NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO FACING WEST HAM SACK AFTER BRIGHTON AND WOLVES CLASHES
West Ham are in the relegation zone and winless in seven. Discover why Nuno Espirito Santo could be replaced by Slaven Bilic soon.
Looks like Nuno Espirito Santo's time with West Ham United is almost up.
The Hammers are stuck in the Premier League relegation zone, five points away from safety as we approach the middle of the season.
Nuno is facing major pressure to get fired, with the team losing three games in a row and not winning in their last seven.
The fans aren't behind the Portuguese coach anymore, and soon West Ham's leaders will be forced to make a tough choice.
Nuno Espirito Santo won't make it if they lose to Wolves.
West Ham isn't expected to win against Brighton on Tuesday night, and the atmosphere at the London Stadium will be awful if they lose again.
After that, the team plays Wolves on January 3rd, and that game could decide Nuno's future.
Martin Lipton wrote in The Sun that if West Ham is the first team to lose to Wolves this season, the bosses will probably fire Nuno.
Lipton said, "After tonight’s home game with Brighton, it's two of Nuno's old teams, Wolves and Forest, before the FA Cup game with QPR."
If the Hammers become the first team to lose to Wolves, you've got to think he'll be out.
Rob Edwards' team only has two points, so it's hard to imagine Nuno surviving a loss like that.
West Ham has a replacement ready if Nuno Espirito Santo goes.
If West Ham decides to fire Nuno, they'll need someone to step in right away.
The January transfer window could be key for the Hammers, so they'll want a manager in charge.
Slaven Bilic is reportedly willing to take the West Ham job until the end of the season if Nuno leaves, giving David Sullivan and the others a real option.
Bilic was mentioned as a possible replacement when Graham Potter was fired and is still available.
Bilic managed West Ham from 2015 to 2017 and played 48 league games for the club.
OFFICIAL: TOTTENHAM CONFIRM £35M AGREEMENT WITH CRYSTAL PALACE FOR WINGER BRENNAN JOHNSON
Crystal Palace have agreed a £35m fee with Tottenham for Brennan Johnson, but the player is yet to decide on his 2026 future.
Crystal Palace and Tottenham have agreed on a £35m fee for Brennan Johnson, but the Welsh player hasn't decided if he wants to move.
The 24-year-old got the winning goal against Man United in last season’s Europa League final, which ended Spurs' 17-year trophy wait.
Johnson was Spurs' top scorer last season with 18 goals. He also scored the winner in the Europa League final against Man United.
Since Thomas Frank took over from Ange Postecoglou in June, Johnson has mostly been a substitute for Mohammed Kudus on the right wing, which has led to talk about him leaving Tottenham.
The Press Association says Palace is the frontrunner to sign the 24-year-old after agreeing to a deal with Spurs on Tuesday.
Even though a £35m deal is in place, Johnson hasn't yet approved the transfer to London because other teams are interested, and there's doubt about Oliver Glasner's future as Palace's manager.
Glasner has recently made it clear he's not happy about the lack of transfers last summer, especially after Eberechi Eze was sold in August.
After Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Spurs, the Austrian suggested they needed more attacking players.
Palace seems to be struggling with a tough schedule of games and are missing Ismaila Sarr due to the Africa Cup of Nations, plus Daniel Munoz and Daichi Kamada are injured.
"I don't have enough money to sign players; the transfer fees are too high," Glasner joked when asked if he was promised any signings in January.
I think if you watch our game, it's pretty obvious what we need, but it's up to Crystal Palace to decide.
If we keep struggling to score goals, well, I can only encourage the players, support them, and stay positive.
Palace plays Fulham on Thursday and is hoping to end their five-game winless streak and win at Selhurst Park for the first time since November 6.
FINAL 48 HOURS: TRANSFER WINDOW LIVE! MAN CITY TO TRIGGER ANTOINE SEMENYO’S RELEASE CLAUSE
Man City are set to trigger Antoine Semenyo’s £65m clause. Discover the latest on Marc Guehi, Joshua Zirkzee, and Kobbie Mainoo.
Alright, so the January transfer window's almost here, and it could really shake things up in the Premier League, both for the title race and for avoiding relegation. Teams might buy new players to push for the title or just to survive.
This year, the window's open from January 1st to February 2nd at 7pm, so there's plenty of time for deals to happen. Some transfers have been planned for a while, but others will probably pop up at the last minute.
