Thursday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 15 Jan 2026, 11:18
BBC
Atletico Madrid are targeting Wolves' Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes, 24, after the Spanish club sold England international Conor Gallagher to Tottenham on Wednesday. (Marca - in Spanish, external)
Meanwhile, Wanderers' Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi, 29, is poised to join Paris FC on loan. (L'Equipe - in French, external)
Everton have sent an official bid to Turkish side Fenerbahce for Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri, 28. Negotiations are under way for an initial loan move with a £17m option to buy. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Nottingham Forest are also in the race for En-Nesyri but Fenerbahce's feeling is that he favours a move to Everton. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Everton are also interested in a deal for striker Callum Wilson, 33, who is in talks to end his contract with West Ham. (Athletic - subscription required, external)
The Toffees, along with Werder Bremen and Ajax, are monitoring Ukraine right-back Yukhym Konoplya. The 26-year-old's contract with Shakhtar Donetsk expires in the summer. (Florian Plettenberg, external)
West Ham will hold an internal meeting with their shareholders this weekend to discuss lowering the asking price for midfielder Lucas Paqueta, 28, who is wanted by Flamengo in his native Brazil. (ESPN, external)
Santos defender Souza, 19, is expected to have his Tottenham medical in London on Thursday, as Spurs finalise a £13m deal to sign the Brazilian left-back. (Sky Sports), external
Brentford are closing in on a £15.6m deal for Lazio and Italy attacker Matteo Cancellieri, 23. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian, external)
Crystal Palace are in talks with Ligue 1 club Angers over French forward Sidiki Cherif. The 19-year-old, who can play through the middle and out wide, has two and a half years left on his contract. (Sky Sports), external
Roma will pay a £2m loan fee for Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen, 26, with the deal including a £25m clause to sign the Netherlands international on a permanent basis. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Bournemouth are aware they could face a fight to hang on to English midfielder Alex Scott, 22, this year amid interest from Premier League clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Newcastle United. (Teamtalk), external
Derby are leading the race to sign Rangers' 16-year-old Scottish forward Chris Condy, who has netted more than 20 goals for the Gers' youth teams since joining from Hamilton last summer. (Daily Record), external
Sheffield United have enquired about taking former England midfielder Ross Barkley, 32, on loan from Aston Villa. (Pete O'Rourke), external
Oxford United want to sign Northern Irish 21-year-old midfielder Jamie McDonnell from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth around £1m. (Alan Nixon - subscription required), external
Millwall are keen on taking Sunderland and former England Under-21 goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, 25, on loan. (Alan Nixon - subscription required), external
Bristol City forward Harry Cornick, 30, is set to join League One side Stevenage on loan for the remainder of the season. (Bristol Post), external
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Owen Goodman, 22, is set to join League One outfit Barnsley on loan on Thursday. (Pete O'Rourke)
Sky Paper Talk
PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester United fear that they will lose club captain Bruno Fernandes come the end of the season -The i Paper
Barcelona want to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal but want to negotiate a lower transfer fee with Manchester United than the £26m included as part of his loan - talkSPORT
Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Brighton's Evan Ferguson, who is currently on loan at Roma - Gazzetta dello Sport
Real Madrid are considering a move for Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli - Defensa Central
Forgotten Man Utd man Tyrell Malacia is set for talks with Michael Carrick surrounding his future - The Sun
Tottenham's Alejo Veliz is wanted by Manchester City's Brazilian sister club, Bahia - Daily Mail
Eric Dier is reluctant to join West Ham despite their interest in the player - Daily Mail
Nottingham Forest are exploring the possibility of sending Oleksandr Zinchenko back to Arsenal - BBC
Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes has emerged as a potential replacement for Conor Gallagher at Atletico Madrid - Daily Mail
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL
Rangers' new signing Tuur Rommens is not likely to be fit for another three or four weeks - The Scottish Sun
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
PSG star Fabian Ruiz is set to sign a new contract in the French capital amid interest from Turkey and both Madrid clubs - Marca
Xabi Alonso had doubters at Real Madrid from his very first day in charge - BBC
Former Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag has spoken out against 'opportunistic figures in club hierarchies' after being named the new technical director at FC Twente - Daily Mail
Guardian Rumour mill
Will Unwin
David Moyes is a keen admirer of massive centre-forwards, so it should not come as a surprise that Everton want to bring in all 6ft 2in of Youssef En-Nesyri from Fenerbahce. An initial loan offer, with a £20m option, is on the table for the Moroccan, leaving a decision to made in Istanbul. There is a chance Callum Wilson could swap West Ham for Merseyside to join up with Moyes, too.
