Wednesday news (includes West ham)
Posted: 02 Jul 2025, 10:24
BBC
Bayern Munich are considering a shock move for Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, after being impressed by his form on loan at Aston Villa last season. (Sun), external
Arsenal are moving closer to a deal for Sporting forward Viktor Gyokeres. The 27-year-old Swede has told his club he wants to join the Gunners. (L'Equipe - in French), external
Crystal Palace have reached a £47m agreement to sign Ousmane Diomande, 21, from Sporting with the Ivory Coast defender seen as a potential replacement for 24-year-old England international Marc Guehi. (A Bola - in Portuguese), external
Manchester United have approached Inter Milan about a deal to sign Italy midfielder Davide Frattesi, 25. (Caught Offside), external
Arsenal have already submitted an offer to England winger Noni Madueke, 23, who might leave Chelsea in the summer. (Sky Germany), external
Juventus are closing in on a deal to sign Canada forward Jonathan David, 25, whose contract expired at Lille at the end of last season. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Colombia forward Jhon Duran, 22, is flying from his homeland to Turkey to complete a loan move from Al-Nassr to Fenerbahce. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Newcastle are exploring a move for Marseille and Argentina centre-back Leonardo Balerdi, 26, who is also interesting Juventus. (Mail - subscription required), external
Burnley are working on striker options for manager Scott Parker with Genk and Nigeria forward Tolu Arokodare, 24, under consideration. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
AC Milan are hoping to sign Switzerland midfielder Ardon Jashari, 22, from Club Brugge in a deal worth about £30m. (La Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external
Manchester City will sign 15-year-old Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri from Sheffield Wednesday in a £1.5m deal. The forward is the son of former Everton striker Danny. (Mail, external)
West Ham face a battle to convince Slavia Prague to sell Senegal left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, 20. (Guardian)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Bayern Munich are considering a shock move for Marcus Rashford.
DAILY MIRROR
Arsenal are now said to be in advanced talks with Sporting Lisbon over a deal for Viktor Gyokeres with a move for Benjamin Sesko seemingly on the backburner.
DAILY MAIL
Manchester United are continuing to discuss a restructured bid for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo with optimism they can reach agreement by the end of the week over a deal worth around £65m.
Arsenal are making a revised offer for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera.
Newcastle are exploring a move for Marseille centre-back Leonardo Balerdi.
Everton have asked about Brighton defender Adam Webster.
Manchester City are ready to rival Liverpool for Salford City's promising young striker Will Wright.
Newcastle are poised to pull off a coup by signing former Liverpool prospect Isaac Moran.
Aston Villa forward Louie Barry's proposed sale to Hull City is off as it stands.
THE TIMES
Crystal Palace have provided evidence to UEFA aimed at proving that their co-owner John Textor played no role in the appointment of their manager Oliver Glasner.
Some of the world's leading track and field stars are still waiting on millions of pounds in payments they have been promised for participating in Michael Johnson's new Grand Slam Track series.
THE TELEGRAPH
Burnley are working on striker options for manager Scott Parker including Genk's Tolu Arokodare and Premier League players whose contracts have expired.
Formula 1 has acknowledged that both the Qatar and Abu Dhabi end-of-season grands prix could be relocated if conflict in the Middle East intensifies.
THE ATHLETIC
Jhon Duran is flying from Colombia to Turkey to complete a loan move from Al Nassr to Fenerbahce.
THE GUARDIAN
Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has said he would like the British Grand Prix at Silverstone to remain on the F1 calendar forever.
DAILY RECORD
Celtic have reportedly told RB Leipzig the asking price for Nicolas Kuhn amid escalating interest in the winger.
Guardian Rumour mill
Tom Davies
As the Mill sifts through its daily churn, it tries to weed out excessive Manchester United content. But the Old Trafford soap opera is a law unto itself and Wednesday brings more excitable Marcus Rashford gossip, with reports of the striker sizing up a move from United to Bayern Munich. The Sun says that Rashford, who has been linked with Barcelona this summer, is on the German champions’ radar and a bid for the striker could be in the offing, with United wanting £40m.
In potential United incomings news, Ruben Amorim could be set to seize on Inter’s post-Champions League final upheaval and move for Davide Frattesi. The midfielder is yet to decide whether he wants to stay at San Siro but United have been in touch with Inter, who are prepared to let him go for about €35m. Spurs have also been linked with Frattesi.
Chelsea’s ever-busy wheelers and dealers are reported to be preparing an offer for the Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. West Ham are also sniffing around the Danish stopper but Enzo Maresca hopes his previous work with Hermansen at the King Power can tempt him to west London. Heading out of Stamford Bridge might be Noni Madueke, in whom Arsenal are interested and are reported to have tabled a bid. Mikel Arteta also retains an interest in Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, though it’s unclear whether he wants to leave the Bernabéu.
