Winter '25/26 Transfer Rumours Thread

[stubbo-admin]

Well seems like with all these international breaks, and us languishing, the rumours of ins and outs are rife.

Chuck anything 'worthy' of discussion on this thread...

--------------

Incomings:

Pablo Felipe - €21m + €3m (Gil Vicente) | Forward
Valentin 'Taty' Castellanos - €26m + €4m (Lazio) | Forward
Adama Traore - £2m + £1m if stay up (Fulham) | Forward
Axel Disasi - Loan (Chelsea) | Centre Back
Keiber Lamadrid - £150k + £1m option | Attacking Mid

Outgoings:

Nicolas Füllkrug - 6 months loan (AC Milan)
Luis Guilherme - £17m + Sell On % (Sporting Lisbon)
George Earthy - 6 months loan (Bristol City)
Callum Marshall - 6 months loan (Bochum)
Andy Irving - 1.5m (Sparta Prague)
Guido Rodriguez - Undisclosed (Valencia)
Igor Julio - Loan Cancelled (Brighton)
James Ward Prowse - 6 months loan (Burnley)
Lucas Paqueta - £36.5m + Buy Back Clause (Flamengo)

[Massive Attack]

Remember, it isn't just the goals that makes the difference, it's the intent to attack as much as possible giving the defence much needed breathers that is also important in preventing goals at the other end. 

A snapshot example of this was in the Bournemouth Away game in each half. We score twice 1st half taking a commanding lead away by being positive in and around goal as the away side. Soon as the 2-0 lead was established Nuno chose to shut up shop from around the start of the 2nd half defensively even to the point of taking off a Striker bang in form scoring a brace. What transpired was wave after wave of relentless Bournemouth attacks inviting the pressure thinking we could see the game out by trying to keep a clean sheet. The result, 2-2. 

Now had Nuno decided to keep the in-form Striker on and instruct the Team to keep pushing for a 3rd, the likely outcome would have been a win, possibly scoring more and a good chance of actually getting a clean sheet just as it materialised in the 1st half.

[,]

”It is goals that will keep you up”

So we have scored more this season in the league than Sunderland, Palace and Forest and are level on goals scored with Everton. It must baffle some people as to why we languish below those teams mentioned.

I know why and so too do most of us. 

[stubbo-admin]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

This is absolutely my view.

If you look at past relegated teams, it's typically the lowest scorers that go down....there is of course the odd outlier, but by and large that teams that struggle with goalscoring get relegated.

As Moyes showed in his last season....we conceded record numbers of goals, defended horribly, but also scored plenty of goals from our limited time on the ball and that was enough to keep us pretty much midtable.

[El Scorchio]

We do need players all over the pitch, still, but yes a bruiser CB and more depth in attack are surely the priorities. We could always be better at CM but it's not our weakest position. Likewise goalkeeper. I don't really understand the seeming urgency from the club to replace Areola. He's not a top, top keeper and his feet are pretty poor but he will not be the reason we are relegated, if we go down. He's won us a few points this season and kept us in games with some great saves. Could we get a better keeper? Of course, but right now there are more pressing needs.

[threesixty]

Def agree with the more goal scorers before defenders mindset. 
defending is about coaching and organisation more than a specific skill. Thats why Todibo looks so much better or Dawson can come in from a relegation side and look like Maldini. 

scoring goals is so bloody hard. It’s the magic stuff. It’s the skill that hard to coach. You kind of either have it or you don’t at specific levels of the game. 

Also having the ability to score is in someways a defensive action because teams will not over commit their defenders if they know you are likely to score. 

I do agree with midfield general thing though. I still don’t think we have a serious box to box mid. 

[Mad Ferret]

No way Cresswell and Coufal would or should be starting for us.

KWP and Scarles are much better 2nd choice full backs than those two geriatrics. 

I agree with him about the CB situation though.

[Massive Attack]

Every time the ball is played into our box it’s the other team winning the header. 
We need a center half otherwise we will continue to leak too many goals from corners and crosses. Gotta fix it to have a real chance. Need clean sheets.

Nuts - Respect your point and appreciate it isn't as black and white as I laid it out, but if you score goals you will win games and stay up. Look at our previous great escapes, it was Tevez and then Hartson and Kitson that kept us up, not a centre back.

We can agree to disagree Manuel. I think Center half and a holding midfielder with some pace are priorities. That’s what I see as our biggest weakness, apart from our pathetic weak mental state of bottling it which plays into your point.

More Defensive Midfielders? We just dropped £41M on Fernandes, £18M on Magassa as well as the successful introduction of Potts all young, energetic and able to play the DM role. On top of that the experienced Soucek and Rodriguez who I wish he wasn't still here. Not in a million years do we go in to the market with limited funds for yet more, nor do we need anyone else for that role. A CH agreed yes in conjunction with sorting out the attack in wide areas and ideally a better Keeepr but that's realistically it other than successfully moving on Paqueta then another No. 10 could well be on the cards as well. 

[Manuel]

Many ex-players don't have a clue.

[Nutsin]

[Nutsin]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

Every time the ball is played into our box it’s the other team winning the header. 
We need a center half otherwise we will continue to leak too many goals from corners and crosses. Gotta fix it to have a real chance. Need clean sheets.

Nuts - Respect your point and appreciate it isn't as black and white as I laid it out, but if you score goals you will win games and stay up. Look at our previous great escapes, it was Tevez and then Hartson and Kitson that kept us up, not a centre back.

We can agree to disagree Manuel. I think Center half and a holding midfielder with some pace are priorities. That’s what I see as our biggest weakness, apart from our pathetic weak mental state of bottling it which plays into your point.