Last year, Premier League teams spent a total of £370 million in January, with Man City spending over half of it (£190m) on Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Nico Gonzalez. But that's nothing compared to January 2023, when a record £815 million was spent!
As always, you can keep up with all the goings-on on the Mirror Football live transfer blog. But here are some possible transfers to watch out for:
Antoine Semenyo to Man City
This one looks pretty certain. Bournemouth are willing to sell Semenyo, and everyone knows about his £65m release clause. Plus, the Ghana international has made it clear he wants to join City after playing really well recently.
Liverpool, Tottenham, and Chelsea were also interested in Semenyo, but they've backed off since City started talking to him. The talks are going well, and the 25-year-old is expected to join City in early January, after scoring eight goals in 16 league games.
Marc Guehi to Liverpool
This deal seemed like a done thing in the summer. Guehi even had a medical to move from Crystal Palace to Liverpool for £35m, but then the Palace chairman, Steve Parish, stopped it at the last second. But the Palace captain's contract ends in June, and the club has accepted he'll probably leave.
The only questions are where and when. Arne Slot said before that Liverpool wouldn't try to get Guehi in January, but Giovanni Leoni's ACL injury, Ibrahima Konate's inconsistent play, and interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich could change their minds. The England defender wants to move to Liverpool, but Palace wants to keep him until the end of the season.
Joshua Zirkzee to Roma
Zirkzee hasn't been great since joining Manchester United from Bologna in the summer of 2024 for £36.5m, and now he might leave. Roma's sporting director, Ricky Massara, was in London in December to talk about it, and United are willing to sell, but only if they get the right price, since Ruben Amorim's squad is already thin.
United will sell for around €35-40m (£30-35m), since the 24-year-old's contract runs until June 2029. But Roma wants a loan deal for an initial €5m-6m (£4.3-5.2m) with an obligation to buy if they get into the Champions League. It's one to watch.
Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace
Johnson scored 18 goals for Spurs last season, but Thomas Frank hasn't used him much, so a move is likely. The Athletic says that a £35m deal has been agreed between the two clubs, and Palace just needs to sort out personal terms with Johnson.
Johnson joined Spurs from Nottingham Forest in September 2023 for £47.5m, but now he's moving on.
Savinho to Tottenham
Mohammed Kudus has basically taken Johnson's place in the Spurs lineup, but the winger's departure could mean a new player arrives. Tottenham bid £60m for Savinho in the summer, but Man City turned it down. They might be more willing to sell now that Semenyo is joining, which will create even more competition for playing time.
Savinho has been on the bench at City this season and might jump at the chance to play more. Also, his record of five goals and 16 assists in 70 games might tempt City to sell.
Kobbie Mainoo to Napoli
Mainoo has been frustrated this season because he's been on the bench under Amorim. Bruno Fernandes' injury and Mainoo's own knock have made things even worse, and he wants to leave.
Napoli have already benefitted from signing Scott McTominay from United and want to do it again with Mainoo. Amorim has said that Mainoo isn't for sale and is part of the club's future, so it's not clear if United would change their mind, especially with their injuries and players leaving for AFCON.
Ivan Toney to Everton
Everton aren't getting much from Beto and Thierno Barry (just three goals in 40 appearances between them this season), so they want a new striker. Ivan Toney wants to get into the England squad for the summer and could come back from making a lot of money in Saudi Arabia.
Toney has 43 goals and 10 assists in 63 games for Al-Ahli and would be a good signing. The problem is that Al-Ahli don't want to sell, and Toney would have a huge tax bill if he returns to the UK.
Adama Traore to West Ham
The Hammers need new players quickly as they get closer to being relegated. Nuno Espirito Santo will get support in the transfer window, and the former Wolves manager is looking at a familiar player. Traore was a favorite when they were both at Wolves, and Fulham are happy to sell the winger, who isn't playing much under Marco Silva.
Axel Disasi to Crystal Palace
Chelsea wants to find new clubs for Disasi and Raheem Sterling, who were in the 'bomb squad' over the summer. Disasi is now back in the first team under Enzo Maresca, but he's still not a regular starter.
Sunderland, Bournemouth, and West Ham were all interested in Disasi in the summer, but Palace seems like the most likely option, since they need to plan for when Guehi leaves.