West Ham United

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West Ham have confirmed striker Niclas Fullkrug has joined Serie A side AC Milan on loan until the end of the 2025-26 season, with an option to make the transfer permanent.

The 31-year-old Germany international joined the Hammers for £27m from Borussia Dortmund in August 2024 but has struggled in England, scoring just three goals in 29 appearances.

Fullkrug posted on Instagram: "The past one and a half years didn't go as I - and surely you all - had imagined. Above all, I want to thank you for your support, even when things weren't always easy.

"There are truly special people at WHU, and I am very grateful for everyone I met and the relationships I was able to build. Wishing you all the best for the rest of the season."

West Ham have agreed to sign Lazio's 27-year-old Argentina striker Taty Castellanos for 29m euros (£25m). (Fabrizio Romano), external

The Hammers continue to pursue Fulham's Spain winger Adama Traore, 29, although his wage demands could prevent a deal from being agreed. (Telegraph - subscription), external

And West Ham are interested in out of favour Chelsea and England winger Raheem Sterling, 31. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

A normal Premier League season may run from August to May, but what happens if we stop the table now? What if it was only what happened in 2025 that counted?

With the calendar flicking over to 2026, this is the ideal time to check back on which teams have had an enjoyable 12 months and see who had a year to forget.

The top five is an accurate reflection of this season's top five (although it should be noted not all teams have played the same number of games).

Arsenal have led the way this campaign and, after coming up short last season, they will be striving to go one better to finally secure an elusive first Premier League trophy since 2004.

If looking just at the past 12 months, the title would be theirs, despite a number of draws early in 2025.

Having gone through their worst run of form under Pep Guardiola late in 2024 and early into 2025, alongside their initial poor start to this season, it may be surprising to find Manchester City so close at the top.

But a feature of this City side under Guardiola is their ability to recover from less than impressive starts and go on winning streaks - they are currently on a run of six wins in the league.

Aston Villa fans can look also back fondly on 2025, having experienced the return of Champions League football, secured more European football again this term and found themselves in a battle for the Premier League trophy.

They may have had a slow start this season but their general consistency in 2025 and a club record-equalling run of 11 straight wins in the final weeks catapults them into the top three.

Having won the title with ease last season, Liverpool fans can still revel in that achievement. But a drop-off at the end of 2024-25 and a poor run this time around leaves them fourth for the year.

Meanwhile, Chelsea made progress in 2025 under Enzo Maresca, with Champions League football and two bits of silverware, but a lack of consistency in a young team prevents them ascending higher than fifth.

When looking at the next five, there are perhaps some surprises.

With their FA Cup win, 2025 will go down in Crystal Palace's history, and their Premier League form has not been too shabby either as they compete with the teams that have occupied Champions League spots in recent seasons.

No Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo or Yoane Wissa? No problem for Brentford. They may have had a summer of upheaval but that has not stopped the Bees buzzing as they continue to perform above expectations.

After a few years of struggles on and off the pitch, 2025 seems to be the one Everton fans can finally start to look up rather than down with the new stadium and return of David Moyes bringing much-needed stability.

Newcastle may have had a few ups and downs, but they have come good when needed and hold their own in the top six, while Brighton continue to establish themselves firmly in the top 10.

Find out how the bottom half of the table shapes up on the post below

Now, what about those who may have had a less enjoyable 2025?

Manchester United continue to try to find their feet under Ruben Amorim. And while there have been glimmers of progress in recent weeks, a torrid first half of the year has left them with much room for improvement (and a draw with Wolves to end 2025 only added to the questions).

Bournemouth and Fulham both seem to have found consistency in their ability to be inconsistent.

There have been bursts of form from both, but also bouts of disappointment they might rather forget.

As for Nottingham Forest, 2025 may have been the year they returned to Europe for the first time in nearly three decades, but when it came to results in the league, particularly this season, it has been more of one to forget.

Under their third head coach of the season, they will hope 2026 does not bring the return of Championship football.

Like Forest, Tottenham's 12 months has been memorable for both the good and the bad.

A first trophy in 17 years was secured in the Europa League, but it has been far from impressive in the Premier League, managing just 11 wins from 37 matches and some pressure already building on boss Thomas Frank.

