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Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White might be heading for the exit door this summer and Aston Villa view the 26-year-old England international as an excellent fit. (Teamtalk), external

England defender Harry Maguire, 32, looks increasingly likely to sign a new contract with Manchester United. (Mail - subscription required), external

Real Madrid are looking for a centre-back and Tottenham skipper Cristian Romero has emerged as a target. The 27-year-old Argentine has also been linked with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external

Al-Ittihad want to sign Liverpool's Egypt forward Mohamed Salah this summer and the 33-year-old is open to the move. (Foot Mercato - in French), external

Bayern Munich have started talks with England forward Harry Kane over a new contract and are confident the 32-year-old will re-sign. (Sky Sports), external

Liverpool are at the front of clubs who are eyeing a summer move for Bournemouth's 19-year-old French forward Eli Junior Kroupi. (Caught Offside), external

Leeds are plotting a £30m summer move for Manchester City's 23-year-old English goalkeeper James Trafford. (Teamtalk), external

Brighton accepted an offer from Nottingham Forest in January for 34-year-old England defender Lewis Dunk but he wanted to stay. (Sky Sports), external

Crystal Palace may lower their £30m valuation of France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in the summer, with Manchester United showing interest in the 28-year-old. (Football Insider)

Manchester United and Chelsea are considering a move for Tromso's 19-year-old Gambia defender Abubacarr Sedi Kinteh. (Mail), external

Juventus and any other Serie A club would struggle to meet the salary of Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali. The 25-year-old Italy international is also interesting Manchester United and Arsenal. (The Athletic)





Mail

West Ham 1-1 Man United: Michael Carrick bandwagon hits its first obstacle as stubborn Hammers frustrate Red Devils

By IAN LADYMAN, FOOTBALL EDITOR

Benjamin Sesko was already showing signs of becoming a proper Manchester United player before Michael Carrick walked through the door. So the current United manager can't quite claim the credit for that one.

But Carrick can throw his hat on the growing feeling at Old Trafford that a season can turn permanently for the better and it was to absolutely nobody's surprise that his team retrieved a lost cause via Sesko's outstretched boot five minutes in to added time here in east London.

This was not a particularly good United performance and had they lost to Tomas Soucek's 50th minute goal then they could not have complained. After recent days of adrenaline at Old Trafford, Carrick's team were a little flat back out on the road again.

But they didn't lose and that will mean everything to them. Not just because they went home with a point that keeps their nose ahead of Chelsea in the fourth Champions League spot but also because it further deepens a new found belief that this could yet be their season - relatively speaking - after all.

It was a good goal, too, by the way. The game pretty much did feel up for United by that stage. Indeed, gaps had started to appear in the away end and that is never a good sign. It’s a long way back to Manchester on a wet Tuesday night.

But when Bryan Mbeumo landed a cross from the right on Sesko's instep, the Slovenian managed to cleverly divert it almost across his own body and inside the near post while under pressure from ten yards. It was a proper striker's goal from a big summer signing who is finally starting to look like one.

It was all very rough on West Ham, who had been excellent throughout. The London club have been on their own good run recently and as such this was a meeting of the recently upwardly mobile.

Their coach Nuno Espirito Santo has brought a structure and understanding to their football and, with big summer signings of their own finally starting to fire, they should take huge heart from this performance and indeed the result.

Once the disappointment wears off they will realise that - with teams like Tottenham and Nottingham Forest moving inexorably in the wrong direction - they have a very reasonable chance of Premier League survival indeed.

The first half had been even and not particularly entertaining. It was low on big moments though West Ham's man of the moment - with five goals from five games before this one - Crysencio Summerville did cut inside from the left and test United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a shot from 20 yards while at the other end a neat United corner routine saw Aaron Wan-Bissaka clear off the line from his old United team-mate Luke Shaw.


Crysencio Summerville continued to prove his worth for West Ham in another bright showing

Shaw, fit and in contention now for an England recall, was on his game once again here but he did have a less impressive moment early in the second half as West Ham broke away to score. United thought they were going to get a throw-in down by the near corner flag in the West Ham half but they didn’t get one and when the home team cleared long and high, Shaw made a decision he was to regret.

With hindsight, he probably should have come to try and head the ball before it bounced. But instead he allowed it drop and under pressure could only divert it in to the path of Soucek who in turn fed Jarrod Bowen out on the right.

Bowen, scampering away in that busy style, still had work to do as he had been forced very wide by the weight of the pass and United had men back. But Soucek was able to track past United bodies towards the six-yard line and when the low cross arrived at the near post he was able to divert it under goalkeeper Lammens and in to the far corner of the goal.

