West Ham face an urgent crisis in the striker position as the January transfer window approaches, with manager Nuno Espírito Santo reportedly identifying a new centre-forward as the absolute priority if the club hope to swerve relegation.

The Hammers sit 18th in the Premier League table with just 13 points from 18 matches, having scored the joint-fourth fewest goals in the top flight this season.

Relegation is staring them in the face right now as West Ham sit five points adrift of safety, and pressure is mounting on Nuno after a barren run of seven games without victory.

West Ham host Brighton this evening with Nuno desperately in need of three points to both restore faith in him and their hopes of Premier League survival.

Nuno made the controversial decision to drop striker Callum Wilson, who has been in good form lately, in their last outing against Fulham — instead opting for Jarrod Bowen as the makeshift number nin

Related "Could happen" – Player admits he may join West Ham as agent works on transfer

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Niclas Füllkrug’s departure to AC Milan also means that Nuno has been left with very few natural options up top bar Wilson and the inexperienced Callum Marshall, so reports are suggesting that a striker is top of the agenda next month.

West Ham have already made an approach to sign Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, as first reported by the reliable David Ornstein, and it is believed that the Norwegian is open to an east London move.

However, the asking price for Strand Larsen also sits at around £45 million, which presents a roadblock to West Ham as they reportedly scour for cheaper alternatives.

According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee recently, one of the other strikers on their radar is Viktoria Plzen star Rafiu Durosinmi.

Even though Nuno is prioritising domestic options right now, the Nigerian is one to watch if he abandons that approach.

Now, as per Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham have moved in with an offer.

West Ham submit bid for Viktoria Plzen star Rafiu Durosinmi

Indeed, it is now claimed that a £12 million bid has gone in from West Ham for Durosinmi, with both Stuttgart and Lazio making identical offers for the African ahead of January.

The 22-year-old has been on fire for Plzen since returning from a serious ACL injury, bagging 22 goals in all competitions across 2025, with former Plzen boss Miroslav Koubek praising his ‘high level’ form this year.

West Ham have enjoyed real success shopping in the Czech top flight in recent years, with Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and even El Hadj Malick Diouf impressing at the London Stadium.

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Durosinmi’s form both domestically and in Europe has caught the attention of West Ham talent-spotters, and he could well be a solid outside option to bolster Nuno’s attacking line.

Related West Ham make January bid to sign Man United forward target after opening talks

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Manchester United failed to make it three consecutive victories in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as they drew 0-0 with struggling Watford at Old Trafford.The Red Devils had beaten Brighton 2-0 and Leeds United 4-2 in the top-flight before their meeting with the Hornets as well as a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.With an xG of 2.53, Ralf Rangnick’s side were incredibly wasteful against the Hertfordshire outfit, with midfielder Bruno Fernandes particularly struggling to find a clinical edge in the final third.

According to SofaScore, the 27-year-old, who wore the captain’s armband with Harry Maguire on the bench, took eight shots, two of which on target, two off and four blocked as he struggled to find the breakthrough for United.

Moreover, the Portugual international lost possession 21 times whilst also winning just three out of eight attempted duels alongside producing only two successful dribbles.

Compared to his Manchester United teammates, Fernandes received the second-joint lowest rating alongside Anthony Elanga at 6.9/10, with Cristiano Ronaldo stumbling to a 6.7.

Saturday afternoon was yet another occasion this term where the 27-year-old has failed to step up when most needed, having scored six goals in all competitions since the opening day of the Premier League season, compared to the 28 goals scored in 58 games during the 2020/21 campaign.

Prior to Roy Hodgson’s side’s visit to Old Trafford, Fernandes had started to show signs of reigniting form similar to that of last season scoring in back-to-back league games against Brighton and Leeds and should’ve gotten himself on the scoresheet.

Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen stated back in December, “It’s as if Fernandes was always looking for Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Nine out of 10 times, he tries to find Ronaldo and if this doesn’t work, he gets impatient and begins to try very difficult things.

“Bearing in mind the way he began at United, we want to see much more of him.”

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The draw sees the Red Devils remain fourth, however, it provides fifth-place Arsenal with a major opportunity to solidify a place in the top four.

The Gunners have three games in hand on United and are just two points behind them. However, Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t in league action this weekend so their opportunity to pounce will have to wait.

