Wednesday news (includes West ham)
Posted: 22 Jan 2025, 10:57
BBC
Nottingham Forest have made Wolves and Brazil forward Matheus Cunha their top January target in the push for Champions League qualification. (Mail) , external
Arsenal have also shown firm interest in signing 25-year-old Cunha in the January transfer window. (Fichajes), external
There have been no bids for Cunha and Wolves remain hopeful he will sign a new long-term contract. (Express and Star), external
Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are interested in signing Liverpool's Mohamed Salah if the Egypt forward leaves on a free transfer this summer, but Paris St-Germain are not targeting the 32-year-old. (Florian Plettenburg), external
Chelsea are set to hold more talks with Manchester United over Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, who is valued at £50m. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
United have made enquiries for Bournemouth and Hungary's Milos Kerkez, 21, Wolves and Algeria's Rayan Ait-Nouri, 23, and Crystal Palace and England's Tyrick Mitchell, 25, as Ruben Amorim prioritises signing a left wing-back. (The i)
West Ham are keen to back new manager Graham Potter with new additions at centre-back and centre-forward before the transfer deadline on 3 February. (Football Insider) , external
Chelsea are demanding at least £70m before allowing France striker Christopher Nkunku, 27, to join Bayern Munich. (Sky Sports), external
Manchester United and Brazil winger Antony, 24, is close to completing a loan move to Real Betis. (Sky Sports) , external
Tottenham and RB Leipzig are the two main clubs trying to sign Southampton's 18-year-old English midfielder Tyler Dibling. (Sky Germany), external
Juventus and Borussia Dortmund are both pushing to sign Chelsea and Portugal defender Renato Veiga, 21, who is available for either loan or a permanent move. (Times), external
Marseille are the latest club to express an interest in signing Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, 27. (L'Equipe), external
However Rashford's favoured destination is Barcelona, who have freed up funds which would allow them to sign the England international. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Ligue 1 side Monaco are also interested in Rashford and could afford his £315,000-a-week wages in a loan deal. (Sun), external
Fulham have enquired about AC Milan and Brazil defender Emerson Royal, 26, who will be available if the Italian club sign England full-back Kyle Walker, 34, from Manchester City. (Times), external
Manchester City have a verbal agreement with La Liga club Real Valladolid to sign Sierra Leonean centre-back Juma Bah, 18. (Fabrizio Romano), external
France's former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, 31, says he has rejected an offer to return to football from a club in Russia. (AmineMatue on Twitch), external
Derby County have rejected a bid from Brighton for former Republic of Ireland Under-21 centre-back Eiran Cashin, 23. (Sky Sports), external
Celtic are unlikely to match Aston Villa's asking price for English forward Louis Barry, 21, after having a £10m bid rejected. (Football Insider)
Leeds United are interested in Burnley attacking midfielder Mike Tresor, who has also been linked with a move to Dutch side Ajax. (Sports Witness, external)
Chelsea academy graduate Harvey Vale has attracted the eye of Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers, West Bromwich Albion and Oxford United as well as overseas interest. (Sky Sports, external)
The Black Cats and QPR are also interested in Celtic winger Luis Palma, who is also drawing the eye of Stoke City and Swansea City. (Football Insider, external)
Wrexham have beaten Oxford for Hull City winger Ryan Longman with a bid worth £500,000. (Telegraph Sport, external)
Hull have made a move for Kilmarnock striker Bobby Wales, 19, with the teenager out of contract at the end of the season. (Football Insider, external)
Millwall defender Dan McNamara is a subject of interest for Stoke, with the 26-year-old out of favour at the Den. (The72, external)
Wycombe Wanderers have made a bid reportedly worth £750,000 for Crystal Palace defender Danny Imray. (Football League World, external)
Swindon Town are pushing to win the race for Palace midfielder Jadan Raymond, with several other EFL clubs interested in the 21-year-old. (Football Insider, external)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MIRROR
Manchester United's four-man shortlist as they chase a new striker has come to light - Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha of Wolves, Ipswich centre-forward Liam Delap and Lille's Jonathan David are the four men on Amorim's shortlist.
