BBC
Manchester City are exploring a deal to sign 24-year-old Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes from Wolves. (Athletic)
Wolves are unlikely to let Nunes leave Molineux so close to the end of the transfer window unless Manchester City make a vastly inflated bid for the player. (Express & Star)
City have also turned their attention to Crystal Palace and England attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, 25, after stepping back their interest in West Ham's 25-year-old Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta. (Times - subscription required)
Tottenham are preparing an offer for Nottingham Forest's £50m-rated Wales winger Brennan Johnson which could include players as part of a swap deal for the 22-year-old. (Mail)
Fluminense will not sell 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder Andre in 2023 despite interest from Liverpool, Fulham and Sporting Lisbon. (O Globo - in Portuguese)
Arsenal and Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pepe, 28, looks set to move to Saudi Arabia after turning down the chance to join Besiktas. (RMC via Metro)
Chelsea will urge Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, 30, to accept an offer from Saudi Arabia if a deal cannot be struck with a European club. (Talksport)
Juventus are willing to pay Chelsea £35m for Lukaku but the Italians need to bank £50m from the sale of Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic, 23, before they can proceed. (Standard)
Fiorentina's Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat is training alone, boosting Manchester United's hopes of signing the 27-year-old, but the Red Devils must sell players first to raise funds for the transfer. (Mail)
Fulham are interested in signing Juventus' 23-year-old Italy striker, Moise Kean. (90 min)
Lazio have withdrawn their interest in signing Tottenham's 36-year-old France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. (Fabrizio Romano)
West Ham remain in talks with Ajax over a deal for 23-year-old Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus after having two bids rejected. (Telegraph - subscription required)
West Ham have also opened talks with Sevilla over a possible deal for Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri, 26. (Sky Sports)
Bayern Munich are eying Fulham's 27-year-old Netherlands defender Kenny Tete as a replacement for Inter Milan-bound France right-back, Benjamin Pavard, 27. (Sun)
Bayern and Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund are also keen on Southampton's 21-year-old Germany defender, Armel Bella-Kotchap. (Sky Sports Germany - in German)
Brentford have submitted an improved bid for Fiorentina's winger Nico Gonzalez but neither the Serie A club nor the 25-year-old Argentine are interested in negotiating a transfer. (Football Italia)
Sheffield United are closing on an £18.5m move for 21-year-old Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer. (Guardian)
Tottenham have rebuffed Barcelona's attempts to take Argentina attacking midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, 27, on loan. (Sport - in Spanish)
Super agent Jorge Mendes will arrive in Barcelona imminently to finalise 29-year-old Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo's move from Manchester City to the Nou Camp. (AS - in Spanish)
Burnley and Granada are both keen on a deal to sign Manchester United's 20-year-old Spanish defender Alvaro Fernandez. (Mirror)
Everton remain locked in talks with Southampton over a deal for Scotland striker Che Adams, 27, but will not pursue a move for Troyes' 27-year-old Guinea-Bissau forward Mama Balde. (Liverpool Echo)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MAIL
Arsenal are in a race to raise £100m in player sales this month as Monaco prepare an improved Folarin Balogun bid, with Gabriel among a host of names the Gunners are considering selling.
Two of Ivan Toney's former Northampton team-mates have been charged with breaching FA gambling rules after sharing betting tips with the Brentford striker.
Leicester City are chasing Ghanaian teenager Abdul Fatawu Issahaku who played for Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League against Spurs last year.
Leeds are offering around £10m for Swansea forward Joel Piroe.
THE SUN
Karim Benzema could be dropped by Al-Ittihad due to a "tense conflict" with manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Bayern Munich are keeping tabs on Fulham right-back Kenny Tete.
Barcelona turned down a £225m Inter Milan bid for Lionel Messi in 2006, according to their club president Joan Laporta.
DAILY MIRROR
Manchester United and Liverpool target Sofyan Amrabat has been left out of Fiorentina's squad for the Europa Conference League amid speculation about his future.