The goal lit up the stadium. This was what they had come for. Another huge step forward for a team that looked so lost only a few weeks ago.


Tomas Soucek had put the hosts ahead shortly after the half-time mark and West Ham looked strong throughout

But inevitably the goal also sparked United a little. Ten minutes or so later they thought they were level when Casemiro stormed in at the back post to head Kobbie Mainoo’s deep out swinger down and in to the goal. But the Brazilian – enjoying quite the swansong season – was found by VAR to have been a fraction offside.

United pressed hard and made predictable subs. Sesko for Mathus Cunha proved to be the big one.

They didn't look hugely like scoring, though, and as the game became stretched at the death West Ham had a couple of break aways of their own, led by their substitutes Callum Wilson and Adama Traore.

Two last ditch United tackles saved the day on those occasions and at the other end the defending was equally impressive. The two West Ham central defenders and goalkeeper Mads Hermansen - recalled from the wilderness for the weekend win at Burnley - were excellent.

When United forward Joshua Zirkzee flicked a header across goal and wide in the 94th minute, victory appeared to be West Ham's. But Sesko had his own plan and executed it beautifully.

The Carrick bandwagon struck its first big obstacle here and hit it hard. But the wheels remain on.

West Ham (4-3-3): Hermansen 6; Wan-Bissaka 7.5, Disasi 6, Mavropanos 6.5, Diouf 7 (Scarles 80); Soucek 7, Fernandes 7, Potts 6.5 (Magassa); Bowen 8 (Walker-Peters 90), Castellanos 6 (Wilson 69, 6), Summerville 7.5 (Traore 90)

Goals: Soucek (50)

Head coach: Nuno Espirito Santo 8

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lammens 6.5; Dalot 5 (Zirkzee 82), Maguire 7 (Yoro 68, 6), Martinez 6, Shaw 5; Casemiro 6, Mainoo 6; Amad 6, Fernandes 6, Cunha 6 (Sesko 69, 6); Mbeumo 6

Goals: Sesko (90+6)

Booked: Dalot

Head coach: Michael Carrick 6

Referee: Simon Hooper 7




The Athletic

West Ham have a new sense of unity. They now truly believe they can survive


Tomas Soucek gave West Ham United the lead against Manchester United Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images

By Roshane Thomas

The reactions of the West Ham United squad viscerally encapsulated the emotional toll of conceding a stoppage-time goal.

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo almost fell to the turf, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen repeatedly punched the ground in frustration, midfielder Mateus Fernandes stared forlornly at the ground, defender Konstantinos Mavropanos held his head in his hands in disbelief, while Kyle Walker-Peters valiantly attempted to rally the troops.

Before second-half substitute Benjamin Sesko’s dramatic 96th-minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw, Nuno’s defensive game plan worked perfectly against Manchester United. They restricted the visitors to only two shots on target and nullified the threat of attacking quartet Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes and Amad, who had a combined total of three shots.

Nuno’s side were on the verge of sealing a fourth Premier League win in five games. But as in matches against Bournemouth and Chelsea, West Ham failed to get over the line. They have now dropped 20 points from winning positions this season, the highest in the league.

Nuno’s arms were folded as he walked onto the pitch after the final whistle. Tomas Soucek, who scored the opener, was static with his hands on his hips, Callum Wilson looked to the heavens and Mavropanos lifted a dejected Hermansen from the ground. The goalkeeper had just been denied his third clean sheet of the season. Following the draw, West Ham remain in the relegation zone, two points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.

If Forest win their home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday, the gap will grow to five points. The fans who remained at the London Stadium applauded the players off the pitch. The clearest sign yet that the club have turned a corner under Nuno were the chants of, “West Ham are massive everywhere we go” in the 84th minute. It was a show of unity we have seldom seen this season.

“The way we were for 95 minutes against Manchester United, you could tell we hit really good form at the minute as a team,” midfielder and academy graduate Freddie Potts told The Athletic. “We’ve seen that in the results. We nullified them, especially in the first half — they’ve got dangerous attacking players. The main thing was to catch them on the counter-attack and we did that with Tomas’ goal, but we are all just gutted (that we didn’t win). Everyone’s really silent in the changing room. We’re annoyed but we’ve got a few games coming up that we think we can win.

“In the build-up to this match, we did a lot of shape work, a lot of organisation and making sure everyone switched on for 90 minutes. We did that for most of the game, but it was just a great finish (from Sesko).

