Monday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 21 Apr 2025, 10:30
BBC
Netherlands forward Xavi Simons could leave RB Leipzig this summer and the German club will want about £70m if they are to sell the 21-year-old. (Sky Sports Germany), external
Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs that have been monitoring Simons, who has a contract until 2027 with RB Leipzig. (Sport Bild - in German), external
Liverpool are planning talks to determine the futures of 28-year-old Colombia forward Luiz Diaz, Portugal striker Diogo Jota, 28, and 25-year-old France centre-back Ibrahima Konate as they head into the summer transfer window. (Football Insider), external
Saudi Arabia's minister of sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal says Egypt forward Mohamed Salah "fits the identity of playing" in the country's top league but there were no discussions about signing him prior to the 32-year-old extending his contract with Liverpool. (ESPN), external
Leeds United are lining up a £10m move for Wolves and England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, 32. (Sun), external
Chelsea's obligation to buy on-loan Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has been triggered after the Blues' win against Fulham ensured they will finish above 15th in the Premier League. (GiveMeSport), external
Real Madrid are keen on Spain midfielder Rodri but any move is unlikely as the 28-year-old is settled at Manchester City and has no plans to leave. (Sport Bild - in German), external
Fiorentina striker Moise Kean has a £45m release clause in his contract which can be activated from 1-15 July but, despite being linked with a number of clubs, the 25-year-old could stay with the Viola to help his chances of making Italy's squad for the 2026 World Cup. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian), external
Everton will allow English centre-back Michael Keane, 32, to leave the club when his contract runs out at the end of June. (Football Insider), external
Barcelona sporting director Deco has suggested Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny, 35, will sign a new one-year deal to stay at the Catalan club. (Marca - in Spanish)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Victor Osimhen has already signed an agreement to join Manchester United in the summer transfer window, reports claim.
Moroccan billionaire Anas Sefrioui is looking to buy a club in England - with Sheffield Wednesday in his sights.
Southampton will try to tempt young Brazilian right-winger Luis Guilherme away from West Ham.
Leeds's interest in Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone has increased ahead of a potential £10m raid.
Sunday's fierce derby between St-Etienne and Lyon was suspended shortly before half-time after a linesman was struck by an object from the crowd.
DAILY MAIL
The matchday experience for sports fans could soon be about to change forever on the back of incoming legislation aimed at preventing terrorist attacks.
THE ATHLETIC
Kevin De Bruyne has refused to rule out staying in the Premier League once he leaves Manchester City at the end of the season, saying he is "open for anything".
Saudi Arabia would be "more than happy" to host an expanded 64-team men's World Cup in 2034.
DAILY MIRROR
Barcelona's hopes of winning the quadruple this season have been dealt a major blow after the extent of Robert Lewandowski's injury was confirmed.
DAILY EXPRESS
Barcelona have declared their intention to file a formal complaint against La Liga with the governing bodies of football, following manager Hansi Flick's scathing criticism of the Spanish giants' demanding schedule.
Manchester City are reportedly set to intensify their pursuit of Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa following another injury blow for current No 1 Ederson.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
There is a great deal of sympathy towards Niclas Füllkrug from the West Ham United hierarchy after the striker launched a scathing attack on his team-mates.
EVENING STANDARD
Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres is keeping his cards close to his chest as he courts interest from a crop of Premier League sides.
Manchester United's summer transfer freedom will hinge on whether the club qualifies for the Champions League, according to reports.
THE GUARDIAN
Nat Sciver-Brunt is being lined up as the next England captain by the new coach, Charlotte Edwards.
SCOTTISH SUN
Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers have secured the required shares to complete their Rangers takeover.
A Hamilton Academical board member was spotted with a plaster strip on his nose amid allegations of violent scenes at New Douglas Park.
DAILY RECORD
Hearts face an anxious wait over the fitness of skipper Lawrence Shankland.
Leyton Orient are interested in Livingston No 1 Jerome Prior.