Moreover, it’s United’s fifth draw this month with Rangnick’s side winning just two out of their last seven matches across all competitions.

In other news: Elanga must become first choice for Rangnick

Sunderland manager Alex Neil will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since taking charge of the club as his side face off against Charlton today.

The Black Cats ended a run of six games without a win in League One last weekend as they beat Wigan 3-0 away from home – Neil’s first three points at the helm. Ross Stewart scored twice after an early goal from centre-back Bailey Wright set Sunderland on their way.

How many changes will the 40-year-old make to the team today? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the side from last week, with Leon Dajaku, Jack Clarke and Dan Neil all coming in.

Starting off at the base of midfield, we are predicting that the latter will return to the team to replace veteran battler Corry Evans. The Northern Ireland international won one duel and had a passing success rate of just 47% in 90 minutes against Wigan, which highlights how poorly he performed in the middle of the park.

This is why the youngster should be brought back into the team instead. Neil’s energy and enthusiasm could be needed to maintain high levels throughout the match, as Evans showed against the Latics that he can struggle to make much of an impact.

On the left wing, Clarke could come in to replace Elliot Embleton. The on-loan Spurs forward could offer more of a direct threat down the flanks, and the Black Cats could use his pace on the counterattack to create opportunities going forward.

This is not a slight on Embleton or his performance against Wigan, but more so a chance for Clarke to get some minutes under his belt. His manager can duly see what he can do with 60-70 minutes to work with, whilst the ex-Blackpool loanee will be available as an impact substitute.

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Finally, Lynden Gooch could be axed from the team after his poor showing last time out. As per SofaScore, he lost nine of his 13 individual duels, whilst failing to provide a single key pass and completing a measly 50% of his attempted passes.

This shows that he struggled badly on and off the ball as he was dominated physically and offered no quality in the final third. Therefore, Neil must axe the £5k-per-week dud and hand Dajaku an opportunity to start on the right.

AND in other news, Neil can save Speakman millions with “promising” Sunderland dynamo who’s “really bright”…

Wolves have made contact with Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Pedrinho regarding a potential summer move, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Pedrinho impressing for Shakhtar

The 23-year-old is enjoying a good season for the Ukrainian side, scoring three times in eight Ukrainian Premier League starts, not to mention appearing four times in the Champions League.

Pedrinho has enjoyed an 89.5% pass completion rate in the latter, highlighting his ball retention ability at the highest level, despite playing in an attack-minded midfield role where he is tasked with trying dangerous passes.

It could be that the £15.3million-rated Brazilian looks for a fresh start soon though, with FIFA now allowing foreign players in Russia and Ukraine to suspend their contracts with their current clubs (Marca).

The Latest: Wolves keen on move

According to Goal [via Sport Witness], Wanderers have got in touch with Pedrinho’s representatives over a move, with Bruno Lage the man who brought him to Europe to sign for Benfica.

It is claimed that the Wolves manager has personally ‘approved’ him as a target – the young playmaker has won 14 caps for Brazil’s Under-23s, so certainly has potential.

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Shrewd signing

Pedrinho looks an exciting prospect to bring in to Molineux, possessing the Brazilian flair that is likely to bring joy to Wolves supporters.

There is substance to his game, however – he averages 1.5 key passes and 2.5 dribbles per match in the league this season – and he could prove to be a good foil for the more deep-lying Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, leading the defensive structure from the front when out of possession.

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The fact that Lage has worked with Pedrinho before can only be a good thing, too, taking away the risk element of bringing in a player who is unknown to a manager.

In other news, Tim Spiers has hailed some exciting Wolves-related footage. Read more here.

Everton are in a very vulnerable position in their Premier League campaign at this point of the season just one point off the relegation zone, so a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison Park is essential for Frank Lampard’s side to secure some safety in the league this afternoon.

And now, a huge double injury boost has emerged that could put the Toffees in their best position to achieve this.

What’s the word?

The Toffees boss took to his pre-match press conference to confirm that both Demarai Gray and Ben Godfrey have returned to training and full fitness putting themselves in contention for selection against Bruno Lage’s side this weekend.

Speaking to the press, Lampard confirmed;

“Ben Godfrey is a big player for us and so is Demarai Gray. They are both fit.