Mason Greenwood has decided to close the door on England and has switched his international allegiance to Jamaica.
Alejandro Garnacho has reportedly expressed major doubts over where he fits into Ruben Amorim's system at Manchester United.
Thomas Tuchel has set up his own hotline for England players.
THE ATHLETIC
Ruben Amorim caused damage to the big screen television in Manchester United's dressing room during a furious critique of his players' performance in the 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Chris Wood is close to following his Nottingham Forest team-mate Murillo by agreeing a new contract with the Premier League's surprise Champions League contenders.
THE SUN
Marcus Rashford's representatives have reportedly held talks with Barcelona over a winter move.
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has club legends in his sights during another round of brutal pay cuts.
A football agent has revealed how he offered Zinedine Zidane to Newcastle - only for Toon to brand the Frenchman a barely Championship-level player.
Kyle Walker is to join AC Milan after agreeing a 12-month loan deal.
Manchester United have reportedly made a shock enquiry for Crystal Palace star Tyrick Mitchell.
DAILY MAIL
Wesley Fofana is back on the grass at Chelsea's training ground doing individual work, with it hoped that the £75m defender can return before the end of the season.
Southampton are in talks with the Football Association over their plan to appoint Johannes Spors as new technical director after the move hit employment red tape.
Nottingham Forest have placed Wolves forward Matheus Cunha at the top of their January shopping list.
Manchester United are coming under increasing pressure from a government body to clamp down on 'persistent standing' inside Old Trafford - and risk having the capacity reduced if they fail to do so.
Aston Villa want to ward off interest in attacker Louie Barry from Celtic and Lens by offering the 21-year-old a new contract.
Leicester City fans are considering a boycott of the FA Cup fourth-round clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford in protest at the club's 'unacceptable' pricing.
Andy O'Boyle, Manchester United's former deputy football director, has applied for the job of loans manager at Liverpool.
Jack Grealish has reportedly been the subject of shock interest from Manchester United, amid his uncertain future at Manchester City.
Celtic's quest to land top target Raul Moro suffered a setback last Friday night when the £8.5m winger sustained a fractured collarbone in Real Valladolid's 2-1 defeat to Espanyol.
Louis Rees-Zammit has been told he would be welcomed back to rugby with open arms as he ponders his next step after being released by NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Thomas Tuchel has held talks with a number of his new England players after he started calling around the squad in an attempt to speed up his introductions.
Chelsea will hold more talks over Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho and will assess their midfield options before the January transfer window closes.
A European Union chrome ban has been blamed for medals awarded in the Paris Olympic Games cracking and crumbling.
THE GUARDIAN
Nottingham Forest have submitted a £22m bid for Yoane Wissa, which Brentford have resolved to reject.
Lisa Nandy, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, has attacked the Conservative frontbench in the House of Lords over what she called attempts to wreck plans for an independent football regulator.
DAILY EXPRESS
Former Arsenal sporting director Edu reportedly completed the groundwork on a £30m transfer for Brazilian talent Igor Jesus before departing.
DAILY RECORD
Celtic have been handed a boost in their quest to bring Kieran Tierney back to Parkhead - with the emergence of talented Arsenal teen Myles Lewis-Skelly opening the door further for a January exit for the Scotland star.
Eintracht Frankfurt are considering a move for Motherwell star Lennon Miller - although Udinese have failed in the first move.
SCOTTISH SUN
St Johnstone's move for Roman Eremenko has dramatically collapsed - after an SFA panel refused to endorse his work permit application.
Kris Boyd has revealed he could have been an Aberdeen player.
Guardian Rumour mill
Will Unwin
It seems like every Manchester United winger, except Amad Diallo, wants to leave the club. Chelsea are set to hold talks over a potential deal for Alejandro Garnacho, who is of interest to Napoli, and the claims in Italy are that the Argentinian could be acquired for around £46m, which might help give Ruben Amorim a few quid to spend on his desperate squad. The Blues have some alternatives, too, in the form of Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.