Athletic Club boss Ernesto Valverde has called out his club's own fans as "embarrassing" for causing carnage after their Europa League win against Rangers.
The Athletic
Niclas Fullkrug was angry at his West Ham team-mates. Did it reflect a difficult truth?
By Roshane Thomas
It is not often a post-match introspection includes a player launching a diatribe against his team-mates but Niclas Fullkrug is an exception to the rule.
The 32-year-old forward, who joined for £27million ($35.9m at the current exchange rate) last summer from Borussia Dortmund, lambasted West Ham United’s performance in their 1-1 draw with already-relegated visitors Southampton on Saturday. Fullkrug provided the assist for Jarrod Bowen’s goal early in the second half and later criticised his colleagues for playing negatively as they let two points slip away and accused them of having a mindset problem.
Lesley Ugochukwu scored a dramatic late equaliser in the 93rd minute, securing only Southampton’s 11th point of a dismal season. It means they have equalled the 2007-08 Derby County side’s record-low points total for a Premier League campaign, with four games to go. But Fullkrug was focused on West Ham’s performance — one which does not reflect his ambitions. The Germany international is used to competing for trophies and playing in the European competitions. He used his post-match interview to voice his displeasure with the situation at the 16th-placed Londoners.
“It’s a mindset problem,” Fullkrug vehemently told Sky Sports when asked why West Ham could not see the game out against historically poor opposition. “I am very angry today. Not disappointed, just angry for what we did after the goal (to go 1-0 up). It was difficult to bring the boys back to push up. We didn’t push up anymore. We tried, but we didn’t have the ability or the motivation to push up again.
“I’m very, very angry that we played like this because we had some minutes where we showed what we can do against an opponent like that at home. We showed that we can have good possession, that we can go in-behind and that we have the chances to score again. But the motivation… sorry, we were s**t. I’m very angry.
“It’s not the first time that we score a goal, and (at) the next goal kick, we just shoot the ball long. We don’t try to play football anymore. We don’t push up anymore. We just sink, and that’s not the way we want to play. We play 65 minutes before with possession, even if it’s not perfect, but we try to play, we try to create chances, we try to score, and then we score a goal, and after that, half of the team tries to score again and the other half of the team just try to defend very deep, and that’s not the way it works.
“We have to find a way to have togetherness, to have the idea where we want to go, what we want to do. The coach is very clear of what he wants, but we have to do it all, everyone has to do it.”
Fullkrug’s damning assessment of West Ham sums up their season.
Saturday marked 100 days since Graham Potter’s appointment as head coach (replacing the sacked Julen Lopetegui, who was only appointed after David Moyes left when his contract expired in the summer) but there have only been fleeting signs of progress under the former Brighton and Chelsea boss. West Ham are winless in six league games, Potter has only won three of his past 13 matches and getting outplayed by the worst team in the league yesterday was the nadir of his spell.
The players were booed off at the interval and again at full time.
A new half-time feature saw actor and West Ham supporter Ray Winstone’s pre-recorded message urge the crowd to return to their seats over the tannoy as the break came to an end. But most were as static as Potter’s defence. The concourses at the London Stadium remained busy, and not even Bowen’s 47th-minute opener resulted in much movement back into the arena.
Never mind the draw, Southampton deserved to win — something they’ve managed only twice in the league all season. Simon Rusk, their interim manager, bemoaned their failure to do so afterwards, considering the plethora of chances they had.
West Ham’s defence retreated almost as far back as the foyer of the nearby Stratford shopping mall. Had Southampton not been profligate with their finishing, this would have been an embarrassing loss for the home side.
This performance overall was a backwards step, and not just their defending.
There was a passage of play late on where Vladimir Coufal tried to protect the narrow lead near the corner flag at the Southampton end. The screengrab below shows Coufal, who deputised for the injured Aaron Wan-Bissaka, could cross into the box for striker Evan Ferguson, in search of that decisive second goal.
