West Ham could re-sign former transfer target Julen Lopetegui in 2024, according to a new report.
West Ham ready for January transfer window
The Hammers are gearing up for an aggressive January transfer window amidst a relegation battle, with the Hammers potentially looking to sign defender, midfielder and striker in Nuno Espirito Santo, according to recent reports.
As the new year approaches, reliable club insiders such as ExWHUemployee are backing this up, with former West Ham scout Mick Brown claiming Nuno is planning a major shake-up.
“Nuno wants to make a change in the transfer market.” Brown recently told Football Insider.
“He has big plans for the team because he has some problem positions that he has to address and other areas that he wants to strengthen.
“Centre backs have the biggest problem there because if they want to push up the Premier League they don’t have enough options.
“They lack players who are willing to step into midfield and challenge, and they haven’t been able to find a regular goalscorer up front.
“So there are a lot of areas that the manager wants to work on and he wants to make big changes to get us back to a successful team.”
West Ham have recently undergone a mini-resurrection under Nuno, losing just one of their last six Premier League games, but it’s clear they need depth across the pitch.
Nicklas Furkrug is set to leave the London Stadium in January after a lackluster spell in England, and West Ham are thought to be looking for a striker to replace him.
West Ham’s Premier League results 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 |
Manchester United 1-1 West Ham |
Brighton 1-1 West Ham |
In terms of the midfield area, James Ward-Prowse, Guido Rodriguez and Lucas Paqueta are all set to leave midway through the season, and the possibility of new names entering the engine room cannot be ruled out.
Meanwhile, Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell, who was close to joining in the summer, has once again attracted the attention of the club and the Irons plan to “rekindle” talks for him (ExWHUemployee).
West Ham, who are sticking with their centre-backs, could bring back a familiar name in Cruzeiro centre-back Fabricio Bruno.
The 29-year-old made 51 appearances in all competitions for Cruzeiro in the recently concluded 2025 Brazil campaign, and his recent form has seen him recalled to Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad.
Bruno has featured in all three of Brazil’s last friendlies against Japan, Senegal and Tunisia, and the tall defender could very well be selected for next year’s World Cup.
West Ham believe they will make a second bid for Fabricio Bruno after his move nears 2024
The former Flamengo stalwart was actually on the verge of joining West Ham in 2024.
Fabrizio Romano even said his famous “here we go” in the lead-up to the move, claiming he would be Lopetegui’s first defensive signing, but the move ultimately fell through.
Now, according to South American journalist Jorge Nicola, there is good reason to believe that West Ham could have made a second bid for Bruno.
According to his information, a mystery English club has made an offer of £13 million for the player, and Nicola theorizes that Nuno’s team are the most likely candidates, given very advanced negotiations nearly two years ago.
Bruno’s move to West Ham appears to have fallen through due to player salary demands, but the Premier League door could open again for him after a stellar 2025.
Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender David Luiz, who played alongside Bruno at Flamengo, once said Bruno had the “qualities to play for any team in the world”.
However, given that Cruzeiro only signed him in early 2025, they may be reluctant to let him go.
