West Ham United may have the opportunity to sign a highly talented attacker during the January transfer window.

Graham Potter, now at the helm following his replacement of Julen Lopetegui, must prioritize strengthening the team’s attacking options before the window closes.

This month has already seen significant changes at the London Stadium, with recruitment guru Kyle Macaulay set to join from Chelsea, replacing Tim Steidten.

While much of the transfer speculation has centered around West Ham’s pursuit of Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, the club seems to be exploring a wide range of potential targets.

One key point is clear: failing to bolster the forward line before the window shuts is not an option. Continuing into the second half of the season with the current squad could make the road ahead far more challenging.

Among the potential targets, Baris Alper Yilmaz has emerged as a standout candidate. West Ham reportedly submitted a £25 million bid for the Galatasaray star just days ago.

Yilmaz, an exceptional 24-year-old winger, would bring significant quality to the team, and his age suggests he has plenty of room to develop over the next few years.

However, according to Haber Sarikirmizi, West Ham would need to raise their offer to £34 million to secure Yilmaz’s signature.

While this seems a reasonable price for such a talented forward, the club’s top priorities should still include signing a proven center-forward, a powerful box-to-box midfielder, and a reliable center-back during this transfer window.

Big problem with West Ham signing Yilmaz for £34 million

Yilmaz has been on West Ham’s radar for a while, with reports suggesting the club held talks with his agent over the summer regarding a potential move.

The Turkish international is undeniably a special talent. Praised as “incredible” by beIN SPORTS, the Galatasaray forward appears to have all the attributes needed to thrive in the Premier League with the Hammers.

This season, Yilmaz has netted 10 goals in 19 Super Lig appearances and is versatile enough to play on either wing or as a central striker. He boasts exceptional pace, remarkable technical skill, and a clinical finishing ability.

Securing Baris Alper Yilmaz for £34 million during the January transfer window would be an excellent deal for any club that lands him. However, I believe West Ham have more urgent priorities this winter than signing another winger.

Graham Potter’s focus should be directed elsewhere to address the team’s more critical needs.

Everton have inquired about the conditions for signing Sporting CP winger Marcus Edwards.

The Tottenham academy graduate was omitted from Sporting’s traveling squad for their Champions League clash against RB Leipzig. It is understood that his strained relationship with head coach Rui Borges has resulted in reduced playing time.

Sporting are willing to sell Edwards for €12 million, with 35% of the transfer fee set to go to Tottenham, his former club. If a deal is not completed in January, the club intends to sell him at the end of the season.

The 26-year-old, whose contract runs until June 2026, left Tottenham in 2019 to join Vitória de Guimarães, where he tallied 20 goals in 95 appearances. In 2022, he made the move to Sporting CP for €7.5 million, with Bruno Gaspar and Geny Catamo heading the other way as part of the deal.

Edwards has delivered an impressive 24 goals and 26 assists in 120 appearances for Sporting. However, his playing time has significantly decreased this season, with only 346 minutes across all competitions.

Conrad Harder, reportedly admired by Chelsea, and Geovany Quenda, previously linked to Manchester United, have been preferred over the English winger.

Everton look to loan market for winter window

Lyon’s Ernest Nuamah is unlikely to join Everton despite being heavily linked with the club during this January transfer window. A move for the Ghana international collapsed in the summer, and while Everton renewed their interest, a deal now appears improbable.

Everton are reportedly preparing to hold talks with Chelsea regarding potential loan moves for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Ben Chilwell.

Dewsbury-Hall has struggled to meet expectations since his summer transfer from Leicester City, where he reunited with former coach Enzo Maresca.

Chilwell, meanwhile, has had a quiet campaign, featuring for just 45 minutes in Chelsea’s 5-0 League Cup win over Barrow. For Everton to finalize any loan deals, they would first need to free up space in their current loan roster.

Liverpool are on the verge of an unexpected windfall, a scenario no one could have foreseen at the start of the season. But can they seal the deal?

Looking back to the summer, the outlook for Liverpool was far from promising. Jurgen Klopp had departed, Arne Slot stepped in as the new manager, and the club made no major signings.

Under a new coach tasked with succeeding the most successful Liverpool manager in modern times, a dip in performance seemed inevitable. Doing so with a squad that appeared to need reinforcements felt like a daunting challenge.

Yet, Slot has transformed Liverpool into one of the world’s elite teams in no time. The Reds have been sensational all season, dominating both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

On Tuesday, they reinforced their position in Europe by defeating Lille 2-1 at Anfield, ending the French side’s impressive 21-game unbeaten streak.

This result keeps Liverpool at the top of their group with one match remaining. They would have already secured the top spot if not for Barcelona’s stunning late comeback against Benfica.

Liverpool on brink of windfall

Liverpool are on track to secure the maximum prize money from their UEFA Champions League campaign. To achieve this, the Reds must top their group and win every match in the league phase.

Their fate lies in their hands as they prepare to face PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands for the final group-stage game. With seven wins from seven matches, just a single point would guarantee them top spot ahead of Barcelona.

However, Liverpool will undoubtedly push for victory. This determination is why Slot fielded a strong XI against Lille on Tuesday night, and it’s expected he’ll deploy another competitive lineup for the last match.

A win would see Liverpool pocket £45 million in prize money before the knockout stages even begin—a stunning achievement that seemed inconceivable at the tournament’s outset.

What was expected to be a challenging campaign requiring patience has turned into a historic opportunity. Liverpool are on the cusp of becoming the first team to top the league phase, win every game, and claim the full prize pot in the process.