BBC
Liverpool are set to sign Club Brugge's Ecuador defender Joel Ordonez, 21, in January for a fee of up to £43m. (Mirror), external
Roma are keen to re-sign Liverpool's 33-year-old Egypt winger Mohamed Salah but are unlikely to make a move until the summer. (La Repubblica - in Italian, subscription), external
Manchester United are interested in Crystal Palace's 28-year-old France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and Rennes' 20-year-old French defender Jeremy Jacquet. (Sky Sports), external
Manchester United are planning to sell Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 31, and are not ruling out the possibility of a January exit. (Football Insider), external
West Ham continue to pursue Fulham's Spain winger Adama Traore, 29, although his wage demands could prevent a deal from being agreed. (Telegraph - subscription), external
Real Madrid are expected to resume contract negotiations with 25-year-old Brazil forward Vinicius Jr, who is keen to stay. (AS - in Spanish)
West Ham have agreed to sign Lazio's 27-year-old Argentina striker Taty Castellanos for 29m euros (£25m). (Fabrizio Romano), external
Nottingham Forest want Wolves' Norway forward Jorgen Strand Larsen. The 25-year-old is also on Crystal Palace's radar. (Telegraph - subscription), external
Chelsea are considering making an offer for Santos' 19-year-old Brazilian defender Souza, although AC Milan are frontrunners for his signature. (AS - in Spanish), external
Fulham, Crystal Palace and Sunderland are monitoring Paris FC's 27-year-old Algeria midfielder Ilan Kebbal. (Football Insider), external
Chelsea are interested in 18-year-old Greece and Genk midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas, who has been linked with Arsenal. (Mirror), external
Inter Milan want to turn 30-year-old Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji's loan from Manchester City into a permanent move. (Gazzetta - in Italian), external
Newcastle are set to approach Toulouse over signing 19-year-old French defender Dayann Methalie. (Mail), external
West Ham are interested in out of favour Chelsea and England midfielder Raheem Sterling, 31. (Talksport), external
Bayern Munich would sell 30-year-old Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka in January, with Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United interested.
Friday's EFL gossip
Oxford United have entered talks with Brentford over a possible loan deal for Bees midfielder Myles Peart-Harris, with the 23-year-old Englishman yet to feature in the Premier League this season. (Football Insider), external
Coventry City boss Frank Lampard is among those interested in bringing in Crystal Palace winger Romain Esse, 20, on loan but is not the only Championship manager with his eye on the England Under-21 international. (Telegraph), external
Manchester United are not planning to recall 18-year-old English defender Harry Amass from his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday. (Sun)
Sky Paper Talk
Roma want to re-sign Mohamed Salah from Liverpool but are unlikely to make a move until the summer - La Repubblica.
Real Madrid are set to re-enter contract negotiations with Vinicius Jr with the player keen to stay at the Bernabeu Stadium - AS.
Premier League
Transfer interest from the Saudi Pro League in Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has cooled - The i Paper.
Chelsea are interested in signing Genk midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas - The Mirror.
West Ham are interested in signing Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling - talkSPORT.
Chelsea have checked in on James McAtee's situation at Nottingham Forest - Daily Mail.
Crystal Palace manager target and Getafe boss Jose Bordalas wants to take his career to England - The Sun.
Aston Villa are admirers of Newcastle forward William Osula but will be restricted by PSR in the January transfer window - Daily Mail.
Manchester United are not planning to recall Harry Amass from his loan at Sheffield Wednesday - The Sun.
EFL
Former Manchester United defender Josh O'Shea and ex-Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are in the frame for the vacant Oxford United job - The i Paper.
Bristol City are set to make £11m from Antoine Semenyo's proposed £65m move from Bournemouth to Manchester City - The Times.
Scottish football
Celtic could sign three centre-backs in the January transfer window with Jahmai Simpson-Pusey set to have his loan move from Manchester City cut short - Daily Mail.
Rangers are pushing ahead with a loan move for AEK Athens star James Penrice and are still exploring a deal to bring Wrexham's Josh Windass back to Ibrox - Daily Mail.