Thomas Frank may have to start life in the Tottenham hot seat without Cristian Romero, who could be set for a £56m move to Atlético Madrid, with boss Diego Simeone unsurprisingly liking the cut of his Argentinian compatriot’s jib.
Another Argentinian attracting interest is Marseille’s defender Leonardo Balerdi, who is on Newcastle’s shopping list. The Ligue 1 club have been reluctant to sell the 26-year-old international but the word is £35m might be enough to lure him to the Toon. But Balderdi has previously indicated he could be tempted by a move to Juventus, with their manager, Igor Tudor, showing firm interest. Staying on the subject of toiling Serie A giants, Milan have waved €32m in the direction of Club Brugge for their star midfielder Ardon Jashari.
Newcastle’s pursuit of Anthony Elanga also faces disruption, with Aston Villa increasingly strongly linked with the Nottingham Forest winger. Forest turned down a £45m offer from Newcastle for Elanga earlier in the window and Villa may move to trump that offer for a player valued by his club at £6om. Eddie Howe remains keen though.
Elsewhere in the north-east, Sunderland are apparently preparing an ambitious raid for Lyon’s Georges Mikautadze as clubs pick over the financially stricken French club’s prize assets. The Georgian international striker, who scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 last season, is thought to be available for about £21m but competition for Mikautadze’s services is likely to be fierce.
And West Ham fancy a bit of Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Rocco Reitz. The industrious 23-year-old midfielder could be available for £21m-£25m but the Hammers face competition from Fulham, Brighton, Dortmund and Leipzig.
The Celtic Star
Move to West Ham too good to turn down says Daniel Cummings
Move to West Ham too good to turn down says Daniel Cummings
Cummings shared news of leaving the Hoops on Instagram yesterday as he was officially introduced as Graham Potter’s newest recruit at the Hammers.
Last season, Cummings netted 29 goals for Celtic B and made his first-team debut in the UEFA Champions League against Aston Villa in January, which was his only competitive appearance for the Scottish champions.
The promising forward has committed to a long-term contract with the London side and will start pre-season training with their U21 team, while already aiming to break into the first-team squad.
In his first interview with West Ham’s official website, Cummings explained why he chose the Premier League club, crediting West Ham’s sporting director Mark Noble for persuading him to make the switch.
Cummings said: “It’s every young footballer’s dream to play in the Premier League, so when West Ham came calling, it was too good to say no, and I’m looking forward to getting started.”
“Since day one, when Mark [Noble] was on the phone, he spoke so highly of everyone here and sold the Club to me. I did a lot of research about the Club and there’s a pathway to the first team, and that’s all you can ask for as a young player.”
“I’ve been at Celtic since the age of five and have played for their B team in the Lowland League for the last few years. I’ve played in the UEFA Youth League, and also managed to make my first-team debut in January against Aston Villa in the Champions League and all of these experiences have provided the perfect preparation for my next step here at West Ham.”
The 19 year-old added: “I arrive here full of confidence. I loved every minute of last season because I went into every game feeling like I was going to score, and to do that on the big stage in the likes of the UEFA Youth League was amazing.”
“I’m an all-rounded striker who likes to run in behind and hold up the ball, but at the end of the day, I’m a goal scorer, and I like to score goals and celebrate with the fans, so I’m going to give everything – absolutely everything – for this Club.”
Meanwhile, former West Ham skipper Noble, who is now DoF, added: “We have been watching his progress for the last year now. He has stood out in Scotland for a few seasons and has already gained a lot of experience. He is a young, talented player, and the sort of player I love. He works hard, he’s aggressive and he has a big presence. We knew he was a talent, and we really believe in him. We hope he can come here and show everyone what he’s got because he’s got a great pedigree for it.”
C&H
West Ham Told “Cough up €5m More and He’s Yours”
West Ham have been told to come up with another €5 million if they want to land their first-choice replacement for Emerson.
It’s now relatively common knowledge that the Hammers’ current left-back is set to leave the London Stadium in the coming weeks. As a result, West Ham—led by recruitment chief Kyle Macaulay—have been scouring some of Europe’s less glamorous leagues in search of hidden gems.
Yesterday, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported that Slavia Prague had rejected a bid for their highly rated wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf. According to Romano, West Ham had tabled a €20 million offer for the 20-year-old Senegalese defender, with two other clubs also in the mix.
Claret & Hugh were separately informed by a club source on the same day that the Hammers were actively bidding for players—and that Diouf is indeed one of the targets.
