Tottenham and West Ham move in for Barcelona player – 2 PL offers arrive, decent success chance
By Naveen Ullal
Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are in the mix to sign Barcelona’s Ansu Fati.
That’s according to Sport, who state the winger is expected to leave the La Liga side in the winter market.
Hansi Flick has left the 22-year-old out of the squad for last three games, and Barcelona are considering letting him leave on loan.
Tottenham and West Ham are interested in bringing him back to the Premier League even though he struggled during his loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion last season. The two Premier League sides are looking to improve their attack in January.
New Hammers manager Graham Potter will be without Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug due to injuries while Spurs missed out on signing Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Munai on loan to Juventus.
Sport point that out and add Tottenham’s defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby has only ‘triggered tension’ and the club will be looking for reinforcements in January.
The report’s summary claims Fati has received two offers from the Premier League, while Tottenham and West Ham are the only two English clubs mentioned in the report.
With Barcelona willing to let the forward leave on loan, the deal could go through if the London clubs can convince Fati.
Sport Witness
West Ham moving in for Inter Milan midfielder – Struggling with Serie A club this season
By Kaustubh Pandey
After their win over Fulham yesterday, West Ham rose to 12th in the Premier League.
The Hammers’ target would be qualification for European places and that might take some signings in January. There is now an indication that Graham Potter’s side could already be looking to bring in a midfielder this month.
InterLive have reported today that the player in question is Inter Milan’s Kristjan Asllani, who is struggling to make an impact at the Italian champions. He’s had an inconsistent few weeks and has been criticised for his performances.
That is why Inter are not ruling out an exit this month and in the meantime, West Ham have ‘made their voices heard’ for the 22-year-old Albanian midfielder.
Asllani is in demand in Italy and abroad, as there is interest from both Fiorentina and Torino and they have already tried to land him.
West Ham have been handed encouragement in the move, because the report states that Inter already have a plan to replace the Albania international. A move for Samuele Ricci will make it easier for them to let go of Asllani.
Lucas Paqueta’s FA hearing over match fixing has been postponed until the summer clearing him to play for West Ham for the remainer of the season.
