Newcastle & Man Utd hold ‘strong interest’ in AFCON star as Arsenal lead race for £60m wingerplaceholder image
Newcastle & Man Utd hold ‘strong interest’ in AFCON star as Arsenal lead race for £60m winger | Getty Images
The latest Premier League transfer rumours - with stories from Newcastle, Manchester United, Arsenal, West Ham and more.
It’s once again time for 3 Added Minutes’ regular daily round-up and review of the biggest and wildest new Premier League transfer rumours – and today, we’re going to get going with a story which should interest both Newcastle and Manchester United fans.
Sport Witness – via Africa Foot and other sources – claim that the Premier League pair are among the teams to hold a “strong interest” in Bayer Leverkusen starlet Christian Kofane, a 19-year-old forward who has scored twice at the Africa Cup of Nations for Cameroon after impressing in the Bundesliga.
Apparently both teams made enquiries over Kofane’s availability in the summer before he moved to Germany (along with Aston Villa) but now Newcastle and Manchester United “have returned” to the table alongside Real Madrid, and all three teams are determined to make the teenager’s stay at Leverkusen a short one.
It’s admitted in the article that it’s not clear whether the two Premier League sides involved are considering a January move or a bid in the summer, but it’s suggested that Leverkusen would expect to make a significant profit on their €22m (£19m) outlay before selling him.
The 3AM Verdict: An intriguing story but surely one that will have to wait until the summer to come to fruition, but if Kofane continues his current trajectory than stardom may well await – and, in the way of these things, a lucrative move. That move would be too lucrative for this January window, we suspect.
Arsenal ‘best placed’ as they battle Manchester United to Dortmund deal
Let’s head over to Caught Offside now, because they’ve blown the dust off an old story suggesting that both Arsenal and Manchester United are in the bidding to buy Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi – and that the Bundesliga outfit are “now open to cashing in” on the 23-year-old this January.
Arsenal are said to be “best placed” to buy the Germany international this winter as they have a defined role for him to play, while the current chaos at United makes them a tougher sell – but both sides have “made enquiries” with Barcelona also lurking in the background.
Apparently Dortmund want a transfer fee of up to €70m (£60m) for Adeyemi, although it’s suggested that his disappointing form over the first half of the 2025/26 season may force them to settle for less. It’s suggested that neither Arsenal nor United will make a formal offer quite that high.
The 3AM Verdict: Manchester United probably don’t have that kind of money to spend this January thanks to the PSR rules, so if Arsenal are genuinely interested – and there have been some hints that they are willing to splash the cash this month – then they likely will have a big advantage.
West Ham ‘launch bid’ for Brazil international
Let’s finish up with a story from The Daily Mail which claims that West Ham are continuing their January recruitment drive with a move which has seen the Hammers “launch [a] loan bid” for Brazil international goalkeeper Bento.
The 26-year-old currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and has performed well but with the big-spending side seemingly keen to use their overseas player slots elsewhere, it looks like the stopper – who made his first appearance for his country against England in 2024 – could be available.
It’s suggested that West Ham are “sending an offer” to Al-Nassr which would see Bento join on loan with a purchase option of £10m. Other sources claim that Italian side Genoa are also interested, although they may not be able to match that fee. There’s no word as yet on the goalkeeper’s preferences for a move if he does leave Saudi Arabia.
The 3AM Verdict: We’ve picked The Daily Mail here but several sources corroborate the story and it looks to be entirely legitimate – we’re still waiting to find out whether other teams lodge a bid of their own or whether Al-Nassr are happy with the terms, so there’s plenty of haggling to do, but West Ham may well get a potential upgrade between the sticks soon as they battle against relegation.
Continue Reading