Guardian Rumour Mill
Tom Davies
Two days in, and we have our first piece of Mohamed Salah transfer jabber. Reports in Italy suggest Liverpool’s unsettled forward could be Roma-bound. According to La Repubblica, the Giallorossi are keen to bring Salah back to the club he played for in 2015-17 but are unlikely to move for him until the summer. If he does hang around at Anfield for any length of time, Salah could have a new teammate in the form of the Club Brugge central defender Joel Ordóñez. The Mirror suggests Liverpool are set to shell out an initial £35m rising to £43m for the Ecuador international. The Premier League champions have a clearer run at a deal too now that Chelsea have withdrawn their interest.
The furiously energetic Conor Gallagher has been kicking his heels of late, having started only four league games for Atlético Madrid this season, and is thus attracting interest from Premier League clubs looking to rev up their midfields. Manchester United were linked with him in the summer and are thought to be still sniffing around, though Tottenham are also said to be keen. Atlético will want at least £26m for the English midfielder, who’s under contract until 2029.
And talking of Manchester United, there are whispers that team stalwart Bruno Fernandes could be offloaded to fund another rebuild. With Fernandes previously revealing United were prepared to sell him last summer, gossip around the Portugal midfielder is set to crank up again. Two targets for United are reported to be Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta and the Rennes defender Jérémy Jacquet.
Meanwhile there is talk of Arsenal planning a cheeky raid for Real Madrid’s Turkish starlet Arda Güler. The English league leaders are reportedly sizing up an initial loan deal for the 20-year-old with a view to a full signing in the summer. A permanent deal won’t come cheap though, with Madrid valuing him at £78m.
West Ham’s scrabble for attacking reinforcements is poised to begin with the recruitment of Gil Vicente’s Pablo, and could be further supplemented with a move for the perennially out-of-favour Raheem Sterling. The winger, out in the cold at Chelsea after his loan to Arsenal last season didn’t quite work out, is understood to be on Nuno Espírito Santo’s radar as the Hammers seek reinforcements for their battle against the drop.
Lower mid-table Mill regular Jørgen Strand Larsen is again prominent in the gossip columns, with Nottingham Forest currently heading the list of suitors for the Wolves forward. Sean Dyche is looking for more attacking resources with Chris Wood out injured, and inquiries have reportedly been made about the Norwegian, who Wolves value at £40m. Forest will face competition from Crystal Palace for him, though.
Elsewhere, Paris FC’s Algerian midfielder Ilan Kebbal may find himself choosing between London and the north-east, with Fulham, Palace and Sunderland vying for his services, while Newcastle are planning to approach Toulouse about their 19-year-old defender Dayann Methalie.
The Athletic
West Ham’s 2025: Sackings, setbacks, protests – and Potts’ potential
Freddie Potts has been repaying Nuno's faith after winning a place in West Ham's midfield Rob Newell - CameraSport/Getty Images
By Roshane Thomas
Three managers, two sackings, a change of sporting director and one constant during 2025 at West Ham United — a state of flux.
And after a difficult 12 months, the worst could yet be in store with relegation a distinct possibility.
It was a year that started with the sacking of Julen Lopetegui and the underwhelming managerial appointment of Graham Potter, closely followed by the sacking of technical director Tim Steidten.
Potter’s 10-month spell came to an end in September, with Nuno Espirito Santo named as his successor. But the Portuguese head coach has only won two of his 14 games, his side has failed to keep a clean sheet and they remain in the relegation zone.
Off the pitch, discontent towards the board remains high, with a fan advisory board issuing a vote of no confidence and supporters calling for majority shareholder David Sullivan and vice-chairman Karren Brady to resign during protests at the matches against Crystal Palace and Burnley.
West Ham’s Premier League status is under serious threat for the first time since their relegation to the Championship in the 2010-11 season. 2025 caused more misery than joy, and The Athletic reflects on a year of some ups, but a lot of downs.
