Julen Lopetegui 'demanding' West Ham beat Everton and Brentford to signing even after £132m summer spree

Julen Lopetegui is supposedly 'demanding' that West Ham win the transfer race to sign Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey, despite questions over the manager’s future at the London Stadium after a slow start to the season.

The former Wolves boss took over from David Moyes ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and spent a huge £132 million on players during the summer transfer window. Several of those signings have struggled to impress at West Ham but, according to a new report from CaughtOffside, that hasn't stopped Lopetegui asking for another piece of business.

The outlet claims that Lamptey could consider leaving Brighton at the end of the season with his contract set to expire in the summer. That could see the Seagulls open to a January transfer in order to cash in on the former Chelsea youngster.

The defender has 'shown no signs' of extending his current Brighton deal and is thought to be unsettled by a lack of playing time under Fabian Hurzeler this season. Lamptey has played just 10 minutes in the Premier League, a cameo against Wolves in which he did pick up an assist.

Everton, Nottingham Forest and Brentford are all named as potential suitors for the defender, who has played 90 times in the top flight during his career.

Lamptey has seen more action in the cup than the league this season, starting two of Brighton's three Carabao Cup matches and scoring in the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool. Ahead of that game Hurzeler said: "I think it's always an opportunity for players to give them a chance to start, but I think it's very important that we let the players play who deserve to play and not just because it's a cup game.

"It's very important that the players who are non-starters at the moment, that they give everything in training, that they are ready to play this game, that they deserve to play. And you only deserve it if you work hard at training every day, if you try to push yourself, if you try to support your teammate, if you're not playing and that's very important.

"I think Tariq is one great example and he is always there. He's in a good shape. He's training very good. He played now some minutes also for Ghana in the international break. So I think he will be ready."