Thursday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 12 Feb 2026, 09:58
BBC
Bayern Munich are targeting a move for Brighton's 23-year-old goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen in the summer. (Talksport), external
Chelsea are set to rival Bayern for Verbruggen and will match Brighton's £50m valuation for the Netherlands international. (Teamtalk), external
Manchester City's England defender John Stones looks set to leave the club this summer when his contract expires, with Bayern Munich showing interest in the 31-year-old. (Caught Offside), external
Atletico Madrid are exploring a move for Chelsea's 27-year-old Spain defender Marc Cucurella. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Aston Villa are interested in Nottingham Forest's England midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, but Forest could command a fee of £65m for the 26-year-old. (TeamTalk), external
Borussia Dortmund are keen to tie Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck to a new contract amid interest from Real Madrid in the 26-year-old. (Bild - in German), external
Tottenham have identified Real Madrid's 32-year-old Germany defender Antonio Rudiger as a replacement for 27-year-old Argentina defender Cristian Romero if he moves to the Bernabeu. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Former Marseille manager Roberto de Zerbi could be open to taking charge of Tottenham, despite his initial preference to hold out for the Manchester United job. (TeamTalk), external
Nottingham Forest will make another move for Celtic's 22-year-old Belgium midfielder Arne Engels in the summer after failing to sign him in January. (Football Insider), external
Juventus and Inter Milan are set to go head to head for the signing of Tottenham's 29-year-old Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario this summer. (Gazzetta - in Italian), external
Manchester United are the frontrunners among a number of clubs who will try to sign Everton's 25-year-old Senegal forward Iliman Ndiaye this summer. (Teamtalk), external
Newcastle United are likely to target Roma's Italy midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, 29, as they look set to lose 25-year-old Italy international Sandro Tonali in the summer. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal's Kai Havertz has sustained a muscular injury and is set for a spell out of the team. The forward is now expected to miss the north London derby on February 22 - The Athletic
Jack Grealish has been hit with six points and a £1,000 bill after his Lamborghini ran a red light - The Sun
TOTTENHAM LATEST
Tottenham Hotspur are working through a list of potential successors to Thomas Frank, which is believed to include Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino and Robbie Keane - The Telegraph
John Heitinga, who was added to Thomas Frank's coaching staff last month, days before a defeat at home to West Ham, is thought to be among the leading candidates as a short-term solution for Spurs' next manager - Daily Mail
Tottenham are exploring their options after sacking Thomas Frank on Wednesday morning, with Roberto De Zerbi and one of their current coaches, John Heitinga, in the conversation - The Guardian
Roberto De Zerbi wants to replace the recently sacked Thomas Frank as Tottenham head coach - the I.
Tottenham are braced for bad news with concerns that Wilson Odobert may have torn his anterior cruciate ligament when he hobbled off against Newcastle on Tuesday - Daily Mail
ENGLAND
Thomas Tuchel is set to stay as England boss until 2028 after agreeing a contract extension - The Times
WORLD FOOTBALL
Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the Al Nassr starting line-up this weekend after ending his strike - Daily Mirror
CRICKET
England's two white-ball series in South Africa next year are in doubt amid the latest scheduling clash that pits franchise cricket against the international game - The Guardian
Football Talk
West Ham battling with Everton to sign Harry Wilson
West Ham United are reportedly battling with Everton over a deal to sign Fulham star Harry Wilson, as per Football Insider.
After becoming the Hammers’ new manager last year, Nuno Espirito Santo initially struggled. However, the East London club have started showing signs of improvement in recent weeks, losing only one out of the last six games and winning four.
The defeat came against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, where they managed to earn a 2-0 lead at the interval before conceding three goals in the second half.
Although West Ham are still languishing in the relegation zone with 24 points from 26 games, they now have momentum and might be able to retain their top-flight status if they can maintain their performance level.
Meanwhile, Santo’s side have already started exploring options to strengthen the squad in the summer and are considering signing a new winger.
Football Insider state that the East London club have identified Wilson as a serious option and could make a concrete approach to secure his services.
The Welsh international has entered the final few months of his current contract and isn’t close to signing an extension at Craven Cottage. So, West Ham would be able to sign him for free.
Battle
However, Wilson’s recent eye-catching performances haven’t just attracted West Ham’s attention, as Everton, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, and AFC Bournemouth are also keen on him.
Wilson is a left-footed right-winger by trait but is also comfortable in the creative midfield position. He is technically sound and has been one of the best Fulham players thus far this season.
Everton decided to reinforce the right flank by purchasing Tyler Dibling from Southampton last year. However, he has struggled to settle into his new surroundings so far.
Wilson is an experienced player and would be a shrewd acquisition for West Ham or Everton should either club purchase him. However, if Santo’s side eventually fail to secure Premier League status, it would be hard for them to sign the Fulham star.
It is going to be interesting to see who will eventually manage to sign Wilson, valued at around £17m by Transfermarkt, should he leave Marco Silva’s side at the end of this season.