“I haven’t really been able to call on them but now I can, and we need our big players.”

Lampard will be buzzing

As the 43-year-old manager touched on in his press conference, Gray and Godfrey are big players for the Everton team and both offer experience in the team, with Gray in particular having a hugely positive impact on the side since he joined the club last summer.

The 25 year old winger is the second highest-scoring player in the squad this season with six goals so far, and considering Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are struggling to find the back of the net since they have returned from injury, the return of Gray will be highly anticipated by the manager as he looks for a fresh perspective in front of goal to offer an attacking threat that delivers.

As for Godfrey, he could really make the impact that the defensive line desperately needs following the 5-0 defeat on Monday night against Tottenham Hotspur, in which we saw the Everton defence completely fall apart throughout.

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Lampard will surely be buzzing that he can add a fresh pair of legs into the back line, especially when you look at the 24-year -ld’s defensive attributes this season so far.

According to SofaScore, Godfrey has won the majority of both his ground and aerial duels combined (55%), has been successful in the majority of his dribbles (70%), making 2.1 tackles and 3.5 clearances on average per game, proving that he could make a positive impact against Wolves.

In other news: Lampard must do everything to keep Richarlison

Newcastle United journalist Dominic Scurr has noticed something major involving both Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier.

The Lowdown: Injury setbacks

Unfortunately for the Magpies, both players continue to suffer from injury setbacks.

The striker has been struggling with a calf injury since January, while the right-back suffered a metatarsal fracture in February.

The Latest: Dubai trip

As per The Shields Gazette journalist Scurr, Wilson and Trippier have joined the squad for their trip to Dubai, suggesting that they will now train with their team-mates in the hope of stepping up their respective recoveries.

Taking to Twitter, the reporter said that it was ‘good to see’.

The Verdict: Big boost for Newcastle

The fact that Wilson and Trippier have joined up with the rest of the squad is a big boost for Eddie Howe and Newcastle.

They are two hugely important players to the team, with the ex-Spurs defender currently ranking as their best player in the Premier League according to WhoScored, while the former Bournemouth striker remains their top scorer in all competitions this season despite being out injured for a couple of months.

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Nonetheless, the trip to Dubai could really help aid to aid their recovery, and Howe will no doubt want to have both plauers available for the latter end of the campaign, especially if Newcastle find themselves in need of points to stay up.

In other news, find out what significant financial loss NUFC are now set to make here!

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Oscar Mingueza to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish media outlet Diario Sport (via Barca Universal), who claimed that Jesse Marsch has identified the Barcelona centre-back as one of his primary transfer targets this summer, with the American said to be hoping to beef up his defensive options ahead of 2022/23.

The report added that, with the Catalan club being very interested in getting a deal of their own over the line for Leeds winger Raphinha at the end of the current campaign, the 22-year-old defender could be used as something of a bargaining chip in the negotiations between the two clubs.

Marsch’s dream

Considering Leeds’ desperate need to address their defensive frailties ahead next season – the Whites have shipped a league-high 67 goals over their 30 Premier League games so far this term – it is not difficult to understand why Marsch would be interested in a move for Mingueza this summer.

Indeed, after making his Barcelona debut as a result of a defensive injury crisis at Camp Nou in 2020, the £25m-rated centre-back – who can also operate on the right – highly impressed over his 27 LaLiga appearances last season. He helped his side to keep seven clean sheets, scoring two goals and registering two assists, while also averaging 0.7 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 1.6 clearances and 54.9 passes and winning 3.3 duels per game.

These returns saw the £19k-per-week Spain international earn a very respectable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as Barcelona’s 11th-best player in the Spanish top flight last term. That led to football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbing the 22-year-old his “unexpected hero” of 2020/21.

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Should Mingueza go on to replicate this level of form following a potential switch to Elland Road, he would certainly be an upgrade on a number of Marsch’s current options in the heart of his defence. That leads us to believe that Orta must do all he can to secure the signing of the Spaniard this summer.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals huge Leeds United development, supporters will be devastated

Player potential can be both prosperous and dangerous.

On one hand, if a player is to reach their maximum skill evolvement, their club can benefit no-end, financially speaking.

Though, if a player fails to hit the heights that their hype holds them accountable to, it can be a damaging affair for their employers.

