Thursday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 02 Oct 2025, 12:00
BBC
Tottenham are set to agree a new contract with 28-year-old Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, whose current deal runs out in the summer of 2026. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Manchester City and Real Madrid are monitoring France winger Michael Olise as Bayern Munich consider offering the 23-year-old an improved deal. (Teamtalk), external
Arsenal are willing to pay 24-year-old England forward Bukayo Saka, whose contract runs out in the summer of 2027, more then £250,000-a-week. (Talksport), external
Southampton are planning to offer West Ham's English midfielder James Ward-Prowse, 30, the chance to return to St Mary's in January. (GiveMesport), external
Bayern Munich intend to keep on-loan Chelsea and Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson, 24, on a permanent basis even if the conditions for an obligation to buy on his deal is not met. (TBR Football), external
Chelsea are confident they will be able to sign 30-year-old AC Milan and France goalkeeper Mike Maignan. (ASRomalive - in Italian)
Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are interested in Parma's 23-year-old Argentine striker Mateo Pellegrino, but the Italian club do not want to sell him before next summer. (TuttoSport via Parma Live - in Italian), external
Liverpool could be willing to let England defender Joe Gomez leave in January - as long as they can find a replacement - with AC Milan interested in the 28-year-old. (Caughtoffside), external
Having had a loan enquiry rejected on transfer deadline day, Porto are closely monitoring 19-year-old Brighton and England Under-21 winger Tommy Watson. (Football Insider), external
AC Milan are interested in 37-year-old Barcelona and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski. (Sport via Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian), external
Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, 25, says he is not letting speculation with Barcelona affect him and is focused on "winning" at Atletico Madrid. (ESPN)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MIRROR
Former England boss Gareth Southgate would reject an approach from Manchester United if Ruben Amorim is sacked.
DAILY STAR
Manchester United's co-owners, INEOS, are reportedly concerned that manager Ruben Amorim may opt to step down before being sacked in a bid to protect his managerial reputation.
THE SUN
Crystal Palace are scouring the market for a replacement for Marc Guehi, with Ousmane Diomande on their radar and Chelsea's Josh Acheampong also being tracked.
Manchester United are weighing up a cash-spinning mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia - and a trip to the Middle East could reunite the Red Devils with Cristiano Ronaldo.
THE TIMES
There are set to be three English clubs rather than two in FIFA's next Club World Cup as the restrictions on the maximum number per country is expected to be eased.
FIFA is wrestling with World Cup kick-off times for next year that could mean England play games that start after midnight UK time because of concerns over heat.
DAILY MAIL
Real Madrid star Federico Valverde has denied suggestions he refused to play in their latest Champions League match and insisted he has a good relationship with boss Xabi Alonso.
Tickets for the 2026 World Cup have officially gone on sale and - in a surprising turn of events - they are available for a reasonable price.
SCOTTISH SUN
Former Celtic flop Gustaf Lagerbielke insisted his time in Glasgow was a success.
C&H
Todibo in Trouble: Is £34m Star Set for Shock West Ham Exit?
When Jean-Clair Todibo joined West Ham, there was much excitement among Hammers fans. Former Technical Director Tim Steidten had beaten off competition from Juventus for a player widely regarded as one of the best young centre-backs in Europe.
Todibo, in his final season at Nice, ranked in the top 4% for tackles in the final third and the top 8% for shot-creating defensive actions across all of Europe. He also scored well for ball recoveries (top 3%) and was in the top 11% for dribblers challenged.
Yet his most incredible statistic was his ability to progress the ball—ranking better than 96% of centre-backs in Europe for carries and 92% for progressive passing.
It was this data that prompted West Ham to pay £34m to secure the defender’s signature.
A Rocky Road in East London
However, in just over a year at West Ham, the player has successfully fallen out with two managers, arrived late for training, and been described by ex-Hammer Tony Gale as “lazy” and “unfit.”
Todibo has admitted he’s struggled with the Premier League’s intensity and has often failed to complete full matches. After being left out of the matchday squad for the recent away trip to Everton, rumours have intensified that he may not fit into the new tactical setup at West Ham—though counter reports suggested illness was the reason for his absence.
I wrote about the player back in January, highlighting his chequered past. He had an unsuccessful loan at Schalke, who declined to activate a purchase option after just eight appearances, and endured a similar spell at Benfica, where he failed to make a single appearance.
Todibo’s future remains unclear, but growing reports suggest he’s no longer part of West Ham’s long-term plans. A January exit looks increasingly likely, with Juventus reportedly interested and a loan deal with an option to buy firmly on the table.
West Ham are said to be scouting Serie A, among other leagues, in an effort to bring in a new striker for Nuno Espirito Santo in January.
Whilst the new Hammers gaffer is still in the embryonic stages of assessing his squad, it is believed he sought assurances that he would be backed in the transfer window.
It was telling during Nuno’s first game in charge of West Ham that he not only selected striker Niclas Fullkrug from the start, but also chose not to substitute him. Former boss Graham Potter reportedly instructed the board not to purchase a striker, but it would appear the club are now looking to strengthen the attack at the London Stadium in January.
Pellegrino Interest
The Hammers are reported to have joined Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest in monitoring Parma striker Mateo Pellegrino. The 23-year-old Argentine has caught the eye in Serie A, drawing interest from multiple Premier League sides. The big Spanish born forward has started the season in good goalscoring form picking up a man of the match awards in the process.
The young striker scored both goals in Parma’s 2-1 win against Torino at the weekend and there is little doubt he is very much the type of striker Nuno prefers. Pellegrino’s former club Velez, retain a 50% stake in any future resale, a share that could possibly complicate any future sale.
New Irons boss Espirito Santo is thought to be keen though, with his former club Forest also tracking the strike target. However, according to Italian website TuttoSport, Parma are unwilling to part with their frontman until at least next summer. The Italian club view Pellegrino as a key figure in their plans and are determined to resist offers for him during the upcoming transfer window.