[Manuel]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

Every time the ball is played into our box it’s the other team winning the header. 
We need a center half otherwise we will continue to leak too many goals from corners and crosses. Gotta fix it to have a real chance. Need clean sheets.

Nuts - Respect your point and appreciate it isn't as black and white as I laid it out, but if you score goals you will win games and stay up. Look at our previous great escapes, it was Tevez and then Hartson and Kitson that kept us up, not a centre back.

[Massive Attack]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

Every time the ball is played into our box it’s the other team winning the header. 
We need a center half otherwise we will continue to leak too many goals from corners and crosses. Gotta fix it to have a real chance. Need clean sheets.

Wrong approach. That's been Nuno's mindset from the outset which is why we have only won once in the previous 11 League matches. Play to our strengths, not to try and overcompensate with yet more defending. That was clear long before he arrived and it's even more evident now since his arrival. Forget clean sheets, it aint happening at this stage. The approach should be to score more than the opposition and to try and get our noses in front as early as possible. Best form of defence is attack and especially when our defence has had so many issues.

They need help by being as far up the pitch and as often as possible. That would also in turn breed confidence and respite for a weary defence shell-shocked to fuck with wave after wave of relentless unsuccessful defending due to the approach of the Gutless One. 

We've got the firepower to damage the opposition and it now needs embracing if we are to have any chance of surviving. 

Each time we've actually won a game this season is by outscoring the opposition and by at least 2 goals.

Forest

0-3

Newcastle 

3-1

Burnley 

3-2

Spurs

1-2

We cannot manage defensive 1-0s it's not in our nature to manage it these days. Play to our strengths and attack the cunts! The goals and the 3 points are there if only we approach the games the right way.

[Nutsin]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

Every time the ball is played into our box it’s the other team winning the header. 
We need a center half otherwise we will continue to leak too many goals from corners and crosses. Gotta fix it to have a real chance. Need clean sheets.

[Manuel]

It's goals that will keep you up, not centre backs. Teams that score goals don't go down. We need to go in front in games, if you're winning games crap CB's can suddenly start looking better, less pressure (not to go 2 down) confidence increases and you have something very worthwhile to defend. We aren't going to stay up by trying to win games 1-0. Attacking options and goals is the key to survival. for me. If we can go 2 up in games I don't think we would lose 2-3.

NB: I appreciate we have a poor recent record of going one up and not winning, but Mavro and Todibo are looking better now and more forward players should mean more goals, and as said should also mean having the ball further forward more, taking the pressure of the back line.

[Sir Alf]

We definitely need more signings. Weve lost a lot of games after the 60 min mark and our first 11 tire but we have no subs of the quality needed to bring on. We get weaker but cannot do anything about it. Sometimes its losing leads but also ggimg a goal down we cant fo anything from the bench.

Suppose thats what Baldie Nuno means by “rebalancing the squad” but surely its defence and centre midfield too that needs reinforcing. All I seeing online is wide men bought or linked?

[Tomshardware]

whats going on with this cummings lad we signed last year?  I know he's nowhere near first team but google 
'Daniel Cummings west ham" and you'll struggle to find a single picture of him in a west ham shirt  - maybe he got injured idk but still that was last july we signed him.

He played for Under 21's last week against Wimbledon.

[Eerie Decent]

I think a winger was more important than a CB, or certainly just as important. Our CB's are shit, but we do at least have 4 of them.

All our attacking play is done via the flanks, our 2 wingers are our 2 best players, but if one of them gets injured, our back up winger is.... ?

KWP basically. We definitely won't be winning any more games if that's the case.

Whether this lad is good enough is another question, let's fucking hope so.

I don’t think some unknown from Venezuela is going to get up to speed double quick and be our saviour, though I take your point.

That said, our centre-halves are two-bob and I’ve just seen we’re linked with Tyrone Mings who would be ideal. Not the best defender in the world, but better than what we have, a leader and up for the fight.

As I said, who knows what this young winger will do. But a point to consider about our centre backs, is they are always, and I mean always, under the pump, they have more defending to do than anyone in the league, and a big part of that is because we've been so shit at the top end of the pitch for so long, so they don't get a break.

Everyone lauds the Tottenham centre backs, but look how shit they looked on Saturday when we were proper attacking them, we could've been 0-3 up at half time. That's what our defenders have to deal with every week, our defence looked rock solid apart from the brainless AWB at the weekend.

Yes, we do need a CB, but it's just as important to be better at the top end of the pitch, because the more we do up there, the less our defenders have to do.

[Sir Alf]

Centre back and centre mid “backbone” needed. These blokes also need to be quicker than the usual “cart horse” types we get.  

[nychammer]

whats going on with this cummings lad we signed last year?  I know he's nowhere near first team but google 
'Daniel Cummings west ham" and you'll struggle to find a single picture of him in a west ham shirt  - maybe he got injured idk but still that was last july we signed him.

[fraser]

Nice googling chaps, remove the accents if you want to make it seem it was from the top of your head. 

I didn't... I Googled

[Far Cough UKunt]

Nice googling chaps, remove the accents if you want to make it seem it was from the top of your head. 

[Mad Ferret]

I'm trying to think of any player from Venezuela, they're more into baseball aren't they?

Tomás Rincón

[Westham67]

We are hiring wingers and strikers so we stay up winning every game 5-4

[fraser]

I'm trying to think of any player from Venezuela, they're more into baseball aren't they?

Salomón Rondón

[Far Cough UKunt]

I'm trying to think of any player from Venezuela, they're more into baseball aren't they?