One of the most notable things about the bottom end of the calendar year table is the presence of all three promoted teams, despite two of the three having played a game less than the relegated clubs of last season.

With Leeds nine points better off and Sunderland 17, it highlights the disparity in how well this year's promoted sides have done in comparison to the previous three.

For the Black Cats, it has been a dream return to the top flight, including a recent win over Tyne-Wear rivals Newcastle, and in this season's table they find themselves just two points off fifth.

After overcoming a difficult patch, Leeds are also enjoying their return to the top table, slowly pulling themselves away from the danger spots.

It has been more of a struggle for Scott Parker's Burnley, but they will not lose hope with still half a campaign to go.

After recent successes with European football, domestically things have become a harder watch for West Ham supporters as they struggle to find the balance between good football and much-needed results

Then there is Wolves - and fans may want to look away.

Despite playing 20 Premier League games more, the West Midlands side accumulated only one point more than Sunderland across the year.

A win this term still eludes them and safety in 2026 appears a distant dream.

Check out how the top half of the table looked in the post above

Manchester City's 30-year-old Netherlands defender Nathan Ake has rejected a potential move to West Ham. (Talksport), external

Crystal Palace forward Eddie Nketiah's chances of joining West Ham have been scuppered after the 26-year-old forward suffered a hamstring injury. (Talksport), external

Meanwhile, West Ham are closing in on a deal for 21-year-old Gil Vicente striker Pablo, with the Portuguese expected in London for a medical. (Guardian), external

And finally, the Hammers are preparing a bid for 29-year-old Spain and Fulham winger Adama Traore. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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James Jones
Fan writer

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Best memory and why?

There have not been many good memories in 2025. The only one that really stands out is the 1-0 win at Emirates Stadium in February. It was our second successive season of derailing Arsenal's title challenge by winning in north London against all the odds. It was all downhill for us from there.

Worst memory and why?

Where do I start? The entire year has been one to forget. We're on course to record the fewest number of wins in a calendar year in the club's history and that ha come just two and a half years after lifting a European trophy. Our fall from grace has been monumental, and this year especially has been a complete shambles. We thought we'd finally become a regular competitor in the top 10 of the Premier League and in European competition, but now we are in severe danger of being relegated. How does that even happen in such a short space of time?

If I could drink a New Year's brew with one member of our squad/management it would be...

Jarrod Bowen. I would ask him what it is like to carry an entire football club on his shoulders. I would also ask him what it is like to score the winning goal in the final minute of a European cup final for West Ham United. He has lived the dream of every single West Ham fan on the planet by achieving that and has cemented himself as a club legend by doing so.

The thing that's infuriated me in 2025 is...

All of it. Literally all of it. It does not just infuriate me - it breaks my heart that we have allowed ourselves to fall to where we are now.

My gut tells me 2026 will bring...

More of the same, unfortunately. Until serious changes are made at board level, I fear we are on a slippery slope back to the Championship, and this time there are no guarantees we will come straight back up.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

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Select 'Follow' at the top to get Hammers news on your BBC Sport homepage and, if on the app, tap the bell icon to get notifications sent directly to your device.

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We asked for your views on who West Ham should sign as a striker in January after ending their interest in Wolves' Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Here are some of your comments:

Ian: Joshua Zirkzee on loan from Manchester United may help us score some goals and actually win some games!

Joe: I think we should go for reliable goalscorers, players like Aleksandar Mitrovic or Divock Origi. Get one (or both) on short-term deals with massive bonuses if the club stay up.

James: I feel like Josh Sargent from Norwich City would be a good signing. Yes, he is playing in the Championship but is a proven goalscorer. Given the position they currently find themselves in, I would expect Norwich to want to keep him but as we know, every player has their price.

Greg: First of all this is classic West Ham and I guarantee on deadline day we will try to get a loan with an option to buy and then be told we tried to get him but couldn't. I'd like them to look at Jonathan Burkardt in Germany as he's been scoring lots lately.

Magnus: Jorgen Strand Larsen would have been an OK choice but there is better out there for West Ham. I think Jhon Duran is a great shout.

Jim: Bring back Michail Antonio!

Mike: Can Geoff Hurst find his boots?

Image source, Getty Images

With West Ham feeling top striker target Jorgen Strand Larsen is overpriced by Wolves, their search for forward reinforcements must turn elsewhere.

