Friday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

RB Leipzig are among several clubs looking at Rasmus Hojlund and Manchester United could use the 22-year-old Denmark striker as part of a swap deal to sign Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, 22, from the Bundesliga side. (Athletic - subscription required, external)

Tottenham are in talks with Bayern Munich over a loan deal for Portugal international Joao Palhinha, 30, as they look to bring the former Fulham midfielder back to the Premier League. (Athletic - subscription required, external)

Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho is ready to accept a 50% pay cut as the 25-year-old England winger eyes a return to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. (Bild - in German, external)

Chelsea are expected to make an offer for Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho, 21, before the transfer window shuts and have no concerns over his character after a series of background checks on the Argentina winger. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

England Under-20 midfielder Nico O'Reilly, 20, will sign a new contract with Manchester City after they rejected two transfer bids from German club Bayer Leverkusen. (Fabrizio Romano), external

La Liga side Girona have agreed a deal in principle to sign Manchester City's Brazilian defender Vitor Reis, 19, on loan. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Manchester City also want 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri to go on a season-long loan to Girona, with discussions ongoing between the Argentine winger and the Spanish club. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Premier League duo Liverpool and Bournemouth have both opted not to match newly promoted Saudi Pro League side Neom SC's huge offer for Nantes' French defender Nathan Zeze, 20. (TBR Football, external)

Chelsea are interested in Club Brugge's Ardon Jashari but the 23-year-old Switzerland midfielder prefers a move to AC Milan. (Sacha Tavolieri, external)

Everton will wait until the final weeks of the transfer window to make a loan offer for Juventus and Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, 27. (GiveMesport), external

Juventus have joined Atalanta, Napoli and Roma in showing an interest in Brighton's 24-year-old Denmark international midfielder Matt O'Riley. (Sky Sports Italia) , external

Inter Milan rejected the chance to sign Chelsea and France striker Christopher Nkunku, 27, as they are focus on a move for Atalanta's 27-year-old Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Southampton have set a new asking price for winger Tyler Dibling after rejecting an initial offer from Everton. (EFL Analysis), external

Middlesbrough are expected to complete a deal for Blackburn Rovers defender Callum Brittain. (Lancashire Telegraph), external

West Bromwich Albion have made a bid for Cadiz forward Chris Ramos. (Football League World), external

Wrexham have agreed fees of £2m each for Sheffield United forward Kieffer Moore and Leicester City defender Conor Coady. (Sky Sports), external

Bristol Rovers are set to sign Swiss striker Fabrizio Cavegn from FC Vaduz of Liechtenstein who play in the second division in Switzerland. (Bristol Live)




Sky Paper Talk

THE MIRROR

Liverpool remain keen on landing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace but do not agree with their £40m valuation, given he is available for nothing come next summer.

Newcastle United are growing increasingly frustrated with Liverpool as the Alexander Isak transfer saga rumbles on without development.

THE TIMES

Tottenham have renewed interest in Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani.

THE ATHLETIC

RB Leipzig are one of several clubs showing an interest in Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund.

DAILY MAIL

Newcastle have refused to deny Alexander Isak has gone AWOL in Spain, as his attempts to force a move to Liverpool took an unsavoury turn that has infuriated supporters.

Manchester United fans are planning further protests against the club's ownership in the forthcoming season.

THE SUN

Coventry City are weighing up the possibility of building a potential new 40,000-seater stadium in the city.

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has a £68m release clause which expires on Saturday.




Guardian Rumour mill

Yara El-Shaboury

The question of who will lead the Manchester United forward line remains uncertain. Ruben Amorim has been blunt in his assessment of Rasmus Højlund, despite the player’s desire to stay. United could offer the striker to RB Leipzig and plan a separate deal for the Bundesliga club’s Benjamin Sesko, who would cost at least £55m. All aboard the merry-go-round.

Jadon Sancho could be on his way back to Borussia Dortmund, where he spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan. The 25-year-old winger clearly enjoyed his second spell with the club and is said to be pushing for a permanent move after being left out of United’s pre-season tour. The Englishman, who joined United in a £73m deal from Dortmund in 2021, has reportedly agreed to a 50% pay cut to make the move happen. Chelsea are reportedly preparing a bid for another outcast, Alejandro Garnacho, before the transfer window closes.

The Juventus midfield is in a bit of a state. With the futures of Douglas Luiz and Weston McKennie uncertain, the Old Lady are looking for reinforcements. They’ve joined Atalanta, Napoli, and Roma in expressing an interest in Brighton’s Matt O’Riley. Juventus are holding out for €40m for Luiz, who has reportedly skipped training to force a move to Nottingham Forest. McKennie, whose contract expires next summer, is reportedly in talks with Milan, so the Turin side are open to selling to avoid losing him for nothing.

