WEST HAM AGREE DEAL FOR KEIBER LAMADRID AS JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW EXPLODES
With Crysencio Summerville back in the goals, West Ham pivots from Schjelderup to land Adama Traore and Keiber Lamadrid.
With Jarrod Bowen and El Hadji Malick Diouf already sealing their spots, West Ham United should have at least two players at the 2026 World Cup.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks set to join them if DR Congo can get past Jamaica or New Caledonia in March’s play-offs. There’s still a good chance Mateus Fernandes sneaks into the Portugal squad—Roberto Martinez likes what he sees in the ex-Southampton midfielder. Tomas Soucek, Callum Marshall, and Mads Hermansen are all in the mix, too.
The same goes for Crysencio Summerville.
Suriname are hoping Summerville, born in the Netherlands, pulls a Wan-Bissaka and switches his international allegiance. His recent form for West Ham—two goals in two games after a long dry spell—has only made coach Henk ten Cate more determined to win him over. Summerville’s resurgence might even impact another winger with uncertain World Cup plans: Andreas Schjelderup, the young Norwegian at Benfica.
Norway boss Stale Solbakken would love to see Schjelderup join West Ham. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the club spoke with him earlier in January. Schjelderup hasn’t had much luck getting minutes under Mourinho at Benfica, and Solbakken wants that to change fast.
“Schjelderup also has to change clubs,” Solbakken told NRK. “He’s in a tough spot, so I expect they’ll sort it out soon. Things aren’t great for him at Benfica.”
Those West Ham rumours about Schjelderup surfaced before Summerville finally ended his 14-month goal drought against QPR in the FA Cup. Summerville was brilliant in the win over Tottenham on Saturday, even if Nuno Espirito Santo still wants more from his £30 million signing.
Since Summerville’s return to form, talk around Schjelderup and West Ham has gone quiet. Parma in Serie A are now being mentioned as Schjelderup’s likely destination.
Meanwhile, Oscar Bobb—another of Solbakken’s attacking options—is expected to leave Manchester City for Fulham in a £35 million move. That might clear the way for Adama Traore to leave Fulham, and West Ham are definitely still interested. Talks between those clubs are ongoing.
West Ham are also set to bring in Keiber Lamadrid from Deportivo La Guaira, another left winger like Summerville and Schjelderup. Lamadrid will likely start with the Under-21s.
“With Schjelderup and Bobb, it’s obvious they need a good talk with their clubs,” Solbakken said. His forward line is already stacked: Erling Haaland, Alexander Sorloth, Jorgen Strand-Larsen, and Antonio Nusa.
“We have a good relationship with City and trust what they tell Bobb. I’m confident he and Pep Guardiola will sort things out.”
West Ham did ask about Wolves’ target man Strand-Larsen right after New Year’s, but that was before they signed Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe for a combined £44 million—apparently less than Wolves wanted for Strand-Larsen.
Former technical director Tim Steidten even tried to bring RB Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa to London.
“I’m going with Antonio Nusa,” Steidten told Sky Germany recently. “Honestly, I really wanted to bring him to West Ham.
“When he’s fit, his potential is huge. He’s an outstanding player.”
CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF
Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.
Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.
His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.
Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.
Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.
Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.
AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE
Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.