The father of Manchester United bidder Sheikh Jassim is planning to sell two London properties worth a combined £370m.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Mason Mount is set to be sidelined for the next four to six weeks and his absence could have repercussions for Scott McTominay's future at Manchester United.
Chelsea are still waiting for the green light from the Premier League to formally announce a new £40m-a-year shirt sponsor with sports data company Infinite Athlete but remain hopeful that the deal will go ahead.
Manchester City are weighing up a move for Wolves' Matheus Nunes or Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace as Pep Guardiola seeks further attacking midfield reinforcements in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne's long-term injury.
DAILY EXPRESS
Manchester United's early-season woes continued on Wednesday as Burnley thrashed Erik ten Hag's side in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
THE ATHLETIC
Liverpool are now planning for a delay on the full opening of the new Anfield Road End after the build's contractor, Buckingham Group, filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.
Megan Rapinoe has criticised Spanish football association (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales for kissing Jenni Hermoso following Spain's World Cup win, describing the incident as reflecting a "deep level of misogyny and sexism".
EVENING STANDARD
Spain star Jenni Hermoso has confirmed she will take action against Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales after he kissed her without consent during the Women's World Cup final celebrations.
Romelu Lukaku could end up stranded at Chelsea this summer, as his options for a move grow increasingly slim.
THE TIMES
Football-style Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology could be introduced at Wimbledon after the US Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to adopt the system.
DAILY RECORD
Celtic and Reo Hatate remain hopeful that a new contract can be thrashed out.
Jota could be set to be offered a transfer lifeline by the most unlikely of allies in former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.
Celtic have been told they won't get Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden for cheap as the Danes have slapped a fresh price tag on their prize asset.
SCOTTISH SUN
Ianis Hagi has held preliminary talks with a new club over a potential move away from Rangers, according to reports.
Guardian Rumour Mill
Daniel Harris
It’s not easy being Manchester City. First, financial fair play rules prompted them to sell young players at prices no one can believe, and now their search for yet another midfielder cannot simply be resolved with brute fiscal force. Pah.
But here we are. For some reason, City ended their interest in West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá, so are now focused on Eberechi Eze and Matheus Nunes. Problem being, Crystal Palace would like to keep the former, with Wolves are unlikely to release the latter unless offered a significantly inflated fee. Pep Guardiola is, the Mill understands, outraged at this failure of the footballing universe to sanction his precise whims, so plans to thcream and thcream until he’s thick by way of revenge.
Across Manchester, United are still stringing Sofyan Amrabat along in case it turns out they can neither attract nor afford another midfielder. Happily for them, this cunning tactic is working because no one else has the slightest interest in taking the player, but the Mill has every confidence in United’s ability to set up an auction with themselves, then overpay.
Also in northern Italy, Juventus are still trying to sign Romelu Lukaku, whose deadly finishing is exactly what they need in those tricky home games against Monza, Empoli and Frosinone. The problem Juve have is that they cannot pay the £35m Chelsea are asking without first selling Dusan Vlahovic. Should it prove impossible to strike a deal, the Blues will honourably exhort Lukaku to move to a Saudi Arabian club, any Saudi Arabian club – despite his clear desire so not to do.
A player who does look like realising his lifelong Saudi Pro League ambition is Arsenal’s Nicolas Pépé. Having turned down the chance to sign for Besiktas, he is now straight out of options, so will take his signature duck-inside-and-lamp-over-the-bar trick to whichever legendary outfit suddenly can’t live without it.
Across London, Lazio no longer want to sign Hugo Lloris, Tottenham’s Welsh goalkeeper, having eventually decided that dropping crosses and fumbling in any shot sent from 18 yards or more is quite the “profile” that they’re after. Spurs, meanwhile, are going to offer Nottingham Forest £50m for Brennan Johnson who, despite his surname-as-first-name shtick, is not American. Fringe players might be offered as part of the deal, and Forest fans are doubtless excited by the unique skills Davinson Sánchez, Pierre-Emile Høbjerg and Stuart Nethercott could bring to the City Ground.