Over at Brentford, Yoane Wissa left training early after spending just three hours at the club’s training ground. The player is reportedly unhappy and disappointed with the club’s stance on his future amid interest from Newcastle. The Bees have already turned down a £25m bid for the striker and are reluctant to sell after sanctioning the £71m exit of Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United. Newcastle, for their part, are still keen on Wissa but are looking at other options, while Brentford insists he is not for sale.

Liverpool remain keen on Marc Guéhi but are not interested in paying Crystal Palace’s £40m valuation, especially since the defender will be available for free next summer.

West Ham are also in the market for a new keeper after Lukasz Fabianski’s contract expired. The Hammers have made a formal approach to Leicester for Mads Hermansen. The move could be influenced by West Ham’s new goalkeeping coach, Casper Ankergren, who previously worked with Hermansen at Brøndby.

Wolves have agreed a £12m deal with AZ Alkmaar for the left-back David Møller Wolfe, who has reportedly said his goodbyes to his teammates ahead of his flight to England.

In the Championship, Wrexham, hoping to secure a third back-to-back promotion this season, are reportedly close to agreeing a deal for Leicester’s Conor Coady. The former Wolves player, who has one year left on his contract, had also previously been approached by Rangers. Phil Parkinson’s side are also closing in on a deal for the Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore. The 32-year-old Welsh international has a prolific Championship record with 60 goals in 203 appearances.

After a summer of significant spending, Athletic Club could be about to pull off their biggest coup yet. Having already retained the services of Nico Williams (who snubbed Barcelona to sign a mammoth new deal), Robert Navarro, and Jesús Areso, the Basque club could be re-signing fan favourite Aymeric Laporte. The Spanish international, who left for Manchester City in 2018, is reportedly desperate to leave Al-Nassr and return to his former club. He has already agreed to personal terms and is now negotiating a contract termination with the Saudi side. The Al-Nassr manager, Jorge Jesus, all but confirmed his departure, saying the player would leave and the club would “sign a player with a similar profile”.






The Athletic

Lucas Paqueta’s two years in limbo: Missed Man City move, West Ham backing and a pastor’s prayers

 Dan Sheldon and Roshane Thomas

Lucas Paqueta did not wait to let his feelings be known after an independent commission found four alleged breaches of the English Football Association’s betting rules could not be proven.

“The enemy will come against us one way, but they will flee seven ways,” read the first line of Paqueta’s statement on Instagram, quoting a biblical passage from Deuteronomy 28:7.

Paqueta, who is in the United States on West Ham United’s pre-season tour, was called by his legal team and informed of the verdict on July 25, so he has had plenty of time to prepare his response. You do not need to be a theologian to work out who he believes is the enemy.

For Paqueta, 27, yesterday’s news represented vindication. When news of the FA’s investigation into Paqueta’s alleged breaches broke in August 2023, West Ham’s squad held a team meeting without then-manager David Moyes and his backroom staff. According to those with knowledge of the meeting, Paqueta was tearful and told his team-mates he was innocent and felt the FA was picking on him.

Edson Alvarez was especially vocal, saying he would protect the Brazil international on the pitch if anyone tried to target him. Seven months later, in West Ham’s 5-0 victory against Freiburg in the second leg of their round-of-16 Europa League tie, Paqueta ran to Alvarez to hug him after opening the scoring to show his appreciation.

His close friend, Emerson Palmieri, an Italy international who was born in Brazil, was keen to arrange a night out to boost morale. In the event, it didn’t happen — Paqueta was said to not want the attention — but it was indicative of the faith in their team-mate.

An anxious two-year wait, which consisted of a hearing that lasted around 20 days, has led to the charges against Paqueta not being proven. He has, however, been charged with two counts of failing to comply with the FA’s investigation.

He was facing a lifetime ban if he had been found guilty of the most serious allegations but Paqueta can now continue his career unimpeded.

Once the written reasons for the verdict are published in the coming weeks, the FA will have 14 days to lodge an appeal. Paqueta can also appeal the non-cooperation finding.

In a club statement released on Thursday, Karren Brady, West Ham’s vice-chair, noted how the club had “resolutely stood by him and supported him throughout the process”.

“Despite the incredible pressure on him, Lucas has performed week in and week out for the club, always giving everything”, Brady added.

In constructing this article, The Athletic has spoken to sources with knowledge of the last two years who were granted anonymity to protect relationships. This is the story of the case and Paqueta’s difficult two years in limbo.

In the summer of 2023, Paqueta was a footballer with the world at his feet.

He was fresh from helping West Ham claim their first silverware in over four decades, having assisted Jarrod Bowen’s winner in the Europa Conference League victory over Fiorentina. He was the team’s creative hub, looking every inch the club record €60million (£52m; $69m) signing he had promised to be when he arrived from Lyon in August 2022.