Best moment
Slim pickings here. Leading up to the 3-1 win over Newcastle United in November, West Ham were winless in six games. There was little optimism and confidence, but a man-of-the-match display from academy graduate Freddie Potts temporarily eased those fears.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who was serenaded by fans, made his first Premier League start and did not look out of place. It was a full-circle moment for Potts, who struggled to force his way into Potter’s starting XI despite a promising pre-season. Nuno has seen the potential, and Potts has been repaid.
Worst moment
It was a sad sight when a supporter subjected captain Jarrod Bowen to abuse after the Carabao Cup away loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers in August. The England international, who seldom loses his cool, was prevented from climbing over the advertising boards by stewards.
Team-mates Tomas Soucek and Alphonse Areola also attempted to defuse the situation. Post-match, former head coach Potter called for unity, while Bowen apologised for the interaction on social media.
“Apologies to the fans for tonight’s reaction,” the 29-year-old attacker wrote on his Instagram story. “I’m someone who is passionate and will fight every time I step on the pitch. But I need to set a better example and you fans know how much I love you and this club! We ride through the bad times together!”
Bowen had nothing to apologise for and the interaction was a sad reflection of the club’s plight.
Best game
The 1-0 victory over Arsenal in February stands out. Everything clicked in this match and it was easily the best moment in Potter’s reign. Ex-captain Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal for £105m in July 2023, lost sight of Bowen in the build-up to his winner, which pleased most supporters.
Best player
West Ham have scored 42 goals in the league this year — 13 by Bowen. He is the most important player and although doubts over his leadership remains among the fanbase, where would this team be without him?
He received praise from Pep Guardiola after the 3-0 loss to Manchester City and he is key to Nuno’s survival hopes.
The stat that sums up 2025
Only Wolves (64) have conceded more goals than West Ham (62) this calendar year in the Premier League. It highlights how porous the defence is, with centre-back Maximilian Kilman particularly subjected to heavy criticism in the away end during the defeat to Manchester City. Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo, Igor Julio and Konstantinos Mavropanos are the options available to Nuno.
Memorable quote
Former defender Vladimir Coufal being candid about how he was informed his five-year spell at West Ham was coming to an end.
“(Graham) Potter told me the club wouldn’t be extending my contract,” Coufal told The Athletic in late November. “I asked him why, and he said it was a club decision. Was it the manager who didn’t want me? The board? I have no idea. It was very disappointing. Our conversation lasted about 30 seconds. Five years at the club… for 30 seconds.
“The hardest moment was going home and telling my wife and kids. We cried and I was sad for her because she was leaving friends behind in London. My son (Nicolas, aged nine) started crying and didn’t want to speak to me for two days. He thought daddy would carry on at West Ham forever. I felt like it was my fault and I took it very personally.”
Most surprising thing that happened
West Ham sacking Potter the day after his pre-match press conference looking ahead to the away game against Everton. On September 26, Potter spoke about his future, the viral face swap memes and his strong relationship with the board.
He was relieved of his duties the following morning at West Ham’s training hub in Rush Green, and it shocked the squad.
Which of your club’s players will do best at the World Cup?
Providing Bowen is named in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad (and he should be), memories of his lack of involvement in the 2024 European Championships will fuel his motivation.
The winger only played 35 minutes across the seven games leading up to 2-0 loss to Spain in the final. But he impressed in the 2-0 victory against Albania in November and laid down a challenge post-match.
“What I’m up against is Bukayo (Saka), Noni (Madueke) is injured for this camp, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden can all play there — you’re talking about world-class, elite players and I’m in the same category,” Bowen told The Independent. “Bukayo has proved it at international and club level. It’s about pushing myself, pushing Bukayo and giving the manager and Bukayo a headache as well.”
Player to watch in 2026
In February, Ezra Mayers endeared himself to supporters when he made an incredible last-ditch tackle against Manchester United Under-18s.
The recovery run and timing of the tackle showed it was only a matter of time before Mayers would be fast-tracked to the first-team. That opportunity presented itself in July when the 18-year-old defender was part of West Ham’s pre-season training camp in Germany.
Nuno rewarded the youngster with a first-team debut in the 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion. Given his potential, it could be the first of many.