So who do you think can solve the Hammers' goalscoring issues?

Keep it realistic - and send us your ideas.

Tell us here

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Premier League game between West Ham United and Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

John: A crazy first half and nobody knew what decision the referee was going make next. At least we started with a striker this time. Unfortunately when Callum Wilson went off we struggled, the bench didn't have any quality to really make an impact. At least we didn't lose. Poor Nuno has a mountain to climb with this rabble of a club.

David: No question we're a better team with Nuno. We could have easily won the Fulham game as well as this one, but for a couple of defensive lapses and some bad luck. If we can get a forward and a centre-back in the transfer window, there's still a chance.

Joe: We truly are our own worst enemy. It's either terrible management by the board or awful on field decisions. Jarrod Bowen is a true Hammer but the rest look uninterested in what happens to the club. Another nail in the relegation coffin, I'm afraid.

Ray: I was OK with the starting line-up and it was great to see Callum Wilson starting and playing with a striker for change. But as soon as Nuno started making changes, especially pulling off Wilson, it all went downhill. Nuno has got to go.

Brighton fans

Rob: How different it looked when Kaoru Mitoma came on. The team has clearly been missing his ability to take on players and create chances from the wing. Time to give Tom Watson a start to show what he can contribute.

Tim: A chaotically entertaining game of very little quality but plenty of commitment and drama. Neither team could defend or gain any sort of control in the game. A draw was probably the right result despite the dubious VAR call for the Lewis Dunk 'handball'. Good to see Joel Veltman back - the only calm head in the Albion team.

David: Good first 10 minutes of attacking play meant we could have been two up but then we conceded a goal and the old mentality returned. We forget going forward, instead backwards and sideways passing prevails which get us nowhere. Forget Europe, concentrate on avoiding relegation, which is where we are heading unless there is a permanent change of attitude or maybe management.

Graham: Bad team selection, slow in making substitutes, lack of motivation and young players not being given a chance. Bye bye, Fabian Hurzeler.

Juventus are interested in West Ham's 31-year-old Argentina midfielder Guido Rodriguez. (Sky in Italy), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo to BBC Match of the Day: "A lot of things happening in the game, the first half was confusing for the players and everyone in the stadium.

"First half was better, we contained, dominated, created a lot of chances. Second half we started well, controlling well with good combinations, but after conceding we went through some troubles, especially when Brighton brought on Mitoma and Rutter, fresh players with such quality.

"After that we were trying to hold on with the young boys. I'm really pleased with what they gave to the team and squad, but we didn't have many situations from which we could counter-attack from. Overall it was an intense game, both teams went to their limits.

"The referees must speak with the players, explain to them what is contact, which is excessive, which is foul, because we se so many things in the box now it can be confusing. Sometimes they whistle, sometimes they ignore it.

On the performance of Ollie Scarles after his mistake against Fulham on Saturday: "It's fantastic to bounce back really well, he knows he has our support and confidence. I'm delighted the fans appreciated it because mistakes are part of the game."

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

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After conceding a late winner to Fulham on Saturday, West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo said that everything was going against his side.

He might well be feeling the same three days later, even if the Hammers' misfortune was self-inflicted in their 2-2 draw with Brighton.

Jarrod Bowen's cool finish against the run of play could have been a launchpad - and drew him level with Michail Antonio for the most combined Premier League goals and assists for the club with 101 each.

Instead, Max Kilman conceded a penalty with a desperate last-ditch lunge, before Lucas Paqueta produced a tackle that would not look out of place in the NFL.

The Hammers were fortunate to only be punished once, but lady luck did take kindly to Alphonse Areola flapping at a corner 16 minutes into the second half.

There are certainly positives to take - Callum Wilson and Bowen linked up well in attack, while 20-year-old left-back Ollie Scarles looked solid after his costly mistake against Fulham three days ago.

But with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest losing at home to Everton, this was a chance missed to move within two points of safety.

West Ham must cut out their defensive lapses before it is too late.

Report here.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on West Ham's performance

What did you make of Brighton's display?

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies

Nuno Espirito Santo makes just the one change to the West Ham side that lost 1-0 to Fulham on Saturday, with Callum Wilson replacing Crysencio Summerville in attack.