Wolves are unique in the fact that their saga with former Portuguese and now Angolan footballer, Helder Costa leant more towards the former and more prosperous scenario, rather than the latter.

Costa profit

Costa emerged from the high profile Benfica youth system at the age of 18, in the same age group as Ivan Cavaleiro and Bernardo Silva.

After making his debut for the Lisbon side’s B-team in 2012, he would go onto represent them 72 times, scoring 15 goals. Ultimately, he failed to make the grade for the Benfica first-team, making just one appearance.

After a failed loan-spell at La Liga side Deportivo de La Coruna, he made the brave switch to pastures new to link-up with fellow Benfica graduates Silva and Cavaleiro at Monaco.

Despite teeing up a young Kylian Mbappe for the Frenchman’s first-ever league goal, Costa would go on to play a total of 28 games for the Ligue 1 side, scoring five goals, with Monaco loaded with depth options in Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar and Bernardo Silva.

It wasn’t all bad though as Helder Costa moved on a season-long loan to Championship side at the time Wolverhampton Wanderers in what was his best season ever in terms of end product, with a total of 18 goal contributions in 35 appearances. 

Wolves made the transfer permanent, with the Old Gold side splashing out £13m for Costa’s services to break their club-record transfer fee at the time in January 2017.

Ultimately, the attacker was not able replicate his ten goals and eight assists that he showed the season prior, but still chipped in with a solid five goals and six assists to help Wolves top the Championship and gain promotion to the Premier League.

After one season in the Premier League, Costa joined Leeds United on loan in the Championship and after helping them to promotion, made the deal permanent with Leeds forking out £16m but he was soon dubbed a “massive flop” by pundit Noel Whelan.

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He featured 22 times in the Premier League for Bielsa’s side the following season (2020/2021) yet Leeds offloaded him to Valencia the following campaign after just one appearance, in what was a strange deal at the time.

With 28-year-old Costa fighting to turn his loan move at Valencia into a permanent deal, he is now valued at just £7.2m, with Wolves’ decision to sell in 2019 looking ingenious.

In other news – Wolves eyeing “all-round” 26y/o regarded as “most complete ever” with fans buzzing…

Sunderland chiefs are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a Serie A striker ahead of both Everton and West Ham United in the January transfer window.

Sunderland plotting move to sign Serie A star

The Black Cats are no strangers to the transfer market these days, having enjoyed an incredibly successful summer window. Now sat as high as sixth, those in Wearside could welcome further reinforcements in the winter window as several of their stars jet off to take part in AFCON.

Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus hasn’t been shy about sharing his ambitions this season, either. The 28-year-old told reporters back in November: “I would say definitely a little bit [that the great start could affect Sunderland’s approach in January]. If we’re in the bottom three by Christmas, or we’re in the top six by Christmas, that changes the ambition a little bit.

“We’re currently preparing for all scenarios, but we’ve been doing that since the summer. Hopefully, we’ll be going into the January window with a top ten finish in mind and we will prepare and execute the window to give us the best chance.”

The owners hope for a top 10 finish is certainly well on course and that has seen a number of targets emerge, including Sevilla’s Ruben Vargas.

The forward has set his sights on a Premier League move in the January transfer window and the Black Cats have reportedly opened talks to secure his signature.

As ever, though, he’s not the only target on their wishlist. Alongside Vargas, Sunderland are also plotting a move to sign Artem Dovbyk from AS Roma next month, according to reports in Spain.

Like Vargas, the forward wants to complete a Premier League move and has interest from Everton, Sunderland and West Ham United in what could turn into a frantic race.

Dovbyk could end Isidor's Sunderland career

Sunderland’s transfer business, whilst impressive, has come at a cost for previous stars. Dan Neil, for example, has been forced to watch on from the bench for the majority of the season despite his heroics in the previous campaign. Now, if Dovbyk does arrive in Wearside, Wilson Isidor could suffer the same fate.

League stats 25/26

Dovbyk

Isidor

Minutes

327

921

Goals

2

4

Assists

1

0

Expected Goals

2

3.3

Although he’s currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, the numbers don’t make for pretty reading for Dovbyk. After scoring 17 goals in all competitions last season, the forward has netted just two so far this season.

