Arsenal & Chelsea handed major £88m transfer ‘boost’ as Leeds plan second attempt at summer targetplaceholder image
Arsenal & Chelsea handed major £88m transfer ‘boost’ as Leeds plan second attempt at summer target | Getty Images
Analysing the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds, Manchester City and more.
Welcome back to another edition of 3 Added Minutes’ regular morning round-up and breakdown of the biggest and juiciest new Premier League transfer rumours – starting today with a story for both Arsenal and Chelsea supporters.
The two teams are said to be “positioning themselves” to launch bids for Juventus and Turkey winger Kenan Yildiz, and have apparently been handed a major “boost” in their hopes of signing the 20-year-old after talks over a new contract “hit a wall” in Turin – according to Caught Offside.
Apparently Yildiz’s agent wants a starting salary of over £5.2m per year, which Juventus (who are running into some financial difficulties) are loathe to pay. As a result, talks have been placed on ice, which will inevitably lead to the winger’s many suitors preparing bids for the near future.
Not that the Old Lady will let him leave cheaply – Yildiz is under contract until 2029 and Juve would want as much as €100m (£88m) to let him leave. As well as Arsenal and Chelsea, Real Madrid are mentioned as being interested as well.
The 3AM Verdict: There isn’t a big team in Europe which hasn’t been linked with abid for Yildiz lately, so it’s debatable as to whether this article narrowing it down to just three teams is significant or not – perhaps these really are the frontrunners, perhaps it could have been three other teams mentioned in a speculative report. There simply isn’t enough detail for us to be sure, but if Juventus and Yildiz don’t agree a new deal soon then we’d expect a summer bidding war.
Leeds could ‘revisit’ summer transfer target
Let’s head over to Elland Road, now, with a story from Football Insider which says that Leeds United are “desperate” to bring in a new winger to bolster their attacking options for the second half of the season – and could “revisit” an old transfer target to make it happen.
The Whites “could return” with a second bid for Fulham’s Harry Wilson just a few months after Marco Silva’s side pulled the plug on a potential deal when deadline-day dominoes fell in the wrong direction. Wilson has since started eight of his club’s matches this season after forcing his way back into the startling line-up, and it’s not clear that he’d be for sale.
Indeed, it’s suggested that Fulham are actually hoping to tie Wilson down to a new contract, which would scupper any chance Leeds strike a deal. There’s no indication of how much money Leeds might need to offer to change their mind.
The 3AM Verdict: Frankly, this article reads like pure speculation with no mention of sourcing or any details which make us think that Wilson is a likely January target for Leeds – but we do expect them to try to find more firepower from somewhere.
Manchester City battling with Real Madrid for wonderkid deal
Let’s finish up with a story for the Manchester City fans reading – according to Sport Witness, who cite Tuttosport, Pep Guardiola’s side are looking at Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, along with some of Europe’s biggest sides.
The 20-year-old, who has impressed since Elche’s promotion over the summer, is also the subject of “desire” from Juventus and Real Madrid as well as City, and was apparently bid on by Saudi Pro League sides over the summer. Instead of taking a payday on the Arabian peninsula, Mendoza signed a new contract with Elche which ties him to the club until 2028.
Apparently Spanish press reports also add Arsenal to the picture, but there are no indications that any of Mendoza’s suitors have made formal approaches as yet – or how much they might offer when the time comes.
The 3AM Verdict: This is one of those stories that’s probably vague because while the teams named may well be scouting Mendoza, no decision has been made on if or when to make an offer. It’s far too early to know who might be the favourites to sign him.
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