West Ham XI: Areola, Walker-Peters, Todibo, Kilman, Scarles, Magassa, Potts, Fernandes, Paqueta, Wilson, Bowen.

Subs: Hermansen, Summerville, Mavropanos, Rodriguez, Soucek, Earthy, Kante, Golambeckis, Mayers.

Fabian Hurzeler makes four changes following Brighton's 2-1 defeat to Premier League leaders Arsenal at the weekend.

Joel Veltman, Yankuba Minteh, Danny Welbeck and James Milner all come in, with Diego Coppola, Jack Hinshelwood, Brajan Gruda and Georginio Rutter dropping to the bench.

Milner, who turns 40 next week, is making his second Premier League start of the season.

Kaoru Mitoma missed Saturday's game to Arsenal through illness but is fit enough to start on the bench. Solly March is not quite ready to return from a knee injury.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, Veltman, Kadioglu, Ayari, Milner, De Cuyper, Minteh, Gomez, Welbeck.

Subs: Steele, Gruda, Rutter, Hinshelwood, Watson, Boscagli, Mitoma, Coppola, Kostoulas.

Holly Turbutt
Fan contributor

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West Ham find ourselves sitting firmly in the relegation zone with a growing gap separating us and the rest of the league. The question is: have years of poor strategy caught up with us?

There has been growing despair surrounding West Ham's ownership, with everything going noticeably downhill since our Conference League win.

Yes, there was already a definite lack of structured investment at the club, but we had the opportunity to push on from our European success. However, a scattergun approach has seen us waste our money on signings.

Niclas Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme are the perfect examples of how we have not been able to follow through on initial plans.

The pair were bought as part of then-technical director Tim Steidten's strategy, but having paid £27m for Fullkrug and recently loaning him to AC Milan, as well as signing Guilherme for £25.5m and not featuring him in our past five squads, it is clear these signings have been errors in judgement.

They have cost us more than £50m with next to no return on investment, but are not the only players where we have made wrong decisions.

While we do have a depleted squad, our defence is one of the worst I can remember and boasts only one clean sheet this season. That came against Nottingham Forest, who were ironically managed by Nuno Espirito Santo at the time.

Fans' frustration continues to grow as points are repeatedly dropped at the end of games, many of which have come about simply from switching off and failing to do the basics. These fine margins have cost us greatly, despite performances looking somewhat better under Nuno.

Understandably, our form has put a question mark over Nuno's future at the club, but personally, I feel that changing head coach would achieve very little. Despite Jarrod Bowen doing his best, we appear to have no clear leaders, alongside limited options on the bench and very little visible fight to turn our luck around.

Now more than ever, we are relying on players to make something special happen against the odds - and for the owners to invest in ways that will save our season.

Find more from Holly Turbutt at West Ham Network, external

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham are bidding for a rare home win when they host Brighton, who are hoping to end their head coach's December hoodoo.

Few home comforts for Hammers

Even with a win on Tuesday, West Ham are guaranteed to reach the halfway point of the season in the relegation zone, where they have lingered for much of the campaign.

The Hammers have claimed just 13 points so far, their fewest at this stage of a league season since 2010-11, when they also had 13 points and went on to finish bottom of the top flight.

Defeat in their final game of 2025 would be a club record 12th at home in a calendar year and would cement 12 months of wretched form at London Stadium, where home fans did not see a win from the end of February to the beginning of November.

This time last year, West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo was overseeing a 10th league win for Nottingham Forest, who began 2025 in second place. That must feel a long time ago for Nuno, whose Hammers' side have won three times this season and now face a real battle to avoid relegation.

In the course of steering Forest into Europe for the first time in 30 years, Nuno's side registered a famous 7-0 home win over Tuesday's opponents Brighton.

Given West Ham have scored just 10 goals in total in their nine Premier League home games this season, a repeat of that scoreline seems unlikely. But beleaguered Hammers fans would settle for any sort of a win that would give them some hope going into the new year.

Brighton have never lost a Premier League match at West Ham (W2, D6) but the time as well as the place might be problematic on Tuesday, as Fabian Hurzeler is yet to see his side win in December, a run that has now stretched to 11 matches.

The Seagulls were in the top five going into this month but three defeats and two draws have seen them slip into the bottom half of the table.

Brighton were a David Raya fingertip away from earning a draw at Arsenal, having come alive in the second half after being dominated in the opening 45 minutes.