Marcus Rashford is desperately seeking someone willing to take him and pay his wages but his options are becoming increasingly limited. Despite their chronic financial issues, Barcelona met with supposedly the United’s forward’s representative in Lisbon prior to a match with Benfica. “We are dealing with the issue of [financial] fair-play,” Barça sporting director Deco said. “In the final days, if the team can be strengthened, we will try, but as of today there is nothing.” Loads of names have been linked with Rashford, the latest being Marseille but there is no chance Monaco will sign him. Meanwhile, Antony is very close to joining Real Betis.
One potential in at United could be Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu. Manchester United suits have headed out to Italy in order to hold talks over a deal starting at £25m for the Danish left-back. There are other options on the shortlist, such as Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell and Wolves’ Rayan Al-Nouri.
Jack Grealish has not had the best of times at Manchester City over the past 12 months and the imminent arrival of Omar Marmoush might have a negative effect on him. Borussia Dortmund and Internazionale are keeping tabs on his situation and could be persuading to make a loan offer for the England winger.
Matheus Cunha might not be particularly eager in being involved in a relegation battle and could be tempted to leave Wolves. The Brazilian forward could be a good fit down at Arsenal but the Gunners would need to cough up a spicy £80m in order to prise him away from Molineux. Another potential destination for Cunha is Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest.
Ipswich are about to add to their range of technically gifted attacking midfielders with the loan signing of Julio Enciso from Premier League rivals Brighton. The Paraguayan has become a bit-part player under Fabian Hurzeler this season, being reduced to cameos off the bench and sometimes not making the matchday squad at all and will welcome more minutes at Portman Road.
Amid the utterly awful season Southampton are suffering, there has been one bright note in the form of Tyler Dibling. The teenage winger has excited the Saints supporters and with the club set to head back to the Championship, they might be forced to cash in on their academy product. Tottenham are keeping tabs on Dibling, who has attracted interest from RB Leipzig, too.
Down in League Two, Notts County striker Alassana Jatta is being chased higher up the pyramid. Plymouth have lodged a £750,000 bid but his current employer are holding out for more than £1m. Portsmouth and Bolton are also monitoring the situation.
C&H
West Ham are “a million miles away” from completing a deal for Lille midfielder Angel Gomes.
The former Manchester United graduate is available on a free transfer at the end of the season but can sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside France now.
Rumours have been circulating that the Hammers are close to agreeing a deal with the England midfielder, but Claret & Hugh understands that is not the case.
The Hammers have been trying to negotiate with Gomes’ representatives via a third party, and talks have been held. However, we have been informed that West Ham are nowhere near agreeing terms with the player.
It is also understood that Gomes’ representatives are in negotiations with two other Premier League clubs, although it’s uncertain how close they might be to agreeing a deal.
As has been pointed out to Claret & Hugh, there is very little need to wait when attempting to sign any player on a pre-contract agreement. Once a contract is agreed, a player can sign immediately with a view to joining the new club next season.
West Ham’s chances of signing Jonathan David have been described as “zero.”
The Hammers have been heavily linked with a move for the Lille frontman, who is available on a free transfer in the summer. However, when we put the idea to a former West Ham scout, who is heavily involved in recruitment in France, we were told that it was completely unrealistic.
Claret & Hugh were informed that the club may have had a chance to sign David last season for £25m, but now have “zero chance.”
“Some of the biggest clubs in Europe are sniffing around him,” C&H were told when we asked about the frontman who scored for Lille against Liverpool last night.
“He has had multiple offers and can choose from some of the biggest clubs. Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, PSG, both Milan clubs, Juventus, and Dortmund have all been in touch, so West Ham have no chance.”
It has also been revealed that David and his representatives would demand fees approaching £20m, and there is no shortage of clubs willing to pay it. With that in mind, it is highly unlikely the Hammers would sanction such a large signing-on and agent’s fee, even if the player were a realistic target.