But the defender, whose contract expires at the end of the season, merely attempts to shield the ball from Ross Stewart. The forward pressures Coufal, who is eventually dispossessed by Ugochukwu.
“We’re really disappointed with the result and the performance,” said Potter. “I can’t say we deserved much more. Credit to Southampton, but we didn’t do enough to win. We didn’t attack well enough throughout the game.
“We gave the ball away a lot. We have to be able to be in control of situations. We weren’t able to do that. We weren’t happy at all with the first half, and then you can completely understand the reaction in the second half and at the end, because it’s really disappointing to concede late again in the manner we did. We sat too deep, and we were hanging on. It’s not a performance they (the supporters) want to see, so I completely understand.
“We have to find a way to be the main player in the game, to control the game with attacking football. We’re some way off being able to do that. We have to look at the situation and recognise where we are now isn’t where we want to be. We will have to look at the season as a whole and think about what decisions we can make going forward.
“It’s been a tough season for this club, and we’re not where we want to be. I still believe we can do some really special things here, but at the moment we’re suffering.”
Potter has only won two of his past seven games at the London Stadium and West Ham have taken 19 points from their home fixtures this season, the fifth-lowest total in the division.
At half-time, the stadium announcer informed fans of season-ticket renewals. But many will have little desire to watch this style of play under Potter when the games begin again in August.
A team meeting at the training ground is likely to take place in the coming days. It may culminate in more truths, and Fullkrug may vent his frustrations once more. But on reflection, there are some truths to his claims about the style of play after West Ham score.
Alphonse Areola has a tendency to go long from goal kicks. When Bowen made it 2-1 after 68 minutes against Bournemouth in the previous home match on April 5, Areola did not attempt to play out from the back. Instead, he chose to launch the ball upfield.
And he did it again in the 77th minute…
…and also in the 80th minute, following Evanilson’s equaliser…
…and in the 82nd.
Tomas Soucek scored his seventh league goal of the season against Everton, also midway through the second half, a couple of weeks earlier. But with West Ham ahead and 20 minutes of the 90 to go, Areola did not attempt to play it from the back, keep possession and kill time…
…nor did he do so after Jake O’Brien’s equaliser in the 91st minute.
It was refreshing to see Fullkrug be so candid in his post-match interview. Often, players give formulaic answers in times like these, but the striker felt compelled to voice his discontent.
In a West Ham season that has lacked spark and fight, their big-money signing up front belatedly produced a performance to savour.
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Sport Witness
Player agrees to take huge pay cut to secure West Ham exit – Agent working on it
By Naveen Ullal
Last week, we covered claims from Brazil which stated Lucas Paquetá is going through a difficult period at West Ham United.
His own struggles and the Hammers’ poor run, coupled with the ongoing case against him for allegedly breaching the FA’s betting rules, have impacted his performances.
Journalist Fabrício Lopes, relayed by Bolavip Brasil, says Paquetá is looking to leave West Ham in the summer window.
The Brazil international’s trial for his alleged involvement in betting has been postponed. A few clubs remain in the background, looking at the possibility of securing his services, and are waiting for the verdict before making advances.
Flamengo are one of them and are dreaming of bringing their former player back to the club in the next window.
The attacking midfielder is a product of the Brazilian club’s youth system and spent three years with their senior team before joining AC Milan in 2019. Flamengo are aiming to sign him on loan.
Lopes claims Flamengo sporting director José Boto is ‘counting on the willingness’ of the West Ham player’s agent. His camp feels a move back to his old club could give him a ‘lifeline’ after ‘all the controversies that have plagued him’.
The former Lyon man will agree to take a pay cut to return to Brazil in the next window. He earns €634,000 per month with the Hammers while Flamengo’s highest paid player, Bruno Henrique, earns €265,515 per month.
In other words, Paquetá needs to drastically reduce his salary to secure a return to his former club.
Flamengo’s board are aware of this and would be waiting for the judgement on his case to make an approach. West Ham, for their part, would be willing to negotiate his transfer.