Further east, West Ham remain in talks with Ajax over Mohammed Kudus who is, presumably, hoping something better comes along in the meantime. Chances are, though, that he signs for roughly £40m plus add-ons, because scrapping for somewhere between eighth and 14th in the Premier League is now preferable to contesting the Dutch title. West Ham are, at least, in the Europa League, so have sensibly looked at Sevilla and will now sell David Moyes’ vision to Youssef En-Nesyri by writing a succession of noughts on a piece of paper.
And finally for today, Brentford have submitted an improved bid for Nico González, Fiorentina’s Spanish winger. The player, though, has decided he prefers Florence to Chiswick Roundabout – though retains a general interest in gyratory systems.
Evening Standard
West Ham set for Mohammed Kudus coup after breakthrough in talks, with striker next on transfer wish list
Ajax to let Ghana midfielder leave for £38m as Hammers continue frantic shopping spree before transfer deadline
By Nizaar Kinsella
West Ham are on the verge of sealing a deal for Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus.
After seeing two bids rejected for the Ghanaian, the Hammers are confident of a £38million bid forcing a breakthrough in talks with a five-year contract on the table.
Kudus is set to accept West Ham’s terms, which feature an option for another year, with £2.5m of his fee made up of add-ons.
The 23-year-old would be a major coup for David Moyes’s side after interest in Kudus from Chelsea and Brighton earlier in the transfer window.
Brighton managed to agree a fee with Ajax but the deal collapsed earlier in August. Chelsea, meanwhile, discussed a move with Kudus’s entourage but stopped short of making an official offer.
Kudus hit top form with 18 goals and seven assists last season after arriving in Amsterdam from Denmark’s Nordsjælland in 2020. While talks over his future continued, he has remained part of the side for Ajax’s two Eredivisie matches to start the season, scoring in one game and bagging an assist in the other.
The Ghana international was also one of his country’s stars at the World Cup in Qatar but, with just two years left on his current deal, the Dutch giants have been forced to accept his exit.
West Ham are also weighing up further reinforcements to their forward line with Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri now their primary target.
Moyes is keen to sign another forward after Gianluca Scamacca left for Atalanta earlier this month, with Paris Saint-Germain youngster Hugo Ekitike also of interest.
En-Nesyri, 27, has long been a target for Moyes after he failed with an approach in January 2021 and he will likely prove a costly option having scored 18 goals last season as well as starring at the World Cup with Morocco.
Ekitike, 21, is a more straightforward option with PSG open to either a loan or sale for their young forward but West Ham would have to beat competition from Everton, AC Milan, Lyon and Eintracht Frankfurt.
The French champions would prefer a sale over a loan having already received a bid worth £29.8m plus a further £4.3m in add-ons from Everton.
West Ham signed Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos yesterday for £19m to add to the more than £60m spent on midfielders James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez.
The UEFA Conference League winners are expected to continue spending big until deadline day on September 1 after banking a club-record £105m from Declan Rice's move to Arsenal in July, along with a further £30m in other player sales. Chelsea duo Ian Maatsen and Conor Gallagher are braced for further interest from the Hammers, as is Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.
Sport Witness
West Ham expected to make formal bid in ‘next few days’ – Striker ‘waiting for news’
By Naveen Ullal
On Wednesday, Foot Mercato reported West Ham United are very interested in signing Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri.
Thursday’s ABC Sevilla provides more updates on the Hammers’ efforts to sign their old target.
It’s claimed West Ham have opened talks with the La Liga side and the striker is aware of this.
Having failed to secure his services in the past, the report says the London club now have the possibility to land the 26-year-old if their negotiations with Sevilla bear fruit.
