Tuesday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 02 Dec 2025, 11:35
BBC
Manchester City's English goalkeeper James Trafford, 23, is looking to leave the club in January after falling down the pecking order following the arrival of 26-year-old Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris St-Germain, while German shot-stopper Stefan Ortega, 33, might also be searching for a new challenge. (Mail, external)
Crystal Palace's French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, 28, is keen on a move to Serie A with AC Milan among the clubs interested. (Talksport), external
Atletico Madrid rejected Manchester United's attempt to sign Conor Gallagher on loan last summer, but the Spanish club might be open to the England midfielder, 25, leaving for about £26m in January or the summer. (Here We Go Podcast with Fabrizio Romano, external)
Newcastle and Denmark striker William Osula, 22, is still wanted by Eintracht Frankfurt but the Bundesliga club are no longer interested in West Ham and Germany forward Niclas Fullkrug, 32. (Sky Sports Germany - in German), external
Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle to sign Ecuadorian twin brothers Edwin and Holger Quintero, both attacking midfielders aged 16, from Independiente Del Valle when they turn 18 in August 2027. (ESPN), external
Sunderland want to sign former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi, 26, with the Lazio and France midfielder keen to explore a move to the Black Cats. (i Paper - subscription required)
Roma will consider a move for Tottenham's 20-year-old French forward Mathys Tel in January if they are unable to land Manchester United's 24-year-old Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee. (Il Messaggero - in Italian), external
Manchester United are keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt and Germany left-back Nathaniel Brown, 22, who is also interesting Real Madrid and Barcelona. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Tottenham want to sign Porto's Spanish forward Samu Aghehowa, 21, in January but are worried they will lose out to Manchester City in their efforts to land Bournemouth's 25-year-old Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo. (Teamtalk), external
Former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, 39, wants to return to Europe when his contract with Mexican side Monterrey expires at the end of December with AC Milan among the Spaniard's admirers. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external
Nottingham Forest are keeping an eye on Inter Milan's Stefan de Vrij with the 33-year-old Netherlands defender out of contract at the Italian club in the summer. (Football Insider, external)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Thomas Frank feels Spurs' owners will give him time to build success despite the fractious home defeat against Fulham on
Lucas Paqueta has been offered support by the PFA after his reaction online to his red card against Liverpool - Daily Express Sport
James Trafford is eyeing a January exit from Manchester City - Mail Sport
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is keen on a move to Serie A with AC Milan among the clubs interested - Talksport
John Textor has defended his 'partner' Evangelos Maranikis and praised transfer deals between the two - The Times
Pep Guardiola has urged Phil Foden to stay at Manchester City and become a future club captain - The Sun
Newcastle striker William Osula is still wanted by Eintracht Frankfurt but the Bundesliga club are no longer interested in West Ham and Germany forward Niclas Fullkrug - Sky in Germany
World Cup
FIFA is set to be given special dispensation to allow VARs to have extra powers at next year's World Cup, including over corner-kick decisions and second yellow cards - The Times
Formula One
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has received an apology from Red Bull after suggestions he allowed Lando Norris through prompted death threats online - The Guardian
Cricket
Michael Atherton says England should pick Will Jacks over Shoaib Bashir for second Ashes Test - The Times
The Athletic
West Ham Transfer DealSheet: What to expect in 2026
Charlie Cresswell, left, is wanted by West Ham but Niclas Fullkrug could be set to depart Getty Images
By Roshane Thomas
The January transfer window is set to be the most important month in West Ham United’s recent history.
Following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are level on points (11) with 18th-placed Leeds United but outside the relegation zone on goal difference. West Ham have lost four of the eight league games Nuno has overseen, winning two and drawing two. Their precarious position is unlikely to improve massively any time soon, given a run of games against Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa and Manchester City before Christmas.
So who are West Ham targeting in January and beyond? Will they have money to spend? Who could be sold? Sources who have spoken on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships have offered insight into what to expect.
Who will make key decisions in January and the summer?
There are a number of signings former technical director Tim Steidten, who left his role in February, presided over, including: Niclas Fullkrug, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Mohammed Kudus, Jean-Clair Todibo, Luis Guilherme, Maximilian Kilman and Crysencio Summerville. Fullkrug is injury-prone, Todibo, Mavropanos and Kilman are inconsistent, Guilherme is an unproven young prospect, while Summerville has shown glimpses of his quality.