Netherlands forward Xavi Simons could leave RB Leipzig this summer and the German club will want about £70m if they are to sell the 21-year-old. (Sky Sports Germany), external
Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs that have been monitoring Simons, who has a contract until 2027 with RB Leipzig. (Sport Bild - in German), external
Liverpool are planning talks to determine the futures of 28-year-old Colombia forward Luiz Diaz, Portugal striker Diogo Jota, 28, and 25-year-old France centre-back Ibrahima Konate as they head into the summer transfer window. (Football Insider), external
Saudi Arabia's minister of sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal says Egypt forward Mohamed Salah "fits the identity of playing" in the country's top league but there were no discussions about signing him prior to the 32-year-old extending his contract with Liverpool. (ESPN), external
Leeds United are lining up a £10m move for Wolves and England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, 32. (Sun), external
Chelsea's obligation to buy on-loan Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has been triggered after the Blues' win against Fulham ensured they will finish above 15th in the Premier League. (GiveMeSport), external
Real Madrid are keen on Spain midfielder Rodri but any move is unlikely as the 28-year-old is settled at Manchester City and has no plans to leave. (Sport Bild - in German), external
Fiorentina striker Moise Kean has a £45m release clause in his contract which can be activated from 1-15 July but, despite being linked with a number of clubs, the 25-year-old could stay with the Viola to help his chances of making Italy's squad for the 2026 World Cup. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian), external
Everton will allow English centre-back Michael Keane, 32, to leave the club when his contract runs out at the end of June. (Football Insider), external
Barcelona sporting director Deco has suggested Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny, 35, will sign a new one-year deal to stay at the Catalan club. (Marca - in Spanish)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Victor Osimhen has already signed an agreement to join Manchester United in the summer transfer window, reports claim.
Moroccan billionaire Anas Sefrioui is looking to buy a club in England - with Sheffield Wednesday in his sights.
Southampton will try to tempt young Brazilian right-winger Luis Guilherme away from West Ham.
Leeds's interest in Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone has increased ahead of a potential £10m raid.
Sunday's fierce derby between St-Etienne and Lyon was suspended shortly before half-time after a linesman was struck by an object from the crowd.
DAILY MAIL
The matchday experience for sports fans could soon be about to change forever on the back of incoming legislation aimed at preventing terrorist attacks.
THE ATHLETIC
Kevin De Bruyne has refused to rule out staying in the Premier League once he leaves Manchester City at the end of the season, saying he is "open for anything".
Saudi Arabia would be "more than happy" to host an expanded 64-team men's World Cup in 2034.
DAILY MIRROR
Barcelona's hopes of winning the quadruple this season have been dealt a major blow after the extent of Robert Lewandowski's injury was confirmed.
DAILY EXPRESS
Barcelona have declared their intention to file a formal complaint against La Liga with the governing bodies of football, following manager Hansi Flick's scathing criticism of the Spanish giants' demanding schedule.
Manchester City are reportedly set to intensify their pursuit of Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa following another injury blow for current No 1 Ederson.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
There is a great deal of sympathy towards Niclas Füllkrug from the West Ham United hierarchy after the striker launched a scathing attack on his team-mates.
EVENING STANDARD
Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres is keeping his cards close to his chest as he courts interest from a crop of Premier League sides.
Manchester United's summer transfer freedom will hinge on whether the club qualifies for the Champions League, according to reports.
THE GUARDIAN
Nat Sciver-Brunt is being lined up as the next England captain by the new coach, Charlotte Edwards.
SCOTTISH SUN
Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers have secured the required shares to complete their Rangers takeover.
A Hamilton Academical board member was spotted with a plaster strip on his nose amid allegations of violent scenes at New Douglas Park.
DAILY RECORD
Hearts face an anxious wait over the fitness of skipper Lawrence Shankland.
Leyton Orient are interested in Livingston No 1 Jerome Prior.