This has seen Sevilla sporting director Victor Orta identify AZ Alkmaar’s Vangelis Pavlidis as a target to replace the star.
As it stands, the Europa League winners haven’t received a firm offer from David Moyes’ side.
The report says Sevilla expect West Ham to send a ‘formal proposal’ in the ‘next few days’ to sign the Morocco international. Therefore, the Andalusian club ‘do not stop talking’ to the Hammers about the frontman.
En-Nesyri has a contract until 2025 and ABC Sevilla say the Spanish club will request over €30m to part ways with him.
The newspaper further adds Sevilla will need at least €25m in fixed fee and the rest in bonuses.
Should this happen, José Luis Mendilibar’s side will let go of the player. En-Nesyri, for his part, is ‘waiting for news’ after the first contacts between the two clubs.
Caught Offside
Exclusive: PSG star favours Premier League transfer following recent links with West Ham
Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike would rather move to the Premier League than to French rivals Lyon this summer.
by Mark Brus
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, and it follows the highly-rated young forward previously being linked with both West Ham and Nottingham Forest by RMC Sport.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Ekitike, however, as it seems he could be one option for Lyon in a swap deal with PSG for Bradley Barcola, who has also attracted interest from Chelsea.
Romano has provided an update on the situation, saying: “What I’m hearing now is that Lyon, more than big money, want players to be included in the deal. Of course a fee will be needed as well, but they believe they can take advantage of these negotiations by including players in the deal.
“This is going to be a crucial factor, but it’s not easy to find players from Chelsea or PSG who would accept that kind of move. Still, Lyon will try to find a solution, so keep an eye on this story.
“Hugo Ekitike was one name discussed but he doesn’t want to join Lyon, he prefers a move to the Premier League. Let’s see if PSG will try again, or if Chelsea will really strongly enter into the race as they haven’t yet.”
West Ham fans would surely be keen to see a top young talent like Ekitike joining their club, even if his career has stalled slightly during his time at PSG.
The 21-year-old has found it hard to get much playing time in this star-studded squad at the Parc des Princes, but he could surely make an impact up front for David Moyes’ side.
Yorkshire Post
West Ham United and Crystal Palace have 'speculative eye' on Leeds United defender linked with Southampton
West Ham United are reportedly among the clubs to have taken an interest in Leeds United defender Cody Drameh.
By Tom Coates
There has been speculation regarding his future for a considerable period of time now, as he has struggled to force his way into contention at Elland Road.
He has faced stern competition from the experienced Luke Ayling, while Denmark international Rasmus Kristensen was also a competitor at right-back last season.
New addition Sam Byram is also a right-back by trade but has been utilised at left-back by Whites boss Daniel Farke.
According to The Athletic, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Brentford have a speculative eye on Drameh, who is also said to be admired by Southampton.
Leeds’ well-documented interest in another right-back, Max Aarons, did little to ease concerns Drameh may move on from Elland Road this summer.
He has already enjoyed two loan spells away from West Yorkshire, at Cardiff City and Luton Town.
His time at Kenilworth Road ended in promotion to the Premier League but Drameh has not moved up to the top flight with his former teammates.
Drameh
The Athletic
Konstantinos Mavropanos, West Ham’s Greek mountain built for the Premier League
By Roshane Thomas
“Physically, Mavropanos is a typical Premier League player, I have no doubts about that. West Ham United have signed a great defender. He won’t need time to adapt to the Premier League. Some foreign players need six months, a season or two seasons to adapt, that won’t be the case for Mavropanos. He’s ready to shine.”
Gus Poyet, the Greece manager, is eulogising about Konstantinos Mavropanos. The centre-back joined West Ham for £17million ($21.6m) from German side Stuttgart on a five-year deal on Tuesday — and the 25-year-old, who was o Arsenal’s books between 2018 and 2022, could make his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.
Poyet is excited to see what the future holds for Mavropanos and backed him to impress under manager David Moyes.