Although Steidten’s track record in transfers flattered to deceive, his best signing was Maximilian Hahn. The German joined as head of technical recruitment and analysis from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2023. Hahn’s influence has grown behind the scenes and he is considered one of the senior scouts at West Ham. He played a role in the scouting of El Hadji Malick Diouf before his £19million ($25m) arrival from Slavia Prague in July. Hahn will provide detailed reports for Nuno, who will make the key decisions over incomings with majority shareholder David Sullivan.
Are there any players they are already looking at?
West Ham are keen to augment their defensive and forward options. One particular player they have strong interest in signing is Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell. On deadline day in the summer, the French side rejected their offer of a £4m loan fee with an obligation based on appearances for the 23-year-old. Toulouse wanted €20m (£17.6m, $23.2m) plus bonus, which forced West Ham to alter their plans by signing Igor Julio on a season-long loan deal from Brighton & Hove Albion. The centre-back, signed by the since-sacked Graham Potter, has played only 103 minutes under Nuno.
Since the closure of the summer window, and according to sources with knowledge of the deal, Toulouse’s valuation of Cresswell has increased to €25m. But this has not deterred West Ham’s scouts from continuing to monitor his development. The defender, who has other interest from European clubs, was not downhearted that a switch to West Ham fell through in the summer. He remains happy at Toulouse but is aware a return to the Premier League will boost his chances of earning a senior England call-up. The centre-back amassed 26 caps for the U21s and was part of the side that won the European Under-21 Championship in June.
Cresswell, the ex-Leeds United defender who had a loan spell at Millwall in 2022-23, harbours hopes of playing for Thomas Tuchel’s senior England team, and believes his next switch will make him better suited to fulfilling that target.
Who will they be looking to sell?
Barring captain Jarrod Bowen, West Ham’s squad lacks high-value assets. Once upon a time Lucas Paqueta’s valuation was in the region of £80m but his stock has nosedived. A move to Manchester City fell through following the launch of a spot-fixing investigation by the Football Association in August 2023. Paqueta was cleared in July but his long-term future remains uncertain.
He was sent off against Liverpool at the weekend. The 28-year-old playmaker apologised for his actions but will be suspended for Thursday’s game against Manchester United, having also missed the recent 2-2 draw with Bournemouth through suspension.
Paqueta was the subject of interest from Aston Villa in the summer, while boyhood club Flamengo have a long-standing interest in the midfielder. The Brazilian club made an unsatisfactory offer to sign Paqueta in the summer of 2024, a bid West Ham sources described as “laughable”.
“The first moment (Flamengo tried to sign Paqueta) was when (Marcos) Braz was still at Flamengo (as vice-president), there was that contact,” Paqueta told Brazilian outlet Globoesporte in November. “I know of Flamengo’s desire, and they know of my desire, my passion for the club, so it’s something that always happens. As soon as I was accused, and the whole trial process was about to begin, Braz came to my house, made the offer, and asked what I thought.
“Obviously, I always want to go back to Flamengo, but at that moment I was still a bit undecided about my decision, about what I was going to do. Then I also talked to the West Ham director (David Sullivan) and said, ‘Braz, I want to go back, I know I’ll feel good at Flamengo, but I can’t be ungrateful to the club that’s supporting me so much’.”
A more likely January departure is James Ward-Prowse. The 31-year-old midfielder, who joined for £30m from Southampton in August 2023, has been frozen out of the team by Nuno. Under Potter, Ward-Prowse started league games against Southampton, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace. But since Nuno’s arrival, the midfielder has not featured in the matchday squad.
“It’s just decisions and I’ve been honest with all the players,” said Nuno when asked what Ward-Prowse has to do to impress him in his pre-match press conference before the defeat by Liverpool. “All the players are committed and working hard. It’s not an easy situation, but believe me, making the squad and deciding is tough. But we decide for the best. He’s been professional and very good (during this time).”