Nottingham Forest have made Wolves and Brazil forward Matheus Cunha their top January target in the push for Champions League qualification. (Mail) , external
Arsenal have also shown firm interest in signing 25-year-old Cunha in the January transfer window. (Fichajes), external
There have been no bids for Cunha and Wolves remain hopeful he will sign a new long-term contract. (Express and Star), external
Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are interested in signing Liverpool's Mohamed Salah if the Egypt forward leaves on a free transfer this summer, but Paris St-Germain are not targeting the 32-year-old. (Florian Plettenburg), external
Chelsea are set to hold more talks with Manchester United over Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, who is valued at £50m. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
United have made enquiries for Bournemouth and Hungary's Milos Kerkez, 21, Wolves and Algeria's Rayan Ait-Nouri, 23, and Crystal Palace and England's Tyrick Mitchell, 25, as Ruben Amorim prioritises signing a left wing-back. (The i)
West Ham are keen to back new manager Graham Potter with new additions at centre-back and centre-forward before the transfer deadline on 3 February. (Football Insider) , external
Chelsea are demanding at least £70m before allowing France striker Christopher Nkunku, 27, to join Bayern Munich. (Sky Sports), external
Manchester United and Brazil winger Antony, 24, is close to completing a loan move to Real Betis. (Sky Sports) , external
Tottenham and RB Leipzig are the two main clubs trying to sign Southampton's 18-year-old English midfielder Tyler Dibling. (Sky Germany), external
Juventus and Borussia Dortmund are both pushing to sign Chelsea and Portugal defender Renato Veiga, 21, who is available for either loan or a permanent move. (Times), external
Marseille are the latest club to express an interest in signing Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, 27. (L'Equipe), external
However Rashford's favoured destination is Barcelona, who have freed up funds which would allow them to sign the England international. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Ligue 1 side Monaco are also interested in Rashford and could afford his £315,000-a-week wages in a loan deal. (Sun), external
Fulham have enquired about AC Milan and Brazil defender Emerson Royal, 26, who will be available if the Italian club sign England full-back Kyle Walker, 34, from Manchester City. (Times), external
Manchester City have a verbal agreement with La Liga club Real Valladolid to sign Sierra Leonean centre-back Juma Bah, 18. (Fabrizio Romano), external
France's former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, 31, says he has rejected an offer to return to football from a club in Russia. (AmineMatue on Twitch), external
Derby County have rejected a bid from Brighton for former Republic of Ireland Under-21 centre-back Eiran Cashin, 23. (Sky Sports), external
Celtic are unlikely to match Aston Villa's asking price for English forward Louis Barry, 21, after having a £10m bid rejected. (Football Insider)
Leeds United are interested in Burnley attacking midfielder Mike Tresor, who has also been linked with a move to Dutch side Ajax. (Sports Witness, external)
Chelsea academy graduate Harvey Vale has attracted the eye of Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers, West Bromwich Albion and Oxford United as well as overseas interest. (Sky Sports, external)
The Black Cats and QPR are also interested in Celtic winger Luis Palma, who is also drawing the eye of Stoke City and Swansea City. (Football Insider, external)
Wrexham have beaten Oxford for Hull City winger Ryan Longman with a bid worth £500,000. (Telegraph Sport, external)
Hull have made a move for Kilmarnock striker Bobby Wales, 19, with the teenager out of contract at the end of the season. (Football Insider, external)
Millwall defender Dan McNamara is a subject of interest for Stoke, with the 26-year-old out of favour at the Den. (The72, external)
Wycombe Wanderers have made a bid reportedly worth £750,000 for Crystal Palace defender Danny Imray. (Football League World, external)
Swindon Town are pushing to win the race for Palace midfielder Jadan Raymond, with several other EFL clubs interested in the 21-year-old. (Football Insider, external)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MIRROR
Manchester United's four-man shortlist as they chase a new striker has come to light - Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha of Wolves, Ipswich centre-forward Liam Delap and Lille's Jonathan David are the four men on Amorim's shortlist.
