Latest news with #GrahamPotter
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
West Ham overhaul off to a slow start
A transitional summer for West Ham has been more notable to date for the players who have Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal have all been released, with Michail Antonio potentially joining them when his contract expires on Monday. With 1,088 West Ham appearances between them, they leave a sizeable void to Ings and Kurt Zouma have also departed as West Ham seek to overhaul an ageing squad. The average age of their Premier League starting XI last season was 28.8 years old, the joint oldest in the division along with Ham's solitary signing during the off-season has been French central defender Jean-Clair Todibo, who made 20 Premier League starts on loan from Nice in 2024-25 as the Hammers finished priority for head coach Graham Potter will surely be a striker, regardless of whether or not Antonio stays. Niclas Fullkrug only made six league starts and scored three goals last season, while Evan Ferguson's loan spell from Brighton did not work extent of West Ham's rebuild will also be shaped by the futures of two of their most valuable players: Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed is awaiting the verdict of his recent spot-fixing trial and faces a possible lifetime ban if found guilty, while selling Kudus could be the club's most effective way of raising funds to reshape the squad.
The Sun
19 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Lucas Paqueta wants emotional transfer back to former club as West Ham star faces lifetime ban over betting probe
LUCAS PAQUETA could be set to move back to his boyhood club, SunSport can reveal. The West Ham midfielder, previously a target of Manchester City, is dreaming of a return to Flamengo, where he started his career. 4 4 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW And his former club are believed to be keen to make a deal happen if they can. The Brazilian - who is facing a betting probe - endured a difficult season last term as the Hammers struggled to make an impact under new boss Graham Potter. And sources close to the 27-year-old told SunSport how he thinks now might be the time for a fresh start. Although West Ham are in no rush to sell the player, he could command a fee of around £30million which would free up funds for the rebuilding job needed at the London Stadium. It's unclear if Flamengo could afford such a fee, but the world-famous Brazilian side have been linked with a move for their former star in the past. A post shared just days ago on social media by Paqueta also indicated he still retains a strong love for his old cub. Taking to Instagram stories on June 20, Paqueta shared an image of Flamengo's second goal against Chelsea alongside the caption: 'Isso e Flamengo,' translating to 'This is Flamengo'. If Paqueta does decide to leave West Ham this summer it could prompt Pep Guardiola into renewing his interest in the player. He came close to signing the playmaker a year ago and remains a huge fan of the star's talent and versatility. But Paqueta was reportedly unsure City was the right move, and he's more likely to be attracted by the idea of a switch back to his homeland. Eagle-eyed fans praise Lucas Paqueta's 'top s---housery' as they spot how he put off Arsenal star Saka for penalty miss There's also been interest in Paqueta from the Saudi Pro League, and a money-spinning move to the richest competition in the world may also appeal. Last month Potter admitted Paqueta had suffered mentally and physically from the investigation into a breach of betting rules. Paqueta is being investigated by the Football Association for allegedly getting himself booked in four matches. The 27-year-old Brazil international has been under investigation since August 2023 and was charged by the FA in May last year. Paqueta, who could be banned from playing for life if found guilty, denies the charges, which relate to Premier League games in 2022 and 2023. "It has taken its toll on him.' Potter said in May. "Sometimes stress, pressure, can manifest itself in a different way. Generally, he's come in and conducted himself in a really good way. He's handled it really well." Potter said he is keen for the case to be resolved before the start of next season. "It's not my thing to talk about, but the sooner the better for everyone," he added.
The Guardian
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Fernández finally flourishing with Chelsea as Benfica reunion awaits
Enzo Fernández is no stranger to the big stage. The midfielder took his chance when he broke through at the 2022 World Cup, earning a starting role for Argentina after coming off the bench to score a vital goal against Mexico in the group stage. Fernández looked as if he had been in the team for years by the time Argentina beat France in the final. He was named young player of the tournament and inevitably became a target for several big clubs. It was not long before word was filtering out of Portugal that Chelsea and Liverpool were looking at signing the former River Plate midfielder in the January 2023 transfer window. Chelsea's fear was that Arsenal and Manchester City were planning to move for Fernández in the summer. Unwilling to miss out on a key target, the decision was made to pay above the going rate. Expectations rocketed when Fernández joined for £106.7m, breaking the British transfer record. He walked into a troubled club. Seasoned players wanted out, Graham Potter was close to being sacked and there was a lot of pressure on Fernández because of his fee, even though he had moved to a new league halfway through season and had made only 25 starts for Benfica. Mauricio Pochettino, who replaced Potter in the summer of 2023, often talked about Fernández's journey moving too quickly. He was sympathetic in relation to his compatriot's workload and wanted him to improve his physique. Fernández produced flashes of quality but his partnership with Moisés Caicedo often malfunctioned. Soon there were suggestions that Chelsea were better without Fernández, who missed the end of the 2023-24 season after a hernia operation. Yet Benfica will encounter a much tougher version of Fernández when they play Chelsea in the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Saturday. The 24-year-old is in excellent shape before facing his former side for the first time. Fernández emerged as a leader last season and has added a new edge to his game, flourishing since Enzo Maresa adjusted his role, pushing him forward and challenging him to score more. There was a point when it seemed Fernández was being eased out because of the emergence of Roméo Lavia as a deep-lying partner for Caicedo. There were whispers that the Argentinian world champion was in danger of becoming a very expensive reserve. Nobody questioned Maresca when he put Fernández on the bench against Liverpool last October and started without him in four consecutive league games. The statistics suggested it was the right decision. Fernández had scored seven goals since joining Chelsea, his tackle success rate was 39%, his passing had declined and he was not creating big chances. But he responded. Fernández, named after the former Uruguay great Enzo Francescoli, set up Chelsea's equaliser after coming on against Arsenal in early November. He returned to the starting lineup against Leicester and provided a goal and an assist. 