It seems inevitable that Fullkrug will end his 15-month spell next month. The 31-year-old forward has a paltry return of three goals in 26 appearances since joining for £27m from Borussia Dortmund in 2024. Team-mate Callum Wilson has already surpassed Fullkrug’s goalscoring record (four in 10 games) having only joined in August on a free transfer from Newcastle United. Last month, Fullkrug’s agent, Thorsten Wirth, hinted at an exit during an interview with the TOMorrow Business Podcast.
“This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there,” he said. “Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugarcoating it.”
Midfielder Andy Irving has made six league appearances this season, his most recent coming in the 2-0 defeat by Leeds United in October. The 25-year-old has not featured in the past four matches. Those close to Irving say it is impossible to predict whether he will leave on loan, but he has high hopes of featuring in Scotland’s World Cup squad next summer. The midfielder, who made his international debut against Liechtenstein in June, was an unused substitute in Scotland’s World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark.
Which players’ contracts are expiring? Who will they renew?
Guido Rodriguez, George Earthy, Irving, Lukasz Fabianski and Wilson are entering the final months of their deals. Rodriguez’s contract has an option to extend for a further year but this clause does not feature in Earthy, Irving, Fabianski and Wilson’s contracts. They are all yet to enter talks over a potential extension and a January exit could be on the cards for Earthy.
He made his first-team debut in March 2024 against Freiburg but is yet to feature under Nuno. The midfielder had loan interest from Championship clubs in August but opted to stay. It was a frustrating summer for the 21-year-old, having missed pre-season after sustaining an ankle ligament injury. After recovering, Earthy pulled his hamstring in Nuno’s first training session in September.
He was sidelined for six weeks and returned for the under-21s in their EFL Trophy victory against Swindon Town. Earthy, who last season had a season-long loan at Championship side Bristol City, was an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth and did not feature in the matchday squad against Liverpool. The midfielder is open to leaving on loan next month.
What is their PSR position? What sort of budget do they have?
West Ham are not currently negatively impacted by the restrictions of profit and sustainability regulations (PSR). Sources inside the club anticipate a busy window. Nuno will be backed in the transfer market, although he was coy about where improvements will be made.
“Now is not the moment,” he said in last week’s press conference. “I think when we have to sit down is when the window opens. But the club has all the tools that they need.”
Manchester City's English goalkeeper James Trafford, 23, is looking to leave the club in January after falling down the pecking order following the arrival of 26-year-old Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris St-Germain, while German shot-stopper Stefan Ortega, 33, might also be searching for a new challenge. (Mail, external)
Crystal Palace's French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, 28, is keen on a move to Serie A with AC Milan among the clubs interested. (Talksport), external
Atletico Madrid rejected Manchester United's attempt to sign Conor Gallagher on loan last summer, but the Spanish club might be open to the England midfielder, 25, leaving for about £26m in January or the summer. (Here We Go Podcast with Fabrizio Romano, external)
Newcastle and Denmark striker William Osula, 22, is still wanted by Eintracht Frankfurt but the Bundesliga club are no longer interested in West Ham and Germany forward Niclas Fullkrug, 32. (Sky Sports Germany - in German), external
Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle to sign Ecuadorian twin brothers Edwin and Holger Quintero, both attacking midfielders aged 16, from Independiente Del Valle when they turn 18 in August 2027. (ESPN), external
Sunderland want to sign former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi, 26, with the Lazio and France midfielder keen to explore a move to the Black Cats. (i Paper - subscription required)
Roma will consider a move for Tottenham's 20-year-old French forward Mathys Tel in January if they are unable to land Manchester United's 24-year-old Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee. (Il Messaggero - in Italian), external
Manchester United are keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt and Germany left-back Nathaniel Brown, 22, who is also interesting Real Madrid and Barcelona. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Tottenham want to sign Porto's Spanish forward Samu Aghehowa, 21, in January but are worried they will lose out to Manchester City in their efforts to land Bournemouth's 25-year-old Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo. (Teamtalk), external
Former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, 39, wants to return to Europe when his contract with Mexican side Monterrey expires at the end of December with AC Milan among the Spaniard's admirers. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external