Slow starts away from home are something that have dogged the Seagulls this season. They have a gone a goal down within 25 minutes of seven of their nine Premier League games on the road, with five of those ending in defeat.

On top of this, Brighton have only won their final league game in one of the past five calendar years (D2, L2). A more solid start against a struggling side could see them end 2025 on a high – and an end to Hurzeler's December curse.

Things are turning uglier by the week for West Ham. They are in a real relegation battle now, and their boss Nuno Espirito Santo is absolutely desperate for a win, but it is hard to see where it will come from.

Brighton are inconsistent but they have shown their quality by pushing Liverpool and Arsenal close in recent weeks.

I don't see anything other than a Seagulls victory here.

The Hammers are so low on confidence that, even if this is a tight game, you get the feeling they will lose it like they did against Fulham on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Nuno Espirito Santo says he is looking to "rebalance" his squad in January as the Hammers sit in the relegation zone, five points adrift of safety, following Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Fulham.

"[January] is very important," Nuno said ahead of Tuesday's visit to Brighton. "We need to rebalance our squad. There are positions where we need to have more options."

"Now it's time to focus on Brighton. After that the club is working and the transfer window is open, we'll make decisions."

West Ham are targeting a striker to replace AC Milan-bound Niclas Fullkrug, while midfielder James Ward-Prowse is set to leave.

"We have options, decisions that we have to make, and to manage the playersas best as we can all the players," Nuno said.

West Ham came close to beating Brighton three weeks ago but conceded a controversial last-gasp Georginio Rutter equaliser.

"It was a good game," he said. "Like Saturday, it went away from us in the final moments of the game. Brighton is a good team, so we have to get ready."

Asked why his current team have been unable to replicate that level of defensive resilience as last year, Nuno simply said: "Everything is different. We cannot expect things to happen the same way, because we are different."

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between West Ham and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

Peter: Ollie Scarles is a kid and we all make mistakes as we move forward. Who was marking Raul Jimenez? Who couldn't stick the ball in the net? Players with years of experience. Who facilitated the buying of this bunch of no-hopers? Are you reading this, David Sullivan and Karren Brady?

Mo: The manager is not brave enough with his substitutions. He waits for the opposition to make changes. This game was crying out for Callum Wilson, Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavrapanos in place of Lucas Paqueta, Scarles, and Soungoutou Magassa.

David: This is all down to the ownership. We have had a succession of managers who, while not being Pep Guardiola or Mikel Arteta, are more than capable of getting us to mid-table. Poor transfer choices and the move to that ridiculous stadium are still a monkey on our back. All down to the penny-pinching owners. If Wrexham can get Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Birmingham Tom Brady, and Swansea Snoop Dog, Martha Stewart and Luka Modric, why can't we get some big-name, media friendly, enthusiastic investors?

Simon: We huffed and puffed but Fulham blew our house down. Since David Moyes left, we have been on a downhill trajectory. Tim Steiden is one of our worst signings ever. The duds he has bought we now want to sell and the person you blame for that hire is David Sullivan. With no striker and a brittle defence, we do look doomed.

Fulham fans

Teddy: I thought we had control of the game and that it was a deserved win. West Ham had a few good chances but I didn't once lose faith in Bernd Leno. An important three points and European qualification is back on!

Bill: Grinding out results like this with three players away at Afcon along with injuries is very encouraging. Our form recently has been outstanding, so with shrewd transfers in January, who knows where we could end up?

Lee: Marco Silva is getting the best out of a small squad of experienced players. Fulham may lack flair and look pedestrian at times but they play as a team and do their homework on their opponents. It looks like another mid-table finish beckons and for a club with the budget and resources of Fulham, that is commendable. Silva may feel that the owners lack the ambition to back him properly and I fear that this will be his last season with the club. A vital win for us against a West Ham side that lacks confidence and may well lose the battle against relegation.

Gordon: We rode our luck. We have the players to make a half-chance count but soon our luck will run out. West Ham forged a number of chances and sliced us open a number of times but lacked luck with some of their shots. We need to use this momentum to tighten up at the back and work on creating more chances so we don't rely on Harry Wilson and his impossible shots.

West Ham could let Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta leave the club in January if an acceptable offer is made for the 28-year-old. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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