“It’s a great move,” says Poyet. “He went to Arsenal when he was young, so he knows London, he speaks good English and he will know what to expect, which is a big advantage. He had a great time in Germany but he’s spent the last two years fighting relegation with Stuttgart. Sometimes when you’re in that position constantly it’s better to leave to have a change — and what better change than the Premier League?
“He’ll learn a lot under Moyes, who will take a liking to Mavropanos’ personality. He’s down to earth and great to work with. He’s also massive (6ft 4in, 194cm). I thought I was tall until I saw Mavropanos. He’s a tall defender that can move and has good aerial threat, that’s why I back him to do well.”
West Ham turned their attention to the Greece international when a deal for Harry Maguire fell through. Despite Manchester United accepting a £30m offer for the defender, Maguire’s switch to the London Stadium collapsed after West Ham grew tired of waiting for the 30-year-old to settle on his exit from Old Trafford. Personal terms were never agreed and the player did not speak to Moyes.
Having switched their focus to other defensive targets, Bayer Leverkusen defenders Odilon Kossounou and Jonathan Tah were also considered before Moyes and his recruitment team moved together for Mavropanos.
“I am really happy and excited to be here and to be back in the Premier League,” he said. “It’s an exciting time to be joining the club after last season’s Europa Conference League win — and I am really looking forward to this next step in my career.”
Mavropanos travelled to London to finalise the move over the weekend and attended Sunday’s 3-1 win over Chelsea. Mavropanos and his representative were given a tour of the stadium by director of football Tim Steidten.
Moyes’ previous defensive options were Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Angelo Ogbonna and Thilo Kehrer before this addition. Zouma and Aguerd were the defensive pairing in the victory against Chelsea, Mavropanos’ defensive performances last season show he has a lot to offer to Moyes’ side — and could work his way into the side.
Last season he ranked first among centre-backs in the Bundesliga for interceptions made.
He was second only to former Stuttgart team-mate Dan-Axel Zagadou for aerial duel success.
Mavropanos also ended the season in the top five for duel success. His defensive attributes will be a welcome boost for Moyes as he aims to improve on last season’s 14th-place finish in the league.
The centre-back, who was born in Athens, becomes the first Greek player to sign for West Ham. His journey to east London started at Apollon Smyrnis where he played as a striker. But his height marked him out as a natural defender and he transitioned backwards to centre-back where, at PAS Giannina, he left a lasting impression on coaches. Mavropanos joined the Greek side in 2016 and made 23 appearances in all competitions, scoring three times.
“Konstantinos had all the necessary physical and mental qualities at a very high level,” says Petrakis Giannis, PAS Giannina’s former academy coach. “He’s strong, very fast and agile. We tried in a short time to strengthen all these characteristics and to improve his technical ability and tactical behaviour in defence and attack where it was most needed.
“It is no coincidence that within a year of improving these attributes, he joined Arsenal. His presence in Germany helped him gain experience in a very demanding league, he became more mature and his reading of the game improved in his game. He improved technically and tactically. Now he’s joined West Ham at an important period in his career — and I believe he is ready to climb even higher.”
Similar to Giannis, Georgoulopoulos Georgios has fond memories of coaching Mavropanos. The former Giannina coach believes the defender has a high ceiling.
“It is a great pleasure for a coach to enhance a player’s ability,” says Georgios. “I had the privilege of coaching Mavropanos for two seasons. After diligent scouting and with the help of the club’s president and the Giannis Christovasilis family, he joined our club. His great talent and exceptional abilities became apparent early on. It is of utmost importance for high-level athletes to improve daily and make progress and Mavropanos eagerly did so.
“What made Mavro stand out was his speed, power and explosiveness. Speed is usually uncommon for players of Mavropanos’ height, but this allowed him to be adept at defending one-v-one. He is particularly proficient at heading when it comes to both his defence and attacking duties. At attacking set pieces, he displays good timing and creates dangerous situations for the opposition.
