The Premier League Panel: Is Fabian Schär the best bargain in PL history?
Breaking down the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester City and more.
It’s time for 3 Added Minutes’ daily round-up and breakdown of some of the biggest and juiciest new Premier League transfer rumours – and today, we start proceedings with a story which should interest Newcastle United fans.
TeamTalk claim that the Magpies are planning “to barge Liverpool aside” as they battle for the signature of 21-year-old Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordóñez, who is said to be drawing interest from Anfield and Aston Villa.
Although Newcastle’s priority in January is said to be to sign a new attacking player, they also “have their focus” on signing a new defender, especially due to mounting concerns that some of Europe’s biggest teams could make a bid for Sven Botman – including, as it happens, Liverpool themselves.
Brugge are said to be in “a very strong negotiating position” when it comes to the Ecuadorian international Ordóñez’s future, with the defender under contract until 2029 – and it’s not clear how much they might demand for his services, but there is no claim that any formal contact has yet been made with Brugge or the player’s camp.
The 3AM Verdict: Ordóñez has been linked with the Premier Leagueand Newcastle specifically on a number of occasions, but there’s no reason Newcastle wouldn’t be in the bidding and the Magpies do need to freshen up an ageing defence at some point. Perhaps more likely a summer deal than a January one.
Manchester City target rising wing-back star
Over to the Etihad, now – according to Spanish rumourmongers Fichajes, Manchester City “have set their sights” on Sporting’s Iván Fresneda, a 21-year-old right-back regarded as one of the best defensive prospects in the game.
While Fresneda is not suggested as an immediate priority but he has become a “very attractive option for [Pep] Guardiola” as he plans his future moves. This is likely one for the summer, with the article stating that Sporting “has no intention of letting him leave in January unless an irresistible offer arrives.”
The Spaniard has a release clause worth “close to £70m” but Manchester City, who are apparently “assessing the situation,” could prepare an offer worth closer to £60m instead. It’s suggested that that’s an amount Sporting may accept.
The 3AM Verdict: We should start by noting that Fichajes are not, in our opinion, a reliable source, although this story has cropped up elsewhere with different details. City may well be keeping tabs on Fresneda, and he’s certainly a serious talent, but we suspect the financial details here are speculative and we’ll not find out more until next summer.
Newcastle could still sell striker despite public stance
Let’s finish up all the way back up at St. James’ Park, courtesy of a story from Sport Witness which brings together recent German media reports which suggest that Newcastle striker William Osula could still leave the club despite a public stance which states he won’t be leaving.
Eintracht Frankfurt, who were set to sign Osula in the summer before the deal was abandoned at the last minute, are “planning” another January bid for the forward, and have “already reached an agreement” over personal terms with the player.
While Newcastle have publicly “made it clear that a deal in January won’t happen,” the German media believe this to be a bargaining tool rather than a reality and Frankfurt “are still hoping” to get a deal over the line, and are preparing to put together a fresh package worth around €25m (£22m) to “tempt” them into selling.
The 3AM Verdict: We suspect Osula is gone by the summer, but a January departure would largely depend on whether Newcastle do, in fact, sign another attacking player. Do so, and this report will quite likely look very prescient.
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