Nottingham Forest are keeping an eye on Inter Milan's Stefan de Vrij with the 33-year-old Netherlands defender out of contract at the Italian club in the summer. (Football Insider, external)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Thomas Frank feels Spurs' owners will give him time to build success despite the fractious home defeat against Fulham on
Lucas Paqueta has been offered support by the PFA after his reaction online to his red card against Liverpool - Daily Express Sport
James Trafford is eyeing a January exit from Manchester City - Mail Sport
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is keen on a move to Serie A with AC Milan among the clubs interested - Talksport
John Textor has defended his 'partner' Evangelos Maranikis and praised transfer deals between the two - The Times
Pep Guardiola has urged Phil Foden to stay at Manchester City and become a future club captain - The Sun
Newcastle striker William Osula is still wanted by Eintracht Frankfurt but the Bundesliga club are no longer interested in West Ham and Germany forward Niclas Fullkrug - Sky in Germany
World Cup
FIFA is set to be given special dispensation to allow VARs to have extra powers at next year's World Cup, including over corner-kick decisions and second yellow cards - The Times
Formula One
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has received an apology from Red Bull after suggestions he allowed Lando Norris through prompted death threats online - The Guardian
Cricket
Michael Atherton says England should pick Will Jacks over Shoaib Bashir for second Ashes Test - The Times
The Athletic
West Ham Transfer DealSheet: What to expect in 2026
Charlie Cresswell, left, is wanted by West Ham but Niclas Fullkrug could be set to depart Getty Images
By Roshane Thomas
The January transfer window is set to be the most important month in West Ham United’s recent history.
Following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are level on points (11) with 18th-placed Leeds United but outside the relegation zone on goal difference. West Ham have lost four of the eight league games Nuno has overseen, winning two and drawing two. Their precarious position is unlikely to improve massively any time soon, given a run of games against Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa and Manchester City before Christmas.
So who are West Ham targeting in January and beyond? Will they have money to spend? Who could be sold? Sources who have spoken on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships have offered insight into what to expect.
Who will make key decisions in January and the summer?
There are a number of signings former technical director Tim Steidten, who left his role in February, presided over, including: Niclas Fullkrug, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Mohammed Kudus, Jean-Clair Todibo, Luis Guilherme, Maximilian Kilman and Crysencio Summerville. Fullkrug is injury-prone, Todibo, Mavropanos and Kilman are inconsistent, Guilherme is an unproven young prospect, while Summerville has shown glimpses of his quality.
Although Steidten’s track record in transfers flattered to deceive, his best signing was Maximilian Hahn. The German joined as head of technical recruitment and analysis from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2023. Hahn’s influence has grown behind the scenes and he is considered one of the senior scouts at West Ham. He played a role in the scouting of El Hadji Malick Diouf before his £19million ($25m) arrival from Slavia Prague in July. Hahn will provide detailed reports for Nuno, who will make the key decisions over incomings with majority shareholder David Sullivan.
Are there any players they are already looking at?
West Ham are keen to augment their defensive and forward options. One particular player they have strong interest in signing is Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell. On deadline day in the summer, the French side rejected their offer of a £4m loan fee with an obligation based on appearances for the 23-year-old. Toulouse wanted €20m (£17.6m, $23.2m) plus bonus, which forced West Ham to alter their plans by signing Igor Julio on a season-long loan deal from Brighton & Hove Albion. The centre-back, signed by the since-sacked Graham Potter, has played only 103 minutes under Nuno.
Since the closure of the summer window, and according to sources with knowledge of the deal, Toulouse’s valuation of Cresswell has increased to €25m. But this has not deterred West Ham’s scouts from continuing to monitor his development. The defender, who has other interest from European clubs, was not downhearted that a switch to West Ham fell through in the summer. He remains happy at Toulouse but is aware a return to the Premier League will boost his chances of earning a senior England call-up. The centre-back amassed 26 caps for the U21s and was part of the side that won the European Under-21 Championship in June.
Cresswell, the ex-Leeds United defender who had a loan spell at Millwall in 2022-23, harbours hopes of playing for Thomas Tuchel’s senior England team, and believes his next switch will make him better suited to fulfilling that target.
Who will they be looking to sell?
Barring captain Jarrod Bowen, West Ham’s squad lacks high-value assets. Once upon a time Lucas Paqueta’s valuation was in the region of £80m but his stock has nosedived. A move to Manchester City fell through following the launch of a spot-fixing investigation by the Football Association in August 2023. Paqueta was cleared in July but his long-term future remains uncertain.