His future looked bright. An £85m ($107m) release clause was set to become active that June, with Manchester City favourites to secure his signature. West Ham rejected their opening offer of £70m, but the club’s executives were anticipating a second bid. It never came.

“One day in August 2023, he’s on the verge of a move to the reigning Premier League champions, who looked invincible. Then, the next day, he’s being told he might never play football again,” Alastair Campbell, a partner at Level — the legal firm that represented Paqueta — and a member of his representation, told The Athletic.

On August 16, the FA emailed West Ham to inform them it had opened an investigation into suspicious betting patterns surrounding bookings Paqueta received in three Premier League games in 2023, against Bournemouth (August 12), Leeds United (May 21) and Aston Villa (March 12), and one in 2022 against Leicester City (November 12).

It was the fixture at Bournemouth, when Paqueta committed four fouls, that accelerated the FA’s investigation. The following day, the FA was informed of an anti-corruption alert by integrity officials. Betway, West Ham’s shirt sponsor, a company that is not widely used in Brazil, first flagged the suspicious activity as the bets were made on its platform, but it was only when other betting firms, including several local Brazilian operators, started reporting similar concerns that the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) stepped in. The IBIA then notified FIFA, football’s world governing body, and the FA.

On May 23, 2024, the FA charged Paqueta with four separate counts of spot-fixing. Around 60 people placed bets on Paqueta to receive a yellow card in one or all of the aforementioned matches, with the stakes ranging from £7 to £400. The investigation into Paqueta’s yellow cards centred on bets traced to accounts registered on Paqueta, an island off Rio de Janeiro where the midfielder — whose real name is Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima — grew up. Many of the bets under investigation are believed to have been made from new accounts.

“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,” said Paqueta in response to the charge in May. “For nine months, I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can. I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name.”

Paqueta was interviewed in September 2023 and provided the FA with access to his phone the following month.

Despite being charged, Paqueta was not provisionally suspended from playing for his club or country. He was recalled to the national team by then-head coach Dorival Junior in March 2024, having not played for Brazil since June 2023, and was also cleared to play in last summer’s Copa America after the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) sought clarity from the FA on his eligibility.

West Ham had shielded Paqueta from external media interviews, but before his appearance in Brazil’s game with England at Wembley in March 2024, he expressed his appreciation to Moyes in a pre-match press conference interview.

“My relationship with David Moyes is very good,” Paqueta said. “We talked about this. He wanted me on the team because of what I did last season. The support he gave me to leave all this behind was essential. He was special for me and his support was important.”

Given their bond, Moyes agreed to act as a witness in Paqueta’s tribunal hearing. It was one of several instances of figures within football sticking with him: another was Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who joined Paqueta on a family trip to America last summer, visiting Universal Studios.

Paqueta and Moyes’ close relationship was on show again on Thursday, with the pair embracing before West Ham’s pre-season win against Everton at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Brazilian scored the first of his side’s two goals that night.

Tim Steidten, who left his role as West Ham’s technical director in February, also went out of his way to help the player. He visited him in Brazil before the Copa America to reassure him of his importance to West Ham amid interest from boyhood club Flamengo.

“I visited Lucas in Brazil because what he is going through does a lot to a player,” Steidten told The Athletic. “Especially when you hear the kind of punishments he could face. This is his livelihood, his future. Lucas is Brazilian and, from my experience, they are very emotional people who need their family, their homeland, important things to take their mind off things. When I look at his performances, compared to before (the betting charges), it says it all.

Although there was uncertainty surrounding Paqueta’s future, West Ham were reluctant to engage in talks with Flamengo, who tried to sign him last summer. He finished the 2023-24 season with eight goals and seven assists across 43 appearances and was still regarded as an important player. According to a senior West Ham source, the Brazilian club attempted to test West Ham’s resolve but made an offer they regarded as “laughable”. Flamengo also explored signing the midfielder on loan, but that approach was rebuffed too.

It has been a challenging time for Paqueta and his family. Throughout it, his West Ham team-mates and close friends have kept a close eye on his mood.

“We’ve tried to help him as best as we can,” ex-West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski told The Athletic after the 3-1 win against Ipswich Town in May. “We don’t know the full details of the case, but as you can imagine, he’s going through a very difficult period. During this whole time, we’ve always been there for him. On and off the pitch, at the training ground, we’ve tried our best to keep him smiling and happy.”

Hours after West Ham United’s 3-1 loss against Manchester City in May 2024, a result that confirmed City’s Premier League title win, Paqueta, his wife Duda Fournier, and two sons, Benicio and Filippo, flew to Brazil. When they had arrived, Paqueta contacted pastor Andre Fernandes to pray for him and his family.