Athletic Club boss Ernesto Valverde has called out his club's own fans as "embarrassing" for causing carnage after their Europa League win against Rangers.
The Athletic
Niclas Fullkrug was angry at his West Ham team-mates. Did it reflect a difficult truth?
By Roshane Thomas
It is not often a post-match introspection includes a player launching a diatribe against his team-mates but Niclas Fullkrug is an exception to the rule.
The 32-year-old forward, who joined for £27million ($35.9m at the current exchange rate) last summer from Borussia Dortmund, lambasted West Ham United’s performance in their 1-1 draw with already-relegated visitors Southampton on Saturday. Fullkrug provided the assist for Jarrod Bowen’s goal early in the second half and later criticised his colleagues for playing negatively as they let two points slip away and accused them of having a mindset problem.
Lesley Ugochukwu scored a dramatic late equaliser in the 93rd minute, securing only Southampton’s 11th point of a dismal season. It means they have equalled the 2007-08 Derby County side’s record-low points total for a Premier League campaign, with four games to go. But Fullkrug was focused on West Ham’s performance — one which does not reflect his ambitions. The Germany international is used to competing for trophies and playing in the European competitions. He used his post-match interview to voice his displeasure with the situation at the 16th-placed Londoners.
“It’s a mindset problem,” Fullkrug vehemently told Sky Sports when asked why West Ham could not see the game out against historically poor opposition. “I am very angry today. Not disappointed, just angry for what we did after the goal (to go 1-0 up). It was difficult to bring the boys back to push up. We didn’t push up anymore. We tried, but we didn’t have the ability or the motivation to push up again.
“I’m very, very angry that we played like this because we had some minutes where we showed what we can do against an opponent like that at home. We showed that we can have good possession, that we can go in-behind and that we have the chances to score again. But the motivation… sorry, we were s**t. I’m very angry.
“It’s not the first time that we score a goal, and (at) the next goal kick, we just shoot the ball long. We don’t try to play football anymore. We don’t push up anymore. We just sink, and that’s not the way we want to play. We play 65 minutes before with possession, even if it’s not perfect, but we try to play, we try to create chances, we try to score, and then we score a goal, and after that, half of the team tries to score again and the other half of the team just try to defend very deep, and that’s not the way it works.
“We have to find a way to have togetherness, to have the idea where we want to go, what we want to do. The coach is very clear of what he wants, but we have to do it all, everyone has to do it.”
Fullkrug’s damning assessment of West Ham sums up their season.
Saturday marked 100 days since Graham Potter’s appointment as head coach (replacing the sacked Julen Lopetegui, who was only appointed after David Moyes left when his contract expired in the summer) but there have only been fleeting signs of progress under the former Brighton and Chelsea boss. West Ham are winless in six league games, Potter has only won three of his past 13 matches and getting outplayed by the worst team in the league yesterday was the nadir of his spell.
The players were booed off at the interval and again at full time.
A new half-time feature saw actor and West Ham supporter Ray Winstone’s pre-recorded message urge the crowd to return to their seats over the tannoy as the break came to an end. But most were as static as Potter’s defence. The concourses at the London Stadium remained busy, and not even Bowen’s 47th-minute opener resulted in much movement back into the arena.
Never mind the draw, Southampton deserved to win — something they’ve managed only twice in the league all season. Simon Rusk, their interim manager, bemoaned their failure to do so afterwards, considering the plethora of chances they had.
West Ham’s defence retreated almost as far back as the foyer of the nearby Stratford shopping mall. Had Southampton not been profligate with their finishing, this would have been an embarrassing loss for the home side.
This performance overall was a backwards step, and not just their defending.
There was a passage of play late on where Vladimir Coufal tried to protect the narrow lead near the corner flag at the Southampton end. The screengrab below shows Coufal, who deputised for the injured Aaron Wan-Bissaka, could cross into the box for striker Evan Ferguson, in search of that decisive second goal.