“There are a lot of positives. We’re giving more to the fans as a team. That was one of the best atmospheres we’ve had this season. Everyone’s more together, regardless of whether you’re playing or not. The lads that are coming on, everyone’s putting in a big shift and that’s all we can do.”

Nuno made one change from Saturday’s 2-0 win at Burnley, with Potts replacing Wilson in the starting XI. Hermansen retained his place in the team ahead of Alphonse Areola. Central-defensive pairing Mavropanos and Axel Disasi, the deadline-day loanee from Chelsea, started together, while fellow January signing Pablo dropped out of the matchday squad after picking up a knock against Burnley. Felipe and defender Jean-Clair Todibo, who served the first game of a three-match suspension, were in attendance to cheer on their team-mates.

There were other pleasing aspects in this performance, with club captain Jarrod Bowen registering his third assist of the season, Soucek scoring his 39th Premier League goal — the most by a Czech player in the competition’s history — and Fernandes excelling defensively with five tackles, the most in the match by an outfield player.

Even when West Ham’s league position was far more precarious, Nuno had belief that his side could avoid relegation. Aside from the on-field improvement, a contributing factor has been the appointment of first-team coach Paco Jemez. He joined in mid-January, having played together in La Liga at Deportivo La Coruna in the mid-1990s.

“Paco’s a crazy guy!” Soucek told The Athletic. “The manager and the staff around him, including Paco, are a big part of this transformation. In training, the sessions have improved massively. There is more intensity and we just have to keep building our momentum. Everyone is so honest and that’s changed (recently), we can see it with our results. We have to keep it up.”

Although the gap to Forest could be five points after Wednesday, the prospect of Premier League survival no longer appears onerous for West Ham. They played with great belief against an in-form United side. It is a sign of their progress under Nuno that a draw felt like a defeat. After their FA Cup fourth-round tie against League One side Burton Albion on Saturday, West Ham face Bournemouth (home), Liverpool (away), Fulham (away), Manchester City (home) and Aston Villa (away).

“It’s devastating to lose out on three points, but we can take positives from this match, Chelsea and Burnley,” said Soucek. “I feel the togetherness from my team-mates, I feel it at the training ground and from the fans. They were amazing today and we all know there’s only one goal — to remain in the Premier League.

“Two months ago, not many people probably believed in us — they would have written us off. But we’ve changed our mentality, we fight for each other and we know what’s at stake. We’ve said we can’t play like individual players, the team comes first and we can show our qualities. I’m just so happy that we’re starting to do that now.”



Sport Witness

Aston Villa and West Ham contact for signing – Newcastle United appear on scene

By Naveen Ullal

Aston Villa, West Ham United and Newcastle United have Celta Vigo’s Óscar Mingueza’s on their transfer agenda.

The Spaniard’s contract expires in June and his future beyond that remains uncertain. This makes him a market opportunity for several clubs.

On January 2nd, Sport Witness covered claims from Spain of Aston Villa, West Ham and Newcastle hovering over. This was at a time when Celta Vigo expressed their desire to renew the right-back’s contract.

Juventus came forward to sign the 26-year-old in the winter market, but the La Liga side refused to accept their offer.

Estadio Deportivo pick up on that and cover the latest on his future. Unai Emery’s side, the Hammers and Eddie Howe’s side are Mingueza’s suitors.

Celta Vigo sporting director Marco Garcés has already confirmed a renewal offer to the former Barcelona man.

“Mingueza has a renewal offer from us, but it’s true that we’re going to have a pretty busy summer transfer window, and we’ve already started working on next season’s transfer window,” he said.

According to the report, the fullback’s renewal is the ‘most difficult case’ for the La Liga side. That’s because several clubs are keen on securing Mingueza’s services for free in the summer. He would have received better offers than the one proposed by Celta Vigo.

Estadio state Aston Villa, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side and Marseille have been knocking on his door for months. This indicates these three clubs are in regular contact. In addition to that trio, Newcastle United, AC Milan, Atalanta and Como are in the race to sign the fullback.

Juve, who made an attempt in the last window, seem to be ahead of Aston Villa, West Ham, Newcastle and others.

Celta Vigo have offered a deal worth €4m per year. The Premier League trio could propose more than that to tempt him.

Mingueza will have to make a decision on where he wants to play next season. Celta Vigo have already signed right-back Álvaro Núñez earlier this month. He should step up if his compatriot were to leave after this season.

Thanks Alan.