Mason Greenwood has decided to close the door on England and has switched his international allegiance to Jamaica.
Alejandro Garnacho has reportedly expressed major doubts over where he fits into Ruben Amorim's system at Manchester United.
Thomas Tuchel has set up his own hotline for England players.
THE ATHLETIC
Ruben Amorim caused damage to the big screen television in Manchester United's dressing room during a furious critique of his players' performance in the 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Chris Wood is close to following his Nottingham Forest team-mate Murillo by agreeing a new contract with the Premier League's surprise Champions League contenders.
THE SUN
Marcus Rashford's representatives have reportedly held talks with Barcelona over a winter move.
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has club legends in his sights during another round of brutal pay cuts.
A football agent has revealed how he offered Zinedine Zidane to Newcastle - only for Toon to brand the Frenchman a barely Championship-level player.
Kyle Walker is to join AC Milan after agreeing a 12-month loan deal.
Manchester United have reportedly made a shock enquiry for Crystal Palace star Tyrick Mitchell.
DAILY MAIL
Wesley Fofana is back on the grass at Chelsea's training ground doing individual work, with it hoped that the £75m defender can return before the end of the season.
Southampton are in talks with the Football Association over their plan to appoint Johannes Spors as new technical director after the move hit employment red tape.
Nottingham Forest have placed Wolves forward Matheus Cunha at the top of their January shopping list.
Manchester United are coming under increasing pressure from a government body to clamp down on 'persistent standing' inside Old Trafford - and risk having the capacity reduced if they fail to do so.
Aston Villa want to ward off interest in attacker Louie Barry from Celtic and Lens by offering the 21-year-old a new contract.
Leicester City fans are considering a boycott of the FA Cup fourth-round clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford in protest at the club's 'unacceptable' pricing.
Andy O'Boyle, Manchester United's former deputy football director, has applied for the job of loans manager at Liverpool.
Jack Grealish has reportedly been the subject of shock interest from Manchester United, amid his uncertain future at Manchester City.
Celtic's quest to land top target Raul Moro suffered a setback last Friday night when the £8.5m winger sustained a fractured collarbone in Real Valladolid's 2-1 defeat to Espanyol.
Louis Rees-Zammit has been told he would be welcomed back to rugby with open arms as he ponders his next step after being released by NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Thomas Tuchel has held talks with a number of his new England players after he started calling around the squad in an attempt to speed up his introductions.
Chelsea will hold more talks over Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho and will assess their midfield options before the January transfer window closes.
A European Union chrome ban has been blamed for medals awarded in the Paris Olympic Games cracking and crumbling.
THE GUARDIAN
Nottingham Forest have submitted a £22m bid for Yoane Wissa, which Brentford have resolved to reject.
Lisa Nandy, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, has attacked the Conservative frontbench in the House of Lords over what she called attempts to wreck plans for an independent football regulator.
DAILY EXPRESS
Former Arsenal sporting director Edu reportedly completed the groundwork on a £30m transfer for Brazilian talent Igor Jesus before departing.
DAILY RECORD
Celtic have been handed a boost in their quest to bring Kieran Tierney back to Parkhead - with the emergence of talented Arsenal teen Myles Lewis-Skelly opening the door further for a January exit for the Scotland star.
Eintracht Frankfurt are considering a move for Motherwell star Lennon Miller - although Udinese have failed in the first move.
SCOTTISH SUN
St Johnstone's move for Roman Eremenko has dramatically collapsed - after an SFA panel refused to endorse his work permit application.
Kris Boyd has revealed he could have been an Aberdeen player.
Guardian Rumour mill
Will Unwin
It seems like every Manchester United winger, except Amad Diallo, wants to leave the club. Chelsea are set to hold talks over a potential deal for Alejandro Garnacho, who is of interest to Napoli, and the claims in Italy are that the Argentinian could be acquired for around £46m, which might help give Ruben Amorim a few quid to spend on his desperate squad. The Blues have some alternatives, too, in the form of Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.