Nottingham Forest are also interested in En-Nesyri but their main striking target is Olympiakos’ veteran forward, Mehdi Taremi. Sean Dyche was hoping for a quiet month but needs must and that could include sending Oleksandr Zinchenko back to Arsenal after a very forgettable loan spell at the City Ground.
All that lovely cash made from selling Conor Gallagher to Tottenham needs to be put to use by Atlético Madrid. It’s a good job they already have a cunning plan to spend it on Wolves maestro João Gomes. With the club staring at relegation, this could be a fine chance to make some cash on the the Brazil international, who also has interest from Napoli. Another potential Molineux departure is Marshall Munetsi, closing in on a loan to Paris FC.
Crystal Palace’s January squad-bolstering could begin with a teenage arrival. The Angers forward Sidiki Cherif is currently in talks with the Eagles over a move to the Premier League. The 19-year-old, who can play across the front line, has impressed in Ligue 1, scoring four goals in 17 appearances to attract the interest of Oliver Glasner.
There is nothing that cannot be solved at Tottenham by signing a 19-year-old left-back. Santos defender Souza has been courted for a while and is set to undergo a medical before completing a move to north London.
Dan Neil is heading out of boyhood club Sunderland. The midfielder has barely had a kick since promotion to the top flight, leaving him with a desire to try something new at FC Köln. The Bundesliga is calling for Neil, who has also turned heads at West Ham and Rangers without either club making a concrete offer.
Jeremy Sarmiento has not pulled up any trees alongside Jamie Vardy at Cremonese but that has not stopped Middlesbrough wanting to acquire his services. Brighton are set to recall the Ecuadorian international but he will not be unpacking his bags before heading to the Riverside.
After four loans away from Chelsea, David Datro Fofana might finally be able to call somewhere home. Currently knocking them in for Turkish side Fatih Karagümrük, Fofana is wanted by Derby but Celtic and Royal Antwerp could consider rivalling the Championship club for his signature.
And the former Rams midfielder Tom Lawrence could be primed for a return to England. Having impressed for Perth Glory in Australia, now Norwich, Blackburn and Charlton have taken a liking to the Wales international. He is only contracted for a further five months, so there could be a cheap deal to be done.
Sport Witness
Spaniard rejects ‘several offers’ for West Ham – Nuno picks up phone
By Naveen Ullal
Paco Jémez is on his way to West Ham United, as reported by Spanish newspaper AS.
The 55-year-old is moving to the Hammers to be part of Nuno Espírito Santo’s backroom staff. In the battle against relegation from the Premier League, the extra help is welcomed.
West Ham have endured a difficult run in the league this season. Their poor start saw them part ways with Graham Potter and appoint the Portuguese coach as his successor in September.
Hammers results didn’t improve a lot under Nuno as they have secured only three wins from 21 league matches. This sees them languishing in the relegation zone, seven points behind 17th placed Nottingham Forest. There’s been suggestions that the manager’s future at the London club could be in danger.
To strengthen his coaching team, Nuno has brought Jémez to the Premier League side. AS give an insight into how Nuno convinced the Spaniard to become his assistant at West Ham.
Jémez has spent the majority of his coaching career in his own country. He had a spell in Azerbaijan managing Tractor Cultural Sports Club between 2022 and 2024, which sounds like an adventure. The coach then returned to Spain to join lower division side UD Ibiza in November 2024.
Dropping TV work for West Ham
Jémez left UD Ibiza in October and since then has been working as a commentator for DAZN.
AS report the Spanish coach has had several opportunities to return to the bench abroad. In fact, he had ‘several offers’ but none of them were convincing enough to make him drop the TV gigs. The report states Nuno’s call ‘prompted him to head to England’.
The pair played together at Deportivo La Coruña and Nuno has now convinced Jémez to become his assistant at West Ham. AS believe this is ‘a unique opportunity’ for the coach, who can try to save the Hammers.