'I am trying to convince Enzo that attacking midfielders have to arrive in the box,' Maresca said. The Leicester game marked a shift. The assumption with Fernández when he joined was that he was a conductor; a direct replacement for Jorginho. Maresca sees it differently. If Fernández does not have the mobility to be a driving box-to-box midfielder and is wasted screening a defence, then ask him to do less. Contain his role and put him in the right areas. Playing higher, Fernández has turned into a box-crashing midfielder. No Chelsea player has more goal involvement in 2025 than his 14. Fernández has been their best player at the Club World Cup so far. He came off the bench to make a late run and score when Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC in their opening game. There was a reminder, too, of Fernández's ability to pick a pass when he set up Liam Delap's goal against Esperance. 'He's told me to run when he gets the ball,' Delap said. The challenge now is for Fernández to offer more in the biggest games. Eight of those 14 goal involvements have come against lowly Conference League opponents and in the Club World Cup. A headed winner against Tottenham in April and a smart finish to open the scoring against Liverpool last month offer evidence that Fernández can thrive in pressure moments. They were big goals in Chelsea's push for Champions League qualification. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Fernández is in a much better place than when he headed to the US for Chelsea's pre-season tour last year. He was a disgraced figure back then, after being filmed taking part in a racist chant after Argentina's triumph in the Copa América. Reintegrating him was a challenge. Maresca was criticised for making Fernández captain on the opening weekend of the season. Wounds have been healed, though. Fernández was forgiven after apologising to his teammates. The hope is that he has matured. Chelsea are a young team. Fernández is a competitor. He plays with a snarl. He does not shy away from confronting opponents. He has stepped up in recent months. Much of the focus after Chelsea fought back from 1-0 down to beat Real Betis in the Conference League final was on Cole Palmer's second-half brilliance but it should not be forgotten that it was Fernández who ghosted into the box to score the equaliser. More of that and people will start talking about the new Frank Lampard.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
West Ham set to go head-to-head with Premier League rivals for £25m-rated Nice striker
West Ham are preparing to compete with Wolverhampton Wanderers for Nice forward Evann Guessand but need to secure sales first and that could hasten the exit of Mohammed Kudus. Wolves are reported to be preparing an offer for Guessand, who scored 13 goals last season for Nice as they finished fourth in the French League behind Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and Monaco. The 23-year-old Ivory Coast international figures highly among Graham Potter 's options as he looks to rebuild the team he inherited in midseason. West Ham considered moving for Guessand in January but Nice were reluctant to sell as they chased a Champions League place. The Hammers remain interested in a striker with three more years on his contract who is expected to be available for £20-25 million. Wolves, West Ham's rivals for Guessand, are set to bank £62.5m from the sale of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United. Both Wolves boss Vitor Pereira and West Ham manager Graham Potter are keen on Guessand They are committed to spending £23m to make Jorgen Strand Larsen's move permanent from Celta Vigo but still have money to invest as Vitor Pereira looks to reshape his squad. West Ham boss Potter will have to be creative to perform the surgery necessary to revive a squad that laboured to 43 points in the Premier League last season. His priority is to revive the front line with Michail Antonio, who made his return from injuries sustained in a car accident in December with Jamaica at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, is out of contract.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'I worry at the moment' - fans on Hammers' fixtures
Following the release of the 2025-26 Premier League fixtures, we asked for your thoughts on the schedule and where West Ham might be after 10 are some of your comments:Colin: Sixteenth. Very concerned that David Sullivan and Karen Brady need to spend in the window, and they don't seem to be doing I suspect that unless this useless board invests well in new players we will be sitting in the bottom three. We need a new good spine to the team starting with a new keeper (either Burnley's, Southampton's, or both), centre-back, central midfielder and a centre-forward. We won't ever win the league title so we need to stop putting out under-strength teams in cup games and try to win some trophies. For us to move forward, there needs to be major changes within the Looking at them, 12-15 points Hopefully in the top 10. Graham Potter can do this by buying players who can bang in the goals and a goalkeeper who can keep them out. Must improve after finishing 14th last After 10 games, I believe we will have a total of 10 points because as of yet haven't seen an improvement within the We have a really decent mix of games to start the season off with. With the right signings we could be seventh to 10th by I worry at the moment. No transfer activity of note and the current squad looks weak. Still hoping for a mid-table finish and a good cup About fifth - if we are lucky.