Marcus Rashford is desperately seeking someone willing to take him and pay his wages but his options are becoming increasingly limited. Despite their chronic financial issues, Barcelona met with supposedly the United’s forward’s representative in Lisbon prior to a match with Benfica. “We are dealing with the issue of [financial] fair-play,” Barça sporting director Deco said. “In the final days, if the team can be strengthened, we will try, but as of today there is nothing.” Loads of names have been linked with Rashford, the latest being Marseille but there is no chance Monaco will sign him. Meanwhile, Antony is very close to joining Real Betis.
One potential in at United could be Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu. Manchester United suits have headed out to Italy in order to hold talks over a deal starting at £25m for the Danish left-back. There are other options on the shortlist, such as Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell and Wolves’ Rayan Al-Nouri.
Jack Grealish has not had the best of times at Manchester City over the past 12 months and the imminent arrival of Omar Marmoush might have a negative effect on him. Borussia Dortmund and Internazionale are keeping tabs on his situation and could be persuading to make a loan offer for the England winger.
Matheus Cunha might not be particularly eager in being involved in a relegation battle and could be tempted to leave Wolves. The Brazilian forward could be a good fit down at Arsenal but the Gunners would need to cough up a spicy £80m in order to prise him away from Molineux. Another potential destination for Cunha is Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest.
Ipswich are about to add to their range of technically gifted attacking midfielders with the loan signing of Julio Enciso from Premier League rivals Brighton. The Paraguayan has become a bit-part player under Fabian Hurzeler this season, being reduced to cameos off the bench and sometimes not making the matchday squad at all and will welcome more minutes at Portman Road.
Amid the utterly awful season Southampton are suffering, there has been one bright note in the form of Tyler Dibling. The teenage winger has excited the Saints supporters and with the club set to head back to the Championship, they might be forced to cash in on their academy product. Tottenham are keeping tabs on Dibling, who has attracted interest from RB Leipzig, too.
Down in League Two, Notts County striker Alassana Jatta is being chased higher up the pyramid. Plymouth have lodged a £750,000 bid but his current employer are holding out for more than £1m. Portsmouth and Bolton are also monitoring the situation.
C&H
West Ham are “a million miles away” from completing a deal for Lille midfielder Angel Gomes.
The former Manchester United graduate is available on a free transfer at the end of the season but can sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside France now.
Rumours have been circulating that the Hammers are close to agreeing a deal with the England midfielder, but Claret & Hugh understands that is not the case.
The Hammers have been trying to negotiate with Gomes’ representatives via a third party, and talks have been held. However, we have been informed that West Ham are nowhere near agreeing terms with the player.
It is also understood that Gomes’ representatives are in negotiations with two other Premier League clubs, although it’s uncertain how close they might be to agreeing a deal.
As has been pointed out to Claret & Hugh, there is very little need to wait when attempting to sign any player on a pre-contract agreement. Once a contract is agreed, a player can sign immediately with a view to joining the new club next season.
West Ham’s chances of signing Jonathan David have been described as “zero.”
The Hammers have been heavily linked with a move for the Lille frontman, who is available on a free transfer in the summer. However, when we put the idea to a former West Ham scout, who is heavily involved in recruitment in France, we were told that it was completely unrealistic.
Claret & Hugh were informed that the club may have had a chance to sign David last season for £25m, but now have “zero chance.”
“Some of the biggest clubs in Europe are sniffing around him,” C&H were told when we asked about the frontman who scored for Lille against Liverpool last night.
“He has had multiple offers and can choose from some of the biggest clubs. Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, PSG, both Milan clubs, Juventus, and Dortmund have all been in touch, so West Ham have no chance.”
It has also been revealed that David and his representatives would demand fees approaching £20m, and there is no shortage of clubs willing to pay it. With that in mind, it is highly unlikely the Hammers would sanction such a large signing-on and agent’s fee, even if the player were a realistic target.