West Ham United may be preparing to tap into the Scottish Premiership for a potential bargain deal this January, with Celtic starlet Daniel Cummings reportedly on their radar, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Cummings, whose contract expires this summer, is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside Scotland. While Celtic would receive compensation for developing the young talent through their academy, West Ham are said to be actively pursuing the 18-year-old striker.

Romano’s report highlights that the Hammers are keen on bringing Cummings to London, though Celtic are making efforts to retain their rising star by offering him a new deal to continue his development in the Scottish Premiership.

Despite not yet featuring for Celtic’s first team, Cummings’ performances at the youth level have captured attention. He has scored an impressive 24 goals in 24 appearances this season, including 18 goals in Scotland’s fifth tier and six in six UEFA Youth League matches.

His standout performances, including braces against Slovan Bratislava and RB Leipzig, earned him the label “unstoppable” by UEFA.

Premier League clubs, including Brighton, have also shown interest in the 6ft 1in forward. Celtic are eager to avoid losing another promising player for a nominal fee, having seen Ben Doak join Liverpool for £600,000 and Rocco Vata move to Watford for £250,000—both players already making an impact in their new clubs.

For West Ham, Cummings could address their striker shortage, as Michail Antonio is sidelined for the season following a car accident, and summer signing Niclas Füllkrug faces his third lengthy injury spell of the campaign.

Although Cummings lacks senior experience, he could follow a development path similar to Doak’s, transitioning into the first team under the guidance of Graham Potter over time.

Gary Neville believes that Kyle Walker’s request to leave Man City may be due to the mental and physical strain of keeping up with the demands of Premier League football.

The City captain has informed director of football Txiki Begiristain of his wish to depart this month, with AC Milan showing interest. Since expressing his desire to leave, Walker has not featured in matches against Salford City and Brentford.

Despite remaining club captain, Walker has not worn the armband during recent substitute appearances and has struggled with his form this season, facing fitness issues as the City squad endures a challenging period.

On the Stick to Football podcast, Neville suggested that Walker’s decision to seek a move could be related to the difficulties he’s faced during this tough campaign.

“He’s captain of the team, it’s midway through a challenging season. When I saw that he had asked to leave, he’s got a good relationship with the manager – but I reckon he said he’s just done,” he said.

“At City, the demands of Pep Guardiola and playing at that level, I think he thinks that he can’t do it anymore at this level and just wants to get out. Mentally and physically, he just looks beaten – that’s just what I feel, I don’t know.”

Roy Keane suggested that Kyle Walker’s off-field problems could be impacting his performance, given that his personal life has frequently made headlines in the media and gossip columns.

Keane also advised Manchester City to view Walker’s request to leave as a business transaction, noting that the club has previously secured good value from players who have left in recent seasons.

“A lot of players have off the pitch issues – not just Kyle Walker – and eventually it does catch up with your performance on the pitch and it takes its toll on you,” he said.

“I have no problem with a player saying that he needs a change, but in the middle of the season when your team are struggling – I would just bide my time. I still think Manchester City will look at this as a business deal.

“It is affecting his game now – I think it has taken its toll. Other players have been under huge pressure, whether it be Wayne Rooney or David Beckham, they get on with it and the best place for them to be is the football pitch.

“For other players, the pressure piles on them and then their performances are affected. I think Pep will look after him, but whether that’ll mean letting him go on the cheap, I don’t know.”

Newcastle are preparing to accept Atlanta United’s £10 million offer for Miguel Almiron, with the transfer expected to be finalized soon, according to Mail Sport.

In contrast, the club has turned down a bid of over £6 million from Fenerbahce for defender Lloyd Kelly.

Progress on that deal appears unlikely unless the Turkish side significantly increases their offer.

Almiron, 30, is reportedly eager to return to his former club, and discussions are set to accelerate this week, potentially ending his six-year stint at Newcastle.

However, the club is not expected to bring in a replacement for him, leaving them short on options in wide areas.

This is especially concerning as Harvey Barnes remains sidelined for about a month due to a thigh strain.

Fenerbahce’s interest in Kelly persists, but Newcastle would only consider selling if they receive a far more substantial bid than the initial one, which the club doubts will materialize.

Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle climbed to fourth in the Premier League after securing their sixth consecutive win in a dominant 3-0 victory over Wolves on Wednesday.

Almiron has been a consistent presence for Newcastle over the years, scoring 30 goals in 222 appearances. However, he has seen his role diminish this season, with Howe favoring Jacob Murphy on the right wing.

Despite having a contract until June 2026, Almiron has only made one league start this season but remains part of the matchday squad. He came off the bench during Wednesday’s win over Wolves.