The latest update suggests that if West Ham want to get the deal done, we’ll need to increase our offer to around €25 million.
Reports also indicate that personal terms have already been agreed with both the player and his agent. The only question now is whether the Irons’ hierarchy will stump up the extra cash.
The whole point of scouting in the Czech, Swiss, Danish, and Belgian markets was to unearth unknown talents at bargain prices. If Diouf now ends up costing close to €25m, it will be interesting to see whether the club consider that value—or move on to the next target on Macaulay’s list.
Football Talk
West Ham initiate contacts to sign Fluminense’s Jhon Arias
West Ham United have reportedly ‘initiated’ preliminary contacts to sign Fluminense forward Jhon Arias, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Hammers are set to undergo a major rebuild in the attacking department as Danny Ings has left as a free agent. Moreover, Michail Antonio’s contract has also expired and is currently available for free, but Graham Potter’s side haven’t confirmed that the Jamaican will leave.
So, Niclas Fullkrug is the only centre-forward option they have at the moment, but he has been tentatively linked with a move away.
On the flanks, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen have been undisputed starters, but the Ghanaian has been a subject of attention from Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have reportedly started working on a deal to sign the 24-year-old, with the player open to moving to North London. Apart from the Lilywhites, other clubs are also interested in him.
So, perhaps, Potter’s side have started exploring options to sign a new wide forward in case the former Ajax Amsterdam star eventually leaves over the coming days.
Now, Fichajes state that West Ham are interested in Arias after monitoring his performances in recent times. They have already initiated preliminary contacts over this deal and are ‘best positioned’ to buy him.
The Colombian is valued at around £15m by Transfermarkt and still has three years left in his current contract. So, Fluminense are likely to demand a sizable amount of money to let him leave.
The 27-year-old is a right winger by trait, but is also comfortable in the second striker role and on the opposite side. He has burst onto the scene, having displayed impressive performances in the Club World Cup this summer.
In four matches, he has made two goal contributions. Moreover, he helped his side reach the quarterfinals of this competition by defeating Inter Milan in the last 16 last night. Although he didn’t provide any goal contributions in this game, he was the player of the match.
Arias is strong, quick, efficient in holding up the play, and is capable of dribbling past opposition defenders in tight areas; moreover, he works hard without possession. Therefore, he would be an ideal option to replace Kudus.
Bayern Munich are considering a shock move for Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, after being impressed by his form on loan at Aston Villa last season. (Sun), external
Arsenal are moving closer to a deal for Sporting forward Viktor Gyokeres. The 27-year-old Swede has told his club he wants to join the Gunners. (L'Equipe - in French), external
Crystal Palace have reached a £47m agreement to sign Ousmane Diomande, 21, from Sporting with the Ivory Coast defender seen as a potential replacement for 24-year-old England international Marc Guehi. (A Bola - in Portuguese), external
Manchester United have approached Inter Milan about a deal to sign Italy midfielder Davide Frattesi, 25. (Caught Offside), external
Arsenal have already submitted an offer to England winger Noni Madueke, 23, who might leave Chelsea in the summer. (Sky Germany), external
Juventus are closing in on a deal to sign Canada forward Jonathan David, 25, whose contract expired at Lille at the end of last season. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Colombia forward Jhon Duran, 22, is flying from his homeland to Turkey to complete a loan move from Al-Nassr to Fenerbahce. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Newcastle are exploring a move for Marseille and Argentina centre-back Leonardo Balerdi, 26, who is also interesting Juventus. (Mail - subscription required), external
Burnley are working on striker options for manager Scott Parker with Genk and Nigeria forward Tolu Arokodare, 24, under consideration. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
AC Milan are hoping to sign Switzerland midfielder Ardon Jashari, 22, from Club Brugge in a deal worth about £30m. (La Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external
Manchester City will sign 15-year-old Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri from Sheffield Wednesday in a £1.5m deal. The forward is the son of former Everton striker Danny. (Mail, external)
West Ham face a battle to convince Slavia Prague to sell Senegal left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, 20. (Guardian)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Bayern Munich are considering a shock move for Marcus Rashford.
DAILY MIRROR
Arsenal are now said to be in advanced talks with Sporting Lisbon over a deal for Viktor Gyokeres with a move for Benjamin Sesko seemingly on the backburner.
DAILY MAIL
Manchester United are continuing to discuss a restructured bid for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo with optimism they can reach agreement by the end of the week over a deal worth around £65m.
Arsenal are making a revised offer for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera.
Newcastle are exploring a move for Marseille centre-back Leonardo Balerdi.
Everton have asked about Brighton defender Adam Webster.
