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David Sullivan has just made a rod for his own back with major new West Ham transfer leak

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David Sullivan has just made a rod for his own back with major new West Ham transfer leak

David Sullivan has regained control of West Ham’s transfer dealings this January, and many fans are already noticing the shift.

Frustrated with how Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui spent £155m in the summer, Sullivan, the majority owner, has taken back full control of signings.

While it was always Sullivan and the board who had the final say on deals suggested by Steidten, Lopetegui, and David Moyes, Sullivan made it clear that he is now in charge once again, with input from Steidten and the manager.

This move has divided opinion among West Ham supporters, especially with some of the players the club is reportedly targeting.

While Sullivan’s return to the transfer scene invites potential criticism, it’s worth noting that he was responsible for securing one of the summer’s standout signings, Crysencio Summerville.

The Dutch winger has impressed fans with his exciting performances, and at just 22, he fits the profile of the type of player many expected West Ham to build around. Best of all, the Hammers managed to sign Summerville for a reasonable £26m.

Now, Sullivan will be judged on what he accomplishes in this window. The top priorities are bringing in a striker and a midfielder, with a potential need for a defender depending on the status of Jean-Clair Todibo’s abductor injury.

Over the past week, there’s been a noticeable increase in the number of strikers linked with the club, prompting some cynics to claim that Sullivan is resorting to a “scattergun approach.”

Ultimately, West Ham’s success this month will come down to who they manage to sign, not the noise surrounding it. Heading into January, the club’s owners made it clear that West Ham is nearing its PSR limit and would need to sell players in order to buy.

This has led to an increased focus on loan moves, with many reports indicating that West Ham is looking to strengthen without exceeding financial constraints.

“We are up to our FFP maximum,” the senior London Stadium contact told Hammers News.

“So unless we increase income or move players there is very little room to do much.

“But never say never.”

Several players, including Edson Alvarez, Vladimir Coufal, Guido Rodriguez, and others, have been linked with moves away from West Ham. Niclas Fullkrug was also rumored to be on his way out until a hamstring injury sidelined him for the next three months.

Against this backdrop, fans were surprised by transfer news that surfaced yesterday.

David Sullivan has found himself in a tough spot after a major West Ham transfer leak. Football correspondent Graeme Bailey revealed that West Ham had made a fresh £40m bid for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.

However, Bailey later informed Hammers News that West Ham’s offer was rejected, as Villa is asking for between £65-70m to even consider selling the Colombian forward.

This asking price is £30m more than what West Ham could have secured Duran for in the summer before Tim Steidten opted to allocate funds for other signings, including Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme.

Interestingly, Bailey also mentioned that Duran himself would be open to a move, as he is eager to secure a first-choice role.

Since news of the Duran bid broke, Sullivan has confirmed the move to Claret and Hugh.

“We’ve tried, but PSG and a few foreign clubs have outbid us,” the site was told.

“We never mention to supporters failed bids as it frustrates them.”

Ethan Blake

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English Premier League

Vitor Pereira and Gary O’Neil in agreement over major Fosun mistake, it could cost Wolves

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Vitor Pereira and Gary O’Neil in agreement over major Fosun mistake, it could cost Wolves

Wolves fans crave progress for their club, but in recent years, they have only seen decline under Fosun’s ownership.

Meanwhile, former manager Nuno Espirito Santo is leading Nottingham Forest toward Champions League football, serving as a reminder of Wolves’ past success.

During his tenure, Nuno guided the Old Gold to Europa League qualification twice, following consecutive seventh-place finishes in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons.

However, since that golden era at Molineux, Wolves have struggled, slipping further down the Premier League table.

PositionTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostForAgainstDiffPoints
15Everton2771193034-432
16West Ham2686123047-1730
17Wolves2764173756-1922
18Ipswich2738162657-3117
19Leicester2645172559-3417

Vítor Pereira’s side sits 17th in the table, five points clear of 18th-placed Ipswich Town but trailing West Ham by eight points despite being just one spot below them.

At best, the Wanderers can only hope to narrowly avoid relegation this season, and Pereira has pointed to a key issue contributing to their struggles.

After the high of their 1-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday, Wolves were quickly brought back down to reality with a 2-1 defeat to Fulham.

While fans warmly welcomed Raul Jiménez and former winger Adama Traoré, the night proved disappointing for the home side.

The thousands of empty seats at Molineux reflected the club’s rapid decline, and Pereira was quick to highlight a lack of squad depth as a major factor in their latest setback.

“This is a problem against a team that when they started to do the subs, they came with a lot of players with high quality, because they have these solutions in the squad. At this moment with the injuries for us, it’s difficult,” he said via Wolves official.

The Portuguese manager believed his counterpart, Marco Silva, had the luxury of bringing game-changers off the bench, whereas he had far fewer options at his disposal.

With key players like Gonçalo Guedes and Hwang Hee-chan sidelined due to injury, his concerns were understandable. However, squad depth has been a long-standing issue for the club.