Atletico Madrid are targeting Wolves' Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes, 24, after the Spanish club sold England international Conor Gallagher to Tottenham on Wednesday. (Marca - in Spanish, external)
Meanwhile, Wanderers' Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi, 29, is poised to join Paris FC on loan. (L'Equipe - in French, external)
Everton have sent an official bid to Turkish side Fenerbahce for Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri, 28. Negotiations are under way for an initial loan move with a £17m option to buy. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Nottingham Forest are also in the race for En-Nesyri but Fenerbahce's feeling is that he favours a move to Everton. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Everton are also interested in a deal for striker Callum Wilson, 33, who is in talks to end his contract with West Ham. (Athletic - subscription required, external)
The Toffees, along with Werder Bremen and Ajax, are monitoring Ukraine right-back Yukhym Konoplya. The 26-year-old's contract with Shakhtar Donetsk expires in the summer. (Florian Plettenberg, external)
West Ham will hold an internal meeting with their shareholders this weekend to discuss lowering the asking price for midfielder Lucas Paqueta, 28, who is wanted by Flamengo in his native Brazil. (ESPN, external)
Santos defender Souza, 19, is expected to have his Tottenham medical in London on Thursday, as Spurs finalise a £13m deal to sign the Brazilian left-back. (Sky Sports), external
Brentford are closing in on a £15.6m deal for Lazio and Italy attacker Matteo Cancellieri, 23. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian, external)
Crystal Palace are in talks with Ligue 1 club Angers over French forward Sidiki Cherif. The 19-year-old, who can play through the middle and out wide, has two and a half years left on his contract. (Sky Sports), external
Roma will pay a £2m loan fee for Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen, 26, with the deal including a £25m clause to sign the Netherlands international on a permanent basis. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Bournemouth are aware they could face a fight to hang on to English midfielder Alex Scott, 22, this year amid interest from Premier League clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Newcastle United. (Teamtalk), external
Derby are leading the race to sign Rangers' 16-year-old Scottish forward Chris Condy, who has netted more than 20 goals for the Gers' youth teams since joining from Hamilton last summer. (Daily Record), external
Sheffield United have enquired about taking former England midfielder Ross Barkley, 32, on loan from Aston Villa. (Pete O'Rourke), external
Oxford United want to sign Northern Irish 21-year-old midfielder Jamie McDonnell from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth around £1m. (Alan Nixon - subscription required), external
Millwall are keen on taking Sunderland and former England Under-21 goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, 25, on loan. (Alan Nixon - subscription required), external
Bristol City forward Harry Cornick, 30, is set to join League One side Stevenage on loan for the remainder of the season. (Bristol Post), external
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Owen Goodman, 22, is set to join League One outfit Barnsley on loan on Thursday. (Pete O'Rourke)
Sky Paper Talk
PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester United fear that they will lose club captain Bruno Fernandes come the end of the season -The i Paper
Barcelona want to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal but want to negotiate a lower transfer fee with Manchester United than the £26m included as part of his loan - talkSPORT
Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Brighton's Evan Ferguson, who is currently on loan at Roma - Gazzetta dello Sport
Real Madrid are considering a move for Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli - Defensa Central
Forgotten Man Utd man Tyrell Malacia is set for talks with Michael Carrick surrounding his future - The Sun
Tottenham's Alejo Veliz is wanted by Manchester City's Brazilian sister club, Bahia - Daily Mail
Eric Dier is reluctant to join West Ham despite their interest in the player - Daily Mail
Nottingham Forest are exploring the possibility of sending Oleksandr Zinchenko back to Arsenal - BBC
Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes has emerged as a potential replacement for Conor Gallagher at Atletico Madrid - Daily Mail
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL
Rangers' new signing Tuur Rommens is not likely to be fit for another three or four weeks - The Scottish Sun
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
PSG star Fabian Ruiz is set to sign a new contract in the French capital amid interest from Turkey and both Madrid clubs - Marca
Xabi Alonso had doubters at Real Madrid from his very first day in charge - BBC
Former Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag has spoken out against 'opportunistic figures in club hierarchies' after being named the new technical director at FC Twente - Daily Mail
Guardian Rumour mill
Will Unwin
David Moyes is a keen admirer of massive centre-forwards, so it should not come as a surprise that Everton want to bring in all 6ft 2in of Youssef En-Nesyri from Fenerbahce. An initial loan offer, with a £20m option, is on the table for the Moroccan, leaving a decision to made in Istanbul. There is a chance Callum Wilson could swap West Ham for Merseyside to join up with Moyes, too.