Subscribe for deeper Sunderland transfer coverage and insight By subscribing to the newsletter, access deeper transfer-rumour context, comparative player stats and tactical analysis on moves like Sunderland’s interest in Serie A strikers — for readers who want thorough transfer-market coverage. Subscribe Subscribe for deeper Sunderland transfer coverage and insight By subscribing to the newsletter, access deeper transfer-rumour context, comparative player stats and tactical analysis on moves like Sunderland’s interest in Serie A strikers — for readers who want thorough transfer-market coverage.

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If Sunderland are to set their sights on a top 10 finish then there will be some natural doubts about the Roma forward, who has endured an inconsistent spell in Italy.

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Isidor, meanwhile, despite not being a consistent starter has scored four goals and outperformed his expected rate. For the time being, the Black Cats should keep hold of the forward rather than splashing out on Dovbyk. As for the forward, himself, he may be forced to look elsewhere for a Premier League move.

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy is already having to deal with speculation over his future at the club, just four matches into his time in the dugout.

The French head coach is the first manager in the club’s history to lose his first four games in charge, but he retains the full backing of the board, per Sky Sports.

It remains to be seen if they will maintain that position if results do not improve quickly, though, which is why Nancy needs to make some key tweaks to the team.

The key changes Nancy has to make at Celtic

After the 2-1 defeat to Dundee United, dropping Johnny Kenny should be one of the priorities for the head coach after the striker missed two ‘big chances’, per Sofascore, including the dismal miss in the clip below.

The Irishman should be taken out of the side to provide another player, possibly Benjamin Nygren as a number nine, with an opportunity to see if they can be more effective in front of goal.

Nancy should also look to change the system because the 3-4-2-1 has looked incredibly ineffective against teams when they sit in a low block, as Celtic have found themselves passing side to side across their three centre-backs with little movement or options to break the opposition down.

Celtic, by nature of the way most of their domestic games go, need as many forward options as possible to break down low blocks, which is why having three centre-backs, leading to Liam Scales overlapping and putting crosses in on Wednesday night, seems counter-productive.

As part of playing those three defenders across the back, Nancy has been starting experienced full-back Anthony Ralston in a right-sided centre-back role, which may be a sackable offence on its own.

Why Wilfried Nancy must drop Anthony Ralston

After Alistair Johnston’s injury, Brendan Rodgers relied on academy graduate Colby Donovan to step up and play at right-back ahead of Ralston, who has been too much of a liability.

Martin O’Neill tried to lean on the right-back’s experience against Midtjylland in the Europa League, only for him to be torn to shreds twice by Mikel Gogorza for the first two goals, including the one in the clip above.

Ralston was given the nod to start as the right-sided centre-back in the League Cup final against St Mirren last weekend. He was given a 5/10 player rating by Glasgow World, who noted that he looked ‘increasingly shaky’ defensively.

Despite that performance, which included a bizarre hoof up in the air under no pressure on the halfway line, Nancy gave him another start in that position against Dundee United, with the same result.

ESPN content creator Andrew Miller described him as a “Kilmarnock-level player” last month, which is essentially saying that he is a bottom-half level player.

Vs Dundee United

Anthony Ralston

Minutes

90

Tackles won

1/4

Clearances

9

Touches

101

Pass accuracy

81%

Possession lost

17x

Key passes

0

Stats via Sofascore

Ralston’s performance against Dundee United last time out did little to change that narrative, as he failed in 75% of his attempted tackles and failed to create a single chance from 101 touches of the ball.

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Whilst his failure to create any chances can be put down to the three centre-back system that he was playing in, Ralston looked uncomfortable on the ball and lost possession inside his own half several times, due to dawdling on the ball.

Whilst Ralston may be an experienced player, now 27, his performances do not reflect that experience, as he was not picked by Rodgers, struggled under O’Neill, and has struggled under Nancy.

That is why continuing to play him, particularly in this system that does not seem to be working, is a sackable offence for the French head coach, because his displays are hurting the team’s performances, defensively and offensively.

Related Celtic now making enquiries for new manager in the hours since Lawwell exit

Nancy’s disastrous start became even worse in midweek.

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham

The former MLS Cup champion should go to a traditional back four, in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, and bring Donovan in as a right-back, with Ralston dropped out of the starting XI completely, because of his poor performances.