Gary O’Neil once sent a warning to Fosun over squad depth

Fosun has repeatedly failed to provide Wolves managers with the necessary resources for success, forcing several, including Gary O’Neil, to operate with limited backing.

In April 2024, during an injury crisis, O’Neil warned the owners that key players were being overworked due to the squad’s lack of depth.

“We warned the club that we were overloading players,” O’Neil said via BBC Sport. “It was a small group and we were using them an awful lot, and there was a risk of our injury record getting worse in the second half of the season.

“On top of that, if we lost a couple of attackers, I explained to the club that we would be in a real difficult situation.

“From my point of view, an understanding of what my squad were giving and where we might end up, and [Sporting Director] Matt Hobbs was on board with that as well – a real clear message that we were overloading the players and we could have done with a bit more depth.”

Despite Wolves being the Premier League’s second-highest spenders in January and securing three new signings, Pereira is still facing the same challenges O’Neil did.

For the club to climb the table, substantial investment will be required in the summer—otherwise, relegation seems inevitable.

Ethan Blake

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English Premier League

Manchester City player ‘would welcome’ exit despite being regular – Club want Pep’s side to reduce price ‘a lot’

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Manchester City close in on cut-price agreement for La Liga defender due to contract emergence

Mateo Kovačić has been a key player for Manchester City this season, featuring in 32 matches across all competitions and accumulating 2,113 minutes of playing time.

However, despite his regular involvement, his long-term future at the Etihad remains uncertain.

Reports from the UK suggest that City are planning a squad overhaul for next season, which could see Kovačić being sold in the summer.

Atlético Madrid have been mentioned as a potential suitor, with suggestions that they might try to secure the Croatian midfielder for €30 million as part of City’s clear-out.

Mundo Deportivo has picked up on these claims and added its own perspective on the situation.

Kovačić, who previously played for Real Madrid, will turn 31 in May and is under contract with Manchester City until 2027.

However, Atlético appears reluctant to meet the reported €30 million valuation for a player in his 30s.

The Spanish club would only consider a deal if the asking price drops significantly, though the report does not specify how much they would be willing to pay.

The article also recalls that José Mourinho was keen on signing Kovačić for Manchester United back in 2018. His current club, Fenerbahçe, is now reportedly interested in bringing him in during the next transfer window.

Despite this, Kovačić is not keen on a move to Turkey, as he prefers to remain in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

With that in mind, he is said to be open to the idea of returning to Spain, where Atlético could provide him with a fresh start in Madrid.

Ethan Blake

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Postecoglou backed to drop Tottenham star from playing XI vs Manchester City

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Postecoglou backed to drop Tottenham star from playing XI vs Manchester City

Tottenham Hotspur will aim for their fourth consecutive Premier League victory when they take on Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night.

Spurs’ form has improved as their injury crisis has eased, securing wins against Brentford, Manchester United, and Ipswich Town to climb to 13th in the table.

Their 4-1 thrashing of Ipswich Town last weekend saw Brennan Johnson score twice, with Djed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski also getting on the scoresheet.

Now, Ange Postecoglou’s side faces Manchester City, a team they have already beaten twice this season—4-0 at the Etihad in the league and 2-1 in the Carabao Cup. With momentum on their side, Spurs will head into this clash in high spirits.

Postecoglou now has more squad depth with key players returning, though some are still regaining full fitness. This could lead to rotation, with Dejan Kulusevski possibly making way for James Maddison, who made a strong impact off the bench against Ipswich.

John Wenham, owner of Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose, shares this view, suggesting Maddison could replace Kulusevski in the starting XI against Man City.

“I think Spence and Destiny Udogie will start together again,” John Wenham exclusively told Tottenham News.

“With Ben Davies ruled out we’re probably looking at Kevin Danso and Archie Gray at centre-back. Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall seem to be the two in midfield that Postecoglou likes at the moment.

“Further forward, I think Maddison must start, especially after his two goals against City earlier this season at the Etihad. I also think his leadership skills will be useful in a game such as this one. After Johnson’s performance against Ipswich, it is hard to leave him out.

“I think Mathys Tel and Son Heung-min will both start, which means Kulusevski missing out. It is a dilemma for Postecoglou, but what a great dilemma to have.”

Former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had backed Dejan Kulusevski to make an impact against Ipswich Town, and the Swedish winger delivered, scoring the final goal in Tottenham’s 4-1 victory.

Despite Spurs’ struggles this season, Kulusevski has been their standout performer, but his recent fatigue has affected the team’s attacking play.

Now, with key players returning from injury, Ange Postecoglou has the opportunity to rotate his squad, giving some overworked stars a much-needed break. Kulusevski, who has played relentlessly for the past three months, could be one of them.

A potential replacement is James Maddison, who has made an impressive return from injury, registering a goal and an assist in his last two games.

Having come off the bench at Portman Road, Maddison should be fresh and ready to start against Man City, adding creativity and energy to the midfield.

Ethan Blake

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