Football Transfers
Taty Castellanos: West Ham have struck gold with €30 million signing
West Ham United are set to make Lazio striker Taty Castellanos one of their first signings in the January transfer window, and all the evidence points to him being a potential season-saver.
With Nuno Espirito Santo’s side rooted in the Premier League relegation zone, West Ham will act quickly in the market to strengthen their ranks.
Niklas Fullkrug is to leave for AC Milan, and the Hammers have lined up a player in the form of Castellanos capable of mixing it with the very best Premier League forwards.
Sky Italia reports that negotiations between West Ham and Lazio are almost concluded, with a deal expected to be struck for a fee around the €30 million mark – 15% of which will head to New York City FC by way of a sell-on clause.
The Argentina international’s numbers may not look particularly impressive this term – he has only two goals and three assists in 11 games – but the signs are that Nuno is making a season-changing signing for West Ham.
What type of player is he?
Castellanos is a versatile forward who has mainly operated as a shadow striker for Lazio this season. Last term, he was used in a more advanced role and scored 10 times in 29 Serie A outings. It may well be that he is given this position at the London Stadium.
Despite the change of system, Castellanos ranks among Serie A’s best-performing centre-forwards this term, according to data analytics firm SciSports. This analysis, which is drawn from hundreds of in-game data points, puts his displays on a par with Inter Milan forward Lutaro Martinez.
But it also suggests he is performing around the same level as Evan Ferguson, who is struggling for form with Roma and flopped with the Hammers in the second half of last term.
There is strong evidence that a repeat of that catastrophic deal will not be repeated.
Castellanos: West Ham’s star man
Castellanos will arrive at West Ham as their best player, by SciSports’ calculations. He has a SciSkill rating of 103.3.
This is virtually identical to Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres and Manchester United forward Benjamin Sesko, who SciSports also compare him to in terms of his style. While Castellanos will arrive for €30m, the Gunners spent €66m on the Swede and Man Utd splashed out €76.5m on the Slovak.
Remarkably, Castellanos is thought to have a marginally higher ceiling than Gyokeres, highlighting the value of this deal.
A strong fit for Nuno’s plans
Perhaps the real win for West Ham, though, comes in terms of their fit for the player.
Based on SciSports’ Career Advice analysis, Nuno’s side are an excellent option for him. The Hammers get a Club Fit score of 77, based upon various factors ranging from development and playing time to style and formation. This puts the Hammers third among all clubs, behind only AC Milan (85) and Aston Villa (82).
From the club’s perspective, the marks of style and formation are strong pointers as to how well a player can transition into their system. Castellanos scored five stars in terms of playing style and three for formation.
Indeed, their score would be much higher is they did not rate with just one star in terms of development.
This may point to Castellanos becoming unsettled at West Ham if either they or he doesn’t progress, but in the short term, he ticks all the boxes and has the potential to be their saviour from the drop.
Sport Witness
Aston Villa, West Ham and Newcastle United hover for free agent – Big salaries offered
By Naveen Ullal
Aston Villa, West Ham United and Newcastle United are in the mix to sign Celta Vigo’s Óscar Mingueza.
On November 12th, AS reported Aston Villa, West Ham and Newcastle United are keen on the defender. The Villans’ interest isn’t new as they weren’t successful in their efforts to sign him a year ago.
The La Liga side are concerned of losing the 26-year-old as he has six months left on his contract. That’s according to Estadio Deportivo, and they cover the Premier League trio’s interest.
Estadio warn Celta Vigo sporting director Marco Garcés that he can’t ignore players with expiring contracts. There are currently seven and they are all eligible to sign a pre-contract with another club.
Among these, Mingueza’s case is the difficult one for the La Liga side, largely because he has ‘numerous offers’.
The 26-year-old earlier said he’s happy and his desire is to continue at the Spanish club. However, he’s yet to commit his future to Celta Vigo.
Estadio state it’s an ‘open secret’ that Aston Villa, West Ham, Newcastle United, AC Milan, Atalanta, Como and Marseille are all ‘willing to take advantage’ of his situation. These clubs are ready to offer him a salary higher than what Celta Vigo can propose.