But the defender, whose contract expires at the end of the season, merely attempts to shield the ball from Ross Stewart. The forward pressures Coufal, who is eventually dispossessed by Ugochukwu.
“We’re really disappointed with the result and the performance,” said Potter. “I can’t say we deserved much more. Credit to Southampton, but we didn’t do enough to win. We didn’t attack well enough throughout the game.
“We gave the ball away a lot. We have to be able to be in control of situations. We weren’t able to do that. We weren’t happy at all with the first half, and then you can completely understand the reaction in the second half and at the end, because it’s really disappointing to concede late again in the manner we did. We sat too deep, and we were hanging on. It’s not a performance they (the supporters) want to see, so I completely understand.
“We have to find a way to be the main player in the game, to control the game with attacking football. We’re some way off being able to do that. We have to look at the situation and recognise where we are now isn’t where we want to be. We will have to look at the season as a whole and think about what decisions we can make going forward.
“It’s been a tough season for this club, and we’re not where we want to be. I still believe we can do some really special things here, but at the moment we’re suffering.”
Potter has only won two of his past seven games at the London Stadium and West Ham have taken 19 points from their home fixtures this season, the fifth-lowest total in the division.
At half-time, the stadium announcer informed fans of season-ticket renewals. But many will have little desire to watch this style of play under Potter when the games begin again in August.
A team meeting at the training ground is likely to take place in the coming days. It may culminate in more truths, and Fullkrug may vent his frustrations once more. But on reflection, there are some truths to his claims about the style of play after West Ham score.
Alphonse Areola has a tendency to go long from goal kicks. When Bowen made it 2-1 after 68 minutes against Bournemouth in the previous home match on April 5, Areola did not attempt to play out from the back. Instead, he chose to launch the ball upfield.
And he did it again in the 77th minute…
…and also in the 80th minute, following Evanilson’s equaliser…
…and in the 82nd.
Tomas Soucek scored his seventh league goal of the season against Everton, also midway through the second half, a couple of weeks earlier. But with West Ham ahead and 20 minutes of the 90 to go, Areola did not attempt to play it from the back, keep possession and kill time…
…nor did he do so after Jake O’Brien’s equaliser in the 91st minute.
It was refreshing to see Fullkrug be so candid in his post-match interview. Often, players give formulaic answers in times like these, but the striker felt compelled to voice his discontent.
In a West Ham season that has lacked spark and fight, their big-money signing up front belatedly produced a performance to savour.
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Sport Witness
Player agrees to take huge pay cut to secure West Ham exit – Agent working on it
By Naveen Ullal
Last week, we covered claims from Brazil which stated Lucas Paquetá is going through a difficult period at West Ham United.
His own struggles and the Hammers’ poor run, coupled with the ongoing case against him for allegedly breaching the FA’s betting rules, have impacted his performances.
Journalist Fabrício Lopes, relayed by Bolavip Brasil, says Paquetá is looking to leave West Ham in the summer window.
The Brazil international’s trial for his alleged involvement in betting has been postponed. A few clubs remain in the background, looking at the possibility of securing his services, and are waiting for the verdict before making advances.
Flamengo are one of them and are dreaming of bringing their former player back to the club in the next window.
The attacking midfielder is a product of the Brazilian club’s youth system and spent three years with their senior team before joining AC Milan in 2019. Flamengo are aiming to sign him on loan.
Lopes claims Flamengo sporting director José Boto is ‘counting on the willingness’ of the West Ham player’s agent. His camp feels a move back to his old club could give him a ‘lifeline’ after ‘all the controversies that have plagued him’.
The former Lyon man will agree to take a pay cut to return to Brazil in the next window. He earns €634,000 per month with the Hammers while Flamengo’s highest paid player, Bruno Henrique, earns €265,515 per month.
In other words, Paquetá needs to drastically reduce his salary to secure a return to his former club.
Flamengo’s board are aware of this and would be waiting for the judgement on his case to make an approach. West Ham, for their part, would be willing to negotiate his transfer.