Manchester City are ready to rival Liverpool for Salford City's promising young striker Will Wright.
Newcastle are poised to pull off a coup by signing former Liverpool prospect Isaac Moran.
Aston Villa forward Louie Barry's proposed sale to Hull City is off as it stands.
THE TIMES
Crystal Palace have provided evidence to UEFA aimed at proving that their co-owner John Textor played no role in the appointment of their manager Oliver Glasner.
Some of the world's leading track and field stars are still waiting on millions of pounds in payments they have been promised for participating in Michael Johnson's new Grand Slam Track series.
THE TELEGRAPH
Burnley are working on striker options for manager Scott Parker including Genk's Tolu Arokodare and Premier League players whose contracts have expired.
Formula 1 has acknowledged that both the Qatar and Abu Dhabi end-of-season grands prix could be relocated if conflict in the Middle East intensifies.
THE ATHLETIC
Jhon Duran is flying from Colombia to Turkey to complete a loan move from Al Nassr to Fenerbahce.
THE GUARDIAN
Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has said he would like the British Grand Prix at Silverstone to remain on the F1 calendar forever.
DAILY RECORD
Celtic have reportedly told RB Leipzig the asking price for Nicolas Kuhn amid escalating interest in the winger.
Guardian Rumour mill
Tom Davies
As the Mill sifts through its daily churn, it tries to weed out excessive Manchester United content. But the Old Trafford soap opera is a law unto itself and Wednesday brings more excitable Marcus Rashford gossip, with reports of the striker sizing up a move from United to Bayern Munich. The Sun says that Rashford, who has been linked with Barcelona this summer, is on the German champions’ radar and a bid for the striker could be in the offing, with United wanting £40m.
In potential United incomings news, Ruben Amorim could be set to seize on Inter’s post-Champions League final upheaval and move for Davide Frattesi. The midfielder is yet to decide whether he wants to stay at San Siro but United have been in touch with Inter, who are prepared to let him go for about €35m. Spurs have also been linked with Frattesi.
Chelsea’s ever-busy wheelers and dealers are reported to be preparing an offer for the Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. West Ham are also sniffing around the Danish stopper but Enzo Maresca hopes his previous work with Hermansen at the King Power can tempt him to west London. Heading out of Stamford Bridge might be Noni Madueke, in whom Arsenal are interested and are reported to have tabled a bid. Mikel Arteta also retains an interest in Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, though it’s unclear whether he wants to leave the Bernabéu.
Thomas Frank may have to start life in the Tottenham hot seat without Cristian Romero, who could be set for a £56m move to Atlético Madrid, with boss Diego Simeone unsurprisingly liking the cut of his Argentinian compatriot’s jib.
Another Argentinian attracting interest is Marseille’s defender Leonardo Balerdi, who is on Newcastle’s shopping list. The Ligue 1 club have been reluctant to sell the 26-year-old international but the word is £35m might be enough to lure him to the Toon. But Balderdi has previously indicated he could be tempted by a move to Juventus, with their manager, Igor Tudor, showing firm interest. Staying on the subject of toiling Serie A giants, Milan have waved €32m in the direction of Club Brugge for their star midfielder Ardon Jashari.
Newcastle’s pursuit of Anthony Elanga also faces disruption, with Aston Villa increasingly strongly linked with the Nottingham Forest winger. Forest turned down a £45m offer from Newcastle for Elanga earlier in the window and Villa may move to trump that offer for a player valued by his club at £6om. Eddie Howe remains keen though.
Elsewhere in the north-east, Sunderland are apparently preparing an ambitious raid for Lyon’s Georges Mikautadze as clubs pick over the financially stricken French club’s prize assets. The Georgian international striker, who scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 last season, is thought to be available for about £21m but competition for Mikautadze’s services is likely to be fierce.
And West Ham fancy a bit of Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Rocco Reitz. The industrious 23-year-old midfielder could be available for £21m-£25m but the Hammers face competition from Fulham, Brighton, Dortmund and Leipzig.
The Celtic Star
Move to West Ham too good to turn down says Daniel Cummings
Move to West Ham too good to turn down says Daniel Cummings
Cummings shared news of leaving the Hoops on Instagram yesterday as he was officially introduced as Graham Potter’s newest recruit at the Hammers.
Last season, Cummings netted 29 goals for Celtic B and made his first-team debut in the UEFA Champions League against Aston Villa in January, which was his only competitive appearance for the Scottish champions.
The promising forward has committed to a long-term contract with the London side and will start pre-season training with their U21 team, while already aiming to break into the first-team squad.