He was sent off against Liverpool at the weekend. The 28-year-old playmaker apologised for his actions but will be suspended for Thursday’s game against Manchester United, having also missed the recent 2-2 draw with Bournemouth through suspension.
Paqueta was the subject of interest from Aston Villa in the summer, while boyhood club Flamengo have a long-standing interest in the midfielder. The Brazilian club made an unsatisfactory offer to sign Paqueta in the summer of 2024, a bid West Ham sources described as “laughable”.
“The first moment (Flamengo tried to sign Paqueta) was when (Marcos) Braz was still at Flamengo (as vice-president), there was that contact,” Paqueta told Brazilian outlet Globoesporte in November. “I know of Flamengo’s desire, and they know of my desire, my passion for the club, so it’s something that always happens. As soon as I was accused, and the whole trial process was about to begin, Braz came to my house, made the offer, and asked what I thought.
“Obviously, I always want to go back to Flamengo, but at that moment I was still a bit undecided about my decision, about what I was going to do. Then I also talked to the West Ham director (David Sullivan) and said, ‘Braz, I want to go back, I know I’ll feel good at Flamengo, but I can’t be ungrateful to the club that’s supporting me so much’.”
A more likely January departure is James Ward-Prowse. The 31-year-old midfielder, who joined for £30m from Southampton in August 2023, has been frozen out of the team by Nuno. Under Potter, Ward-Prowse started league games against Southampton, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace. But since Nuno’s arrival, the midfielder has not featured in the matchday squad.
“It’s just decisions and I’ve been honest with all the players,” said Nuno when asked what Ward-Prowse has to do to impress him in his pre-match press conference before the defeat by Liverpool. “All the players are committed and working hard. It’s not an easy situation, but believe me, making the squad and deciding is tough. But we decide for the best. He’s been professional and very good (during this time).”
It seems inevitable that Fullkrug will end his 15-month spell next month. The 31-year-old forward has a paltry return of three goals in 26 appearances since joining for £27m from Borussia Dortmund in 2024. Team-mate Callum Wilson has already surpassed Fullkrug’s goalscoring record (four in 10 games) having only joined in August on a free transfer from Newcastle United. Last month, Fullkrug’s agent, Thorsten Wirth, hinted at an exit during an interview with the TOMorrow Business Podcast.
“This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there,” he said. “Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugarcoating it.”
Midfielder Andy Irving has made six league appearances this season, his most recent coming in the 2-0 defeat by Leeds United in October. The 25-year-old has not featured in the past four matches. Those close to Irving say it is impossible to predict whether he will leave on loan, but he has high hopes of featuring in Scotland’s World Cup squad next summer. The midfielder, who made his international debut against Liechtenstein in June, was an unused substitute in Scotland’s World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark.
Which players’ contracts are expiring? Who will they renew?
Guido Rodriguez, George Earthy, Irving, Lukasz Fabianski and Wilson are entering the final months of their deals. Rodriguez’s contract has an option to extend for a further year but this clause does not feature in Earthy, Irving, Fabianski and Wilson’s contracts. They are all yet to enter talks over a potential extension and a January exit could be on the cards for Earthy.
He made his first-team debut in March 2024 against Freiburg but is yet to feature under Nuno. The midfielder had loan interest from Championship clubs in August but opted to stay. It was a frustrating summer for the 21-year-old, having missed pre-season after sustaining an ankle ligament injury. After recovering, Earthy pulled his hamstring in Nuno’s first training session in September.
He was sidelined for six weeks and returned for the under-21s in their EFL Trophy victory against Swindon Town. Earthy, who last season had a season-long loan at Championship side Bristol City, was an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth and did not feature in the matchday squad against Liverpool. The midfielder is open to leaving on loan next month.
What is their PSR position? What sort of budget do they have?
West Ham are not currently negatively impacted by the restrictions of profit and sustainability regulations (PSR). Sources inside the club anticipate a busy window. Nuno will be backed in the transfer market, although he was coy about where improvements will be made.
“Now is not the moment,” he said in last week’s press conference. “I think when we have to sit down is when the window opens. But the club has all the tools that they need.”