Monday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 09 Feb 2026, 10:49
BBC
Newcastle and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, 25, is high on Manchester United's shortlist to replace Brazil midfielder Casemiro, 33, this summer. (Telegraph - subscription required) , external
Liverpool are open to allowing Italy forward Federico Chiesa to leave and want about 25-30m euros (£21.7m-£26m) for the 28-year-old, with Juventus, Napoli and Roma possible destinations. (Caughtoffside), external
Tottenham do not intend to turn 27-year-old France striker Randal Kolo Muani's loan move from Paris St-Germain into a permanent switch. (Teamtalk), external
Liverpool could be about to re-sign 23-year-old England centre-back Jarell Quansah from Bayer Leverkusen next year. (Football Insider) , external
Alex Jimenez is set to complete a 19.5m euros (£16.9m) move from AC Milan to Bournemouth on a five-and-a-half year contract after the 20-year-old Spanish full-back's latest appearance for the Cherries activated an obligation to buy in his loan deal. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Manchester City are interested in signing Everton's 27-year-old English midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for about £40m. (Fichajes - in Spanish)
The Athletic
Nuno Espirito Santo made a bold call bringing back Mads Hermansen. West Ham were rewarded with a clean-sheet win
Molly Darlington/Getty Images
By Roshane Thomas
In the final days of this season’s winter transfer window, Mads Hermansen would have been unsure if he’d still be a West Ham United player when it closed.
The Denmark international goalkeeper impressed during a rare outing in the 2-0 win away to fellow relegation candidates Burnley on Saturday, but it may not happened had West Ham landed their intended target at his position last month.
At one stage, they were confident of signing Antonin Kinsky on loan, but Tottenham Hotspur opted to keep the 22-year-old as backup to Guglielmo Vicario. That meant West Ham could no longer sanction Hermansen’s departure. Sources with knowledge of the situation — who like all of those spoken to for this article asked to be kept anonymous, unless otherwise noted, to protect relationships — say Leicester City of the Championship enquired about signing the 25-year-old on loan, with Hermansen open to re-joining his previous club.
Hermansen was signed for a reported £20million last summer under then head coach Graham Potter, and started the first four league games of West Ham’s season. But he lost the job after the 3-0 loss to London neighbours and rivals Tottenham in September amid concern over a vulnerability on corners. and his only subsequent action before the trip to Turf Moor was in the 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat of second-tier Queens Park Rangers in early January.
Sources with knowledge of the situation regarding a transfer last month say Hermansen wanted game time to boost his chances of being named in Denmark’s World Cup squad. His belated opportunity to make up for lost time began against Burnley.
Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced Potter in late September, made a bold call to drop Alphonse Areola, who had played every Premier League game since that Spurs defeat but was still to keep a clean sheet this season; Hermansen did so against Nottingham Forest, then managed by Nuno, on August 31.
The Dane did not look out of place at Turf Moor and showed good composure against Burnley’s first meaningful attack, hurrying off his line to deny winger Marcus Edwards when he was through on goal. A hesitant goalkeeper would have conceded a penalty there, and the passage of play was a confidence boost for Hermansen. The only error of judgement he made was colliding with his left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf when attempting to clear a Florentino Luis cross.
Between the 45th and 56th minute, Burnley laid siege to West Ham’s goal, yet that 11-minute spell vindicated Nuno’s decision to restore Hermansen to the starting XI. He saved shots from Edwards and Zian Flemming, and had a good command of his box from corners.
“It’s a perfect day for a goalkeeper, and for me personally to play again,” Hermansen told the club’s official website. “It’s been a long period of hard work, and trying to show what I can do in training, so it was lovely to get the chance today, and I’m really happy to get a clean sheet.
“It’s been tough (not playing). It’s the first time in my career that I’ve experienced going to the bench after a few games, so of course it was hard, but it’s those kinds of situations where you show who you are as a person and a football player. It was nice to be given the chance to play today, and I’m really pleased with the way it went.”
West Ham remain in the relegation zone after this win, but are now three points adrift of Forest in 17th after their 2-0 loss at Leeds United on Friday. Nuno’s side have won three out of four league games — as many as they had in their previous 21 outings this season (drawing five, losing 13).
After watching West Ham let a two-goal half-time lead slip to lose 3-2 away to Chelsea a week earlier, the manager showed great judgement when he brought off striker Callum Wilson for midfielder Freddie Potts in the 57th minute. The academy graduate offered improved protection in midfield, which contributed to the visitors successfully seeing out the game. Against Chelsea, the head coach had similarly substituted new-signing striker Pablo with defender Maximilian Kilman on 66 minutes when 2-1 up, and the switch from an initial back five to a back four nearly worked.
There were other encouraging signs on Saturday, such as centre-back Axel Disasi, who joined on loan from Chelsea on deadline day, impressing on his first start alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos. Disasi, deputising for the suspended Jean-Clair Todibo, had not played a Premier League game since featuring for Aston Villa on loan in April last year.
Argentina striker Taty Castellanos scored his first league goal since joining last month from Lazio of Italy for around £26million, with the visiting enclosure singing his name to the tune of 1980s hit Lip Up Fatty by ska band Bad Manners, Crysencio Summerville became the first West Ham player to score in five consecutive appearances since Jesse Lingard in 2021 and in midfield Mateus Fernandes continued to show why life after Lucas Paqueta, who rejoined boyhood club Flamengo last month for €41.25million (£35.8m: $48.8m), is not so bleak after all.
“It was an important match for us,” Nuno said. “We knew the responsibility that we had in this match, and we still have. We started really well, and it’s been this way for some time now. I think the team is growing. I’m really pleased with the way we defended and how we contained Burnley. If we can solve our problems in defence, we have very talented players that can help the team.
“I think we are improving. It was important for us to react from the previous match (against Chelsea) that we started well but didn’t close the game down. Today, we did it. It shows improvement. But we are still in the same situation. Nothing has changed. We have to keep trying and fighting. It was fantastic keeping a clean sheet. I think football starts from there (defence). If we are solid, compact, the way we did it today, with the talent that we have on the pitch, we can play good and achieve results.”
A tougher test awaits Hermansen, if he keeps his place, and company tomorrow (Tuesday) at home against Manchester United. West Ham old boy Michael Carrick’s side have won four games in a row — but Nuno’s men will be keen to put an end to their post-Ruben Amorim revival.