JANUARY HIJACK: SEE WHY WEST HAM AND SUNDERLAND ARE OFFICIALLY FIGHTING FOR ARTEM DOVBYK
Roma has reportedly offered Artem Dovbyk to Sunderland and West Ham for £19m as AC Milan closes in on striker Niclas Füllkrug.
AC Milan might make a move that kicks off a £19m transfer thing that could mess with Sunderland this January.
Word is, Sunderland's in the mix to grab Artem Dovbyk. Apparently, Roma's trying to ship him out during the January transfer window.
Orazio Accomando, an Italian journalist, mentioned West Ham was interested, but Gazzetta dello Sport is saying Sunderland's seriously looking at him now. The Italian paper's saying Roma's not sure about Dovbyk's future and would sell the 28-year-old if they get good offers.
They're saying West Ham might want Dovbyk to take Niclas Füllkrug's place, since he might be heading to AC Milan. Also, Roma's sporting director, Ricky Massara, has supposedly offered the striker to Sunderland, giving them another option.
The report says Sunderland's sporting director, Florent Ghisolfi, could be involved in talks, since he used to work at Roma. His ties inside the Italian club might help if Sunderland wants to chase this.
Roma's supposedly looking for buyers; someone will bite. But Dovbyk apparently doesn't want to go to Turkey, which cuts down his options. Sunderland and West Ham would need to cough up around €22 million (£18.8 million) for the Ukraine guy, who's scored a couple of goals in Serie A this season.
He's been hurt a bit this season, so he hasn't been scoring as much. Roma tried to get rid of Dovbyk this past summer, but AC Milan was really interested. With the Premier League a possibility again, January might sort things out for him.
What did Régis Le Bris say after the Brighton game?
Le Bris thought Sunderland deserved their point against Brighton because they held strong when Brighton put on the pressure at the end. Sunderland was in charge for a while, despite missing some players who were called up for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Brighton was also missing some folks due to injuries, suspensions, and sickness, and they got stronger as the game went on. Sunderland couldn't score when they had chances earlier, but Le Bris was happy with how his players defended to keep a clean sheet.
A draw was probably fair, Le Bris said. The guys in the locker room were a little bummed [that we didn't win], which is a good sign for later. We had two parts to the game. We were in control until about 65 or 70 minutes, which is impressive for an away game.
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We showed some good stuff, real grit. We had the ball and could have scored then. But if you don't score away from home when you get those chances, you know the other team's going to push hard at the end.
They did well for the last 20 or 25 minutes. We stayed tight and kept that clean sheet. They crossed a lot, like we thought they would, so we were ready for that. We have guys who really want to defend the box and the goal, and they did. They defended well.
WEST HAM MOVE FAST FOR AS ROMA'S ARTEM DOVBYK AS NICLAS FULLKRUG JOINS AC MILAN
West Ham United are offered the chance to sign Artem Dovbyk for 22 million as Niclas Fullkrug nears an AC Milan move.
Word on the street, via Gazzetta dello Sport and Sport Witness, is that AS Roma will let Artem Dovbyk go if an offer of at least €22 million comes their way. West Ham United has got their eye on this Ukrainian striker as we head into January, especially since Niclas Fullkrug might be leaving the London Stadium.
It looks like West Ham United could be in the middle of a striker shuffle because they want to bring in a new guy up front in January. Nuno Espirito Santo seems to rate getting a new striker more than filling other spots, mainly because the team's stars haven't been scoring enough this season.
There's talk about Niclas Füllkrug moving to AC Milan. The Hammers seem ready to say goodbye to the pricey German player. Things just haven't clicked with him in their setup, so they're thinking about bringing in someone new. There have been plenty of names floating around for weeks.
Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves is also on their radar, but it seems like Artem Dovbyk from AS Roma is becoming a hotter prospect as January approaches. Word is, the Hammers were offered the Ukrainian striker because AS Roma may want to sell him in the winter.
The Italian side could sure use the cash from selling the 28-year-old striker in January so they can put that money into getting new players. West Ham isn't the only team interested; Everton is reportedly in the mix for Dovbyk, too.
So, what's the price tag on Artem Dovbyk?
Dovbyk joined Roma in the summer of 2024 after a great season with Girona in Spain and had a pretty good first year with the Italian giants. Now his role has shrunk, and Roma is willing to end his stay early, asking for €22 million plus add-ons to sell him in January.
West Ham definitely has the cash to pay that much for the 28-year-old Serie A striker. They might take a look at the market before they decide. This Ukrainian player could be a good addition to the team, especially if he gets back to scoring goals at the London Stadium under Espirito Santo and ends up being a better option than Fullkrug.
JUST IN: FABIO CAPELLO OFFICIALLY LABELS SERIE A A FIVE-HORSE RACE FOR 2026
Fabio Capello claims the 2026 Scudetto is wide open with only 4 points separating Inter, Milan, Napoli, Roma, and Juve.
Fabio Capello thinks the Serie A title is wide open, with Juventus, Inter, Milan, Napoli, and Roma all in the running. He also thinks they all need to get better to win the Scudetto in 2026.
The ex-coach for Milan, Roma, Juventus, and England shared his thoughts on each team's chances in an interview.
With Christmas coming, the top of the Serie A table is tight, with only four points separating the top five. Inter's got 33 points, Milan 32, Napoli 31, Roma 30, and Juventus 29—pretty exciting for fans!
Capello said he doesn't see anyone pulling away right now.
When asked if this five-way race could last, Capello said, Why not? No one's running away with it. They all win some, lose some. Milan and Roma were ahead, but now Inter and Napoli are back, and Juve is making a comeback.
So, does he think Juventus can win?
They're not out of it. They could win their next few games and get 12 points, he said.
About Spalletti, Capello noted, He’s found the players that fit. He’s brought back the hunger and push that was missing. And Juve is one of the few Italian teams that can take players on and make the other team scramble. Guys like Yildiz, Conceicao, and Zhegrova often cause problems for opponents.”
Does he think Juventus is a real title contender?
“Juve is right there; they could close the gap, and they still have head-to-head matches to play,” he said.
Talking about Inter, Capello said, Chivu's been playing it safe so far. I think he's seeing that some players aren't in top shape, so he's holding back on trying new things. But they're in first place.
And about Milan, he added, Milan is losing points and letting in goals; that's not like Allegri. They need to be solid on defence. Mistakes have cost them too many points. They play very offensively, but they have problems in the back.
Milan is supposedly trying to sign Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham to strengthen their attack. Does Capello think that's a good move in January?
That's a good question. It’s hard to play without a main striker. Fullkrug is an old-school striker, so the club must have talked about who would fit best. But it's not just about strikers; they're not playing in Europe and need to use that to their advantage.”
Capello agrees with many fans that Roma needs more attack to be considered a serious title contender: Without a main striker, Gasperini has also had lots of issues, he said.
It's tough. Against Juventus, there was no one up front to aim for. Roma played better in the first half, but they kept trying to attack through the middle when Juve had just put Bremer back in.
About the attackers Roma might sign this winter, Capello said, I really like Zirkzee; he knows how to play with his back to the goal and moves well. Raspadori, on the other hand, is more of a second striker. He fits in okay; he knows how to score, but he's not a main striker.
Lastly, on Napoli, fresh from their Supercoppa Italiana win in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Capello said, Napoli has great players and a winning coach in Conte.
“Now Lukaku and some of the injured guys are back, and winning the Supercoppa will be huge for the team's confidence. It’s a mental boost that could help them come back strong in the league.”