da cassino: West Ham are closing in on a deal for one highly-rated Tottenham youngster after sporting director Mark Noble played a key role in the transfer, according to a new report.
West Ham take on Brighton after Man United draw
da pinnacle: On the pitch, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side can take real encouragement from their 1-1 draw with Man United at Old Trafford.
West Ham demonstrated admirable resilience at Old Trafford, battling back from Diogo Dalot’s 58th minute opener to salvage a point through Soungoutou Magassa’s late equaliser.
The Malian midfielder opened his Premier League account with a composed finish seven minutes from time after substitute Andy Irving’s corner caused chaos in United’s penalty area, silencing the Theatre of Dreams.
While earning a point at United represents a creditable result, West Ham’s relegation concerns are still very much there.
The Hammers remain stranded in 18th with just 12 points from 14 games, with Nuno’s men having now conceded 28 goals this season, managing just three victories and failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 attempts across all competitions.
West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
West Ham 3-2 Burnley
Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Liverpool
Man United 1-1 West Ham
Brighton now pose a tough test for them too.
Lucas Paqueta has returned following a one-match suspension for his red card against Liverpool, offering Nuno crucial midfield reinforcement. However, his Brazilian compatriot Igor Julio cannot feature against his parent club, while Crysencio Summerville remains doubtful with a persistent knock.
Lukasz Fabianski and Oliver Scarles are confirmed absentees.
Brighton present formidable opposition despite their own recent setback. Fabian Hurzeler’s side suffered a dramatic 4-3 home defeat against Aston Villa on Wednesday, surrendering a two-goal advantage as Unai Emery’s men scored four unanswered goals before Jan Paul van Hecke’s late consolation.
The Seagulls sit seventh, just two adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, and maintain an exceptional home scoring record with at least two goals netted in each of their last six Amex Stadium fixtures.
Veteran striker Danny Welbeck should return after missing the Villa defeat, having scored six Premier League goals against West Ham throughout his career.
Away from the field, West Ham are believed to be eyeing a new striker in January, with Noble now also bolstering the club’s youth ranks with a rival sensation.
West Ham 'set to sign' Tottenham sensation Frankie Day
That is according to very reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, who has told his Patreon that West Ham are now ‘set to sign’ Tottenham starlet Frankie Day.
The 16-year-old, who plays as a striker, is said to be ‘prolific’ in his age group and Noble has personally been very involved in making the transfer happen.
Day is now poised to swap Tottenham for West Ham, with the deal seen as a ‘bit of a coup’ factoring in his potential.
As West Ham wait for the formalities to be completed, it will be very interesting to see what the future holds for Day in east London.
The Irons have been more focused on youthful recruitment these past few seasons, as evident by their recent signings of Mohamadou Kante, Mateus Fernandes and Magassa.
Their academy sides have shown great promise as well, with West Ham’s Under-23s completing a league and cup double in 2023 whilst finishing that campaign with 26 wins out of a possible 30 in all competitions.
Day could be at the perfect place to further his development, and there’s no doubt Noble will have emphasised that in talks with the teenager.