“But what’s impressed me most is that Mavropanos has become exceptionally good at reading the game. We would spend hours watching clips so he could improve. He’s eager to learn and that mindset has followed him throughout his career.”
Mavropanos, then 20, joined Arsenal for £2million in January 2018. Although Mavropanos was considered raw, Sven Mislintat — Arsenal’s then-head of recruitment — viewed him as one for the future. The centre-back spent two years in the first-team environment and made eight appearances for the first team. Although Mavropanos was later loaned out to Nurnberg and Stuttgart, Poyet believes Mavropanos would have learnt a lot from his struggles at Arsenal.
“That experience made him into the defender he is now,” says Poyet. “Sometimes you need to experience disappointment so it can make you more determined. Mavro was young, living alone, he didn’t speak the language and that would’ve been tough. Now he’s a key player for the national team, in fact one of the first names on the teamsheet. Mavro returning to the Premier League is massive for the national team. I plan on coming to West Ham soon to watch him play. He’ll improve their defence and it helps that he can play in a back four or a back three.
“He played in a back three for Stuttgart and he plays in that system for the national team. There’s competition for places at West Ham but they needed depth with the number of games they’ll play this season. But now it’s up to Mavropanos to prove that he can be West Ham’s best defender.”
Mavropanos’ three-year spell at Stuttgart was the turning point in his career. When Mislintat joined the German side as sporting director in April 2019, he was keen to be reunited with the Greece international — initially on loan.
Mavropanos became a key player under former manager Pellegrino Matarazzo. From 2020 to this summer, the defender made 89 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight times. He joined permanently in May 2022 and featured 28 times in the Bundesliga last season as Stuttgart preserved their top-flight status by winning a relegation play-off.
“He’s our gladiator,” Matarazzo said in 2021, while he was on loan at the club. “He’s a monster in terms of physique. And when he makes a mistake, he hums around some Greek swear words. I like that. He’s just a tough dog. He always shows in training that he can produce magic. He’s got heart, energy and determination. We need guys like him.”
Stuttgart’s loss is West Ham’s gain. Mavropanos is highly proactive, which means that he will tend to jump out of the defensive line to make challenges. That impulsiveness can be very effective, but it also requires balancing by other, more docile team-mates. As will his tendencies on the ball. He will carry and pass effectively and aggressively and should be a major help in not just moving possession into midfield but actually creating chances further up the pitch.
He will make mistakes but he was able to overcome positional issues at Stuttgart. Mavropanos might just need time. Aguerd, for example, struggled in his debut season and made errors in defeats to Newcastle United and Manchester United, but the Morocco international gradually adjusted to the pace of the Premier League.
Mavropanos believes he has unfinished business in England. Signing a focused, motivated and inspired Mavropanos will certainly be to West Ham’s benefit.
FLW
Southampton plot another West Ham transfer swoop
By Declan Harte
Southampton have made enquiries over the availability of West Ham defender Ben Johnson.
According to Football Insider, the defender is a high priority transfer for the Saints as they look to bolster their backline.
Russell Martin is keen to find a replacement for Tino Livramento, who departed for Newcastle United in a big money move earlier in the window.
Livramento’s exit has left the team a little light at full back, which could be addressed by the potential arrival of Johnson.
The 23-year-old came through the academy system at the London Stadium, but has been unable to cement himself as an important part of David Moyes’ squad.
What is the latest regarding Southampton?
The Saints should have money to spend based on the figures involved in their big sales this summer.
All of James Ward-Prowse, Livramento and Roméo Lavia departed St. Mary’s for big fees, with the south coast club yet to really reinvest that money back into the squad.
It remains to be seen what kind of fee West Ham would consider to sell Johnson, but he should be available at a lower price due to his contract situation.
This could be the Premier League side’s last chance to earn a fee for the player given he is available as a free agent next summer.
Given he is not an important part of their squad, that could make him a very affordable option for the Championship club.