Nottingham Forest are also interested in En-Nesyri but their main striking target is Olympiakos’ veteran forward, Mehdi Taremi. Sean Dyche was hoping for a quiet month but needs must and that could include sending Oleksandr Zinchenko back to Arsenal after a very forgettable loan spell at the City Ground.
All that lovely cash made from selling Conor Gallagher to Tottenham needs to be put to use by Atlético Madrid. It’s a good job they already have a cunning plan to spend it on Wolves maestro João Gomes. With the club staring at relegation, this could be a fine chance to make some cash on the the Brazil international, who also has interest from Napoli. Another potential Molineux departure is Marshall Munetsi, closing in on a loan to Paris FC.
Crystal Palace’s January squad-bolstering could begin with a teenage arrival. The Angers forward Sidiki Cherif is currently in talks with the Eagles over a move to the Premier League. The 19-year-old, who can play across the front line, has impressed in Ligue 1, scoring four goals in 17 appearances to attract the interest of Oliver Glasner.
There is nothing that cannot be solved at Tottenham by signing a 19-year-old left-back. Santos defender Souza has been courted for a while and is set to undergo a medical before completing a move to north London.
Dan Neil is heading out of boyhood club Sunderland. The midfielder has barely had a kick since promotion to the top flight, leaving him with a desire to try something new at FC Köln. The Bundesliga is calling for Neil, who has also turned heads at West Ham and Rangers without either club making a concrete offer.
Jeremy Sarmiento has not pulled up any trees alongside Jamie Vardy at Cremonese but that has not stopped Middlesbrough wanting to acquire his services. Brighton are set to recall the Ecuadorian international but he will not be unpacking his bags before heading to the Riverside.
After four loans away from Chelsea, David Datro Fofana might finally be able to call somewhere home. Currently knocking them in for Turkish side Fatih Karagümrük, Fofana is wanted by Derby but Celtic and Royal Antwerp could consider rivalling the Championship club for his signature.
And the former Rams midfielder Tom Lawrence could be primed for a return to England. Having impressed for Perth Glory in Australia, now Norwich, Blackburn and Charlton have taken a liking to the Wales international. He is only contracted for a further five months, so there could be a cheap deal to be done.
Sport Witness
Spaniard rejects ‘several offers’ for West Ham – Nuno picks up phone
By Naveen Ullal
Paco Jémez is on his way to West Ham United, as reported by Spanish newspaper AS.
The 55-year-old is moving to the Hammers to be part of Nuno Espírito Santo’s backroom staff. In the battle against relegation from the Premier League, the extra help is welcomed.
West Ham have endured a difficult run in the league this season. Their poor start saw them part ways with Graham Potter and appoint the Portuguese coach as his successor in September.
Hammers results didn’t improve a lot under Nuno as they have secured only three wins from 21 league matches. This sees them languishing in the relegation zone, seven points behind 17th placed Nottingham Forest. There’s been suggestions that the manager’s future at the London club could be in danger.
To strengthen his coaching team, Nuno has brought Jémez to the Premier League side. AS give an insight into how Nuno convinced the Spaniard to become his assistant at West Ham.
Jémez has spent the majority of his coaching career in his own country. He had a spell in Azerbaijan managing Tractor Cultural Sports Club between 2022 and 2024, which sounds like an adventure. The coach then returned to Spain to join lower division side UD Ibiza in November 2024.
Dropping TV work for West Ham
Jémez left UD Ibiza in October and since then has been working as a commentator for DAZN.
AS report the Spanish coach has had several opportunities to return to the bench abroad. In fact, he had ‘several offers’ but none of them were convincing enough to make him drop the TV gigs. The report states Nuno’s call ‘prompted him to head to England’.
The pair played together at Deportivo La Coruña and Nuno has now convinced Jémez to become his assistant at West Ham. AS believe this is ‘a unique opportunity’ for the coach, who can try to save the Hammers.