Senior West Ham sources say he continued to receive support from staff behind the scenes, but grew frustrated with the reports concerning his case. In October 2024, he released a statement calling for the FA to launch a “thorough investigation” into the disclosure of what he claimed to be “false” information regarding his case in the media. Paqueta’s form dipped before improving slightly after Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui as manager in January.

He scored and produced a man-of-the-match performance in Potter’s first match in charge against Aston Villa, a 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup, and was serenaded by West Ham supporters as he came off the field.

“He’s a tough guy and an unbelievable player,” West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek told The Athletic post-match. “If he continues to show this mentality, determination and character, he’ll be considered one of the best players in the world. He’s a good guy and very funny. He’s always dancing — your typical Brazilian. He just needs to be more on it. I try to teach him discipline.”

Paqueta scored his last league goal of the season in the following match, a 3-2 win against Fulham, after which he fell to the turf in exhaustion. He had benefited from a one-on-one conversation with Potter and looked eager to prove he had bought into the new manager’s methods.

When asked before the Nottingham Forest game in May, Potter was reluctant to reveal what he discussed with Paqueta, but it appeared to have the desired effect. His swashbuckling performance in the narrow 2-1 loss against Liverpool in April was a reminder of what West Ham stood to miss if the verdict went against him.

“Ability-wise, Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus (now at Tottenham Hotspur) and Jarrod Bowen were the three top players at West Ham,” former West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer, now at Monaco, told The Athletic. “Paqueta made us laugh a lot in training. He would do crazy things that would make you think, ‘How are you even human?’. Insanely gifted.”

An investigation that had already lasted almost 18 months was beginning to take its toll. Paqueta was informed that his hearing, which started in March and was previously expected to finish in April, was being put on hold and would not conclude until June. The strain was evident during West Ham’s home draw against Tottenham in May, when referee Michael Oliver gave him a yellow card for fouling Mikey Moore. It was the eighth time he had been booked in the 2024-25 Premier League season. Paqueta was seen wiping away tears as Bowen consoled him.

“I don’t know fully what was making him emotional, but the main thing for me at that time was putting my arm around him,” Bowen told The Athletic after the 1-1 home draw. “I didn’t want him getting sent off or doing anything silly. I wanted to look after him, and I saw him again in the dressing room, and I gave him another hug.

“When we’re on the pitch, sometimes our emotions get the better of us. You want to win and leave everything out there. He was on top form (in the dressing room). Things can happen in football and sometimes our emotions run high in games but Lucas is fine, which is the main thing.”

After the game, Duda could not hide her frustration.

“I have never said anything on here, and maybe I shouldn’t,” she wrote on Instagram. “My husband has an attitude and a strength that I admire and am impressed by. We’ve been living through this nightmare for two years, and he is always strong. He always had it in his head that he would only defend himself at the right moment.

“There is nothing against him. Have you never realised that? Anyway, God knows all, and only he knows why we are going through this. It’s down to him alone that we are well and living in happiness as a family. I just want people to respect (us). People are cruel and unjust without knowing anything.”

West Ham granted Paqueta a few days off following the Spurs game. With the club’s Premier League status already secured, Potter did not deem it necessary to start the Brazilian in their remaining fixtures against Manchester United, Forest and Ipswich.

“It has taken its toll on him,” said Potter before the 2-1 home defeat by Forest, when Paqueta came on as a substitute for the final 30 minutes. “The week he had was particularly tough for him. He was feeling under the weather on the day before the game and the day of the game, so I didn’t want to risk him and make it worse. Sometimes stress, pressure, can manifest itself differently.”

Paqueta and his family flew to Brazil after the season ended. He spent time with childhood friends during the downtime, bonding over a game of cards and reminiscing about old times. He brought his sons to Flamengo’s 1-0 victory against Deportivo Tachira, which was their first time watching the Brazilian club. Faith and the outpouring of love from his family have helped Paqueta.

He was baptised in June, with friend and Flamengo forward Pedro Guilherme also in attendance.

Campbell described Paqueta as “extremely emotional and extremely grateful” when he was informed that he had been cleared on July 25.

While saying that he could not offer details about what their legal argument had been, Campbell mentioned that their case “was based on circumstantial evidence and a number of strands of circumstantial evidence. We take each of those strands and examine it and question it and present our side of the story on each of those strands.”

His form has fluctuated in the last two years, but West Ham sources note how Paqueta has not missed a single day’s training without permission.

For a player who was seemingly on his way to Manchester City, it is fair to speculate whether such a move may materialise again or if that opportunity has now passed.

The Brazilian has not given much thought to transfers. Paqueta’s focus for the last two years has been to clear his name. The future can wait as he adjusts to the threat of a potential lifetime ban being lifted from his shoulders.

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan. 

[Mex Martillo]

Thanks Alan

[Texas Iron]

Cheers…