English Premier League
West Ham Target Galatasaray Star Yilmaz Amid January Transfer Priorities
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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.
English Premier League
Vitor Pereira and Gary O’Neil in agreement over major Fosun mistake, it could cost Wolves
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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.
Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
15 | Everton | 27 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 30 | 34 | -4 | 32 |
16 | West Ham | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 47 | -17 | 30 |
17 | Wolves | 27 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 37 | 56 | -19 | 22 |
18 | Ipswich | 27 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 26 | 57 | -31 | 17 |
19 | Leicester | 26 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 25 | 59 | -34 | 17 |
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.
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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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.
English Premier League
Postecoglou backed to drop Tottenham star from playing XI vs Manchester City
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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.
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