In his first interview with West Ham’s official website, Cummings explained why he chose the Premier League club, crediting West Ham’s sporting director Mark Noble for persuading him to make the switch.
Cummings said: “It’s every young footballer’s dream to play in the Premier League, so when West Ham came calling, it was too good to say no, and I’m looking forward to getting started.”
“Since day one, when Mark [Noble] was on the phone, he spoke so highly of everyone here and sold the Club to me. I did a lot of research about the Club and there’s a pathway to the first team, and that’s all you can ask for as a young player.”
“I’ve been at Celtic since the age of five and have played for their B team in the Lowland League for the last few years. I’ve played in the UEFA Youth League, and also managed to make my first-team debut in January against Aston Villa in the Champions League and all of these experiences have provided the perfect preparation for my next step here at West Ham.”
The 19 year-old added: “I arrive here full of confidence. I loved every minute of last season because I went into every game feeling like I was going to score, and to do that on the big stage in the likes of the UEFA Youth League was amazing.”
“I’m an all-rounded striker who likes to run in behind and hold up the ball, but at the end of the day, I’m a goal scorer, and I like to score goals and celebrate with the fans, so I’m going to give everything – absolutely everything – for this Club.”
Meanwhile, former West Ham skipper Noble, who is now DoF, added: “We have been watching his progress for the last year now. He has stood out in Scotland for a few seasons and has already gained a lot of experience. He is a young, talented player, and the sort of player I love. He works hard, he’s aggressive and he has a big presence. We knew he was a talent, and we really believe in him. We hope he can come here and show everyone what he’s got because he’s got a great pedigree for it.”
C&H
West Ham Told “Cough up €5m More and He’s Yours”
West Ham have been told to come up with another €5 million if they want to land their first-choice replacement for Emerson.
It’s now relatively common knowledge that the Hammers’ current left-back is set to leave the London Stadium in the coming weeks. As a result, West Ham—led by recruitment chief Kyle Macaulay—have been scouring some of Europe’s less glamorous leagues in search of hidden gems.
Yesterday, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported that Slavia Prague had rejected a bid for their highly rated wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf. According to Romano, West Ham had tabled a €20 million offer for the 20-year-old Senegalese defender, with two other clubs also in the mix.
Claret & Hugh were separately informed by a club source on the same day that the Hammers were actively bidding for players—and that Diouf is indeed one of the targets.
The latest update suggests that if West Ham want to get the deal done, we’ll need to increase our offer to around €25 million.
Reports also indicate that personal terms have already been agreed with both the player and his agent. The only question now is whether the Irons’ hierarchy will stump up the extra cash.
The whole point of scouting in the Czech, Swiss, Danish, and Belgian markets was to unearth unknown talents at bargain prices. If Diouf now ends up costing close to €25m, it will be interesting to see whether the club consider that value—or move on to the next target on Macaulay’s list.
Football Talk
West Ham initiate contacts to sign Fluminense’s Jhon Arias
West Ham United have reportedly ‘initiated’ preliminary contacts to sign Fluminense forward Jhon Arias, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Hammers are set to undergo a major rebuild in the attacking department as Danny Ings has left as a free agent. Moreover, Michail Antonio’s contract has also expired and is currently available for free, but Graham Potter’s side haven’t confirmed that the Jamaican will leave.
So, Niclas Fullkrug is the only centre-forward option they have at the moment, but he has been tentatively linked with a move away.
On the flanks, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen have been undisputed starters, but the Ghanaian has been a subject of attention from Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have reportedly started working on a deal to sign the 24-year-old, with the player open to moving to North London. Apart from the Lilywhites, other clubs are also interested in him.
So, perhaps, Potter’s side have started exploring options to sign a new wide forward in case the former Ajax Amsterdam star eventually leaves over the coming days.
Now, Fichajes state that West Ham are interested in Arias after monitoring his performances in recent times. They have already initiated preliminary contacts over this deal and are ‘best positioned’ to buy him.
The Colombian is valued at around £15m by Transfermarkt and still has three years left in his current contract. So, Fluminense are likely to demand a sizable amount of money to let him leave.
The 27-year-old is a right winger by trait, but is also comfortable in the second striker role and on the opposite side. He has burst onto the scene, having displayed impressive performances in the Club World Cup this summer.
In four matches, he has made two goal contributions. Moreover, he helped his side reach the quarterfinals of this competition by defeating Inter Milan in the last 16 last night. Although he didn’t provide any goal contributions in this game, he was the player of the match.
Arias is strong, quick, efficient in holding up the play, and is capable of dribbling past opposition defenders in tight areas; moreover, he works hard without possession. Therefore, he would be an ideal option to replace Kudus.