Raheem Sterling
January 2026
Raheem Sterling is open to moves beyond London as he looks to leave Chelsea after being left out of domestic and Champions League squads and training away from the first team. West Ham and Fulham remain linked, but staying in the capital is not being treated as a hard requirement. After an underwhelming Arsenal loan and no summer exit, Sterling has been sidelined with other outcasts. Reports now suggest interest is increasing and he will consider any deal that fits his personal and family conditions, not only London options.
Jesse Lingard
January 2026
Jesse Lingard believes he could have restarted his Manchester United career if he had been trusted after his strong West Ham loan spell. Now a free agent again after leaving FC Seoul, he says the lack of consistent minutes at United forced his eventual exit. Lingard pointed to his 2020-21 West Ham run as proof he merited a bigger role back at Old Trafford, but he was used sparingly the next season and then ran his contract down. He said players can sense when their time is up, even with multiple managers involved.
Raheem Sterling
January 2026
West Ham are exploring a loan move for Raheem Sterling to help climb away from relegation trouble, but reports suggest Sterling would prefer a permanent exit or a loan that includes an obligation to buy. West Ham’s league position is a major factor in whether Sterling accepts, with some reports indicating he is more inclined toward Fulham. Chelsea are open to facilitating an exit, but the structure and destination remain the key hurdles.
Danny Welbeck
December 2025
Danny Welbeck was criticised online after missing a Panenka penalty that hit the crossbar in Brighton’s 2-2 draw at West Ham. He scored Brighton’s first penalty, then failed to convert a second moments later, swinging momentum. West Ham led through Jarrod Bowen before Welbeck equalised from the spot. Welbeck’s missed Panenka was punished when Lucas Paqueta scored a penalty before halftime, but Joel Veltman’s second-half goal rescued a point for Brighton.
Jarrod Bowen
December 2025
Former West Ham striker Marlon Harewood believes Jarrod Bowen will be backed by his West Ham-mad family, including father-in-law Danny Dyer, whatever he decides about his future as relegation-threatened Hammers face growing pressure to keep their captain and attacking talisman. Harewood says Bowen, now 29 and eyeing England’s 2026 World Cup squad, must weigh loyalty, family ties and his legendary status in east London against likely big-club offers, warning West Ham will find it extremely difficult to replace his goals and overall influence.
Manchester United
December 2025
Fixture rescheduling has opened a large gap in Manchester United’s calendar between league games against West Ham and Everton, reviving plans for a money-spinning friendly in Saudi Arabia. With no European commitments this season, the club see an overseas game as useful financially and for maintaining rhythm. Moving the Everton clash to February 23 leaves almost two weeks free, but final approval depends on FA Cup progress, as a fourth-round tie on February 14 would change the picture. United will wait until after facing Brighton before deciding if travel demands and logistics justify a first-team trip.
Ruben Amorim
December 2025
Ruben Amorim’s refusal to start Kobbie Mainoo in the Premier League, despite the midfielder’s explosive 2024 breakout and England impact, has fuelled anger among Manchester United fans who see homegrown talent as core to the club’s identity and now question the manager’s direction. Mainoo has logged just 183 league minutes and mostly late cameos while Casemiro starts, with Amorim even sniggering when asked about him after the West Ham draw before defending his selection rights, a reaction branded disrespectful by many supporters and criticised by former players such as Paul Scholes.
Niclas Fullkrug
December 2025
West Ham are ready to sell out of favour striker Niclas Fullkrug and have a broad agreement with Wolfsburg, but the move is on hold while the Bundesliga club complete their sporting department reshuffle and formally install Pirmin Schwegler as sporting director. Fullkrug has struggled with injuries and system fit since joining from Borussia Dortmund and is now surplus to requirements, with West Ham keen to recover funds and free wages. Wolfsburg see him as a key reinforcement, yet no major signings can be approved until Schwegler officially takes charge, leaving the deal in limbo and inviting rival interest.
Ruben Amorim
December 2025
Manchester United squandered a chance to climb into the Premier League’s top five by drawing 1-1 at home to struggling West Ham, with Ruben Amorim again leaving Kobbie Mainoo unused as United laboured creatively and conceded a late equaliser after Diogo Dalot’s opener. Pressed on Mainoo’s absence, Amorim bristled, insisting he is tired of repeated questions, that England starts do not dictate his selections and he simply chooses the “best players”, refusing to guarantee more minutes even when AFCON absences may open space in his midfield.
