Man Utd face Chelsea competition in race for Bruno Fernandes replacement as Sunderland plot bold £9m moveplaceholder image
Man Utd face Chelsea competition in race for Bruno Fernandes replacement as Sunderland plot bold £9m move | Getty Images
The latest Premier League transfer rumours reviewed - with news from Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs, Sunderland and more.
Another day of gossip and rumour-mongering is in the books, and that means that we’re back again with our latest round-up of the biggest and sometimes wildest new Premier League transfer stories – starting with a story which shoulder send a shudder down the spine of many Manchester United fans.
According to TeamTalk, the managerless Red Devils are concerned about the likelihood that they will lose star midfielder Bruno Fernandes, with Saudi Pro League sides including Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad all circling once again despite failing with their first attempt to sign the Portuguese - and as a result of those worries, United’s decision makers have identified a “potential replacement” in the form of Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz.
The versatile Turkish attacker isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Fernandes by any means, but this story builds on a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato which claims that Fernandes is the “leading target” for the job should Fernandes leave, and that United are “keeping tabs” on the 20-year-old as his drawn-out contract negotiations with Juve unfold.
Should the talented forward end up being available, Juventus would apparently expect €90m (£78m) for him, but perhaps a bigger problem for United will be interest from rival Premier League sides, with both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur said to be “watching” Yildiz “closely.”
The 3AM Verdict: We really can’t see Fernandes leaving Old Trafford this January, nor Yildiz leaving the Allianz Stadium until the summer, so even if this is all true enough it’s unlikely that United fans need worry for another six months or so. That said, mostreports on Yildiz’s future have had Arsenal and Liverpool down as key bidders and seldom mention United as a major player in the race - so either the landscape is changing or this report is wide of the mark. We expect we won’t know for a while.
Sunderland send proposal for Real Madrid star
Let’s head over to GiveMeSport now, who allege that the 2025/26 season’s surprise package, Sunderland, have sent “a proposal” to Real Madrid as they launch an ambitious and unexpected bid for left-back Ferland Mendy.
The 30-year-old Frenchman is among the most decorated players in world football but has lost his starting spot at the Bernabeu and his future is said to be “undecided.” Keen to seize on that uncertainty, Sunderland are ready to offer “in the region of £9m to secure his services.”
It’s not totally clear whether the deal would take place in January or in the summer, and nor is there any word on what Mendy himself thinks about the prospect of a move up to Wearside – but Real apparently find the offer “interesting” and will presumably consider it carefully.
The 3AM Verdict: They’ll consider it carefully if it exists, anyway – the primary source for this story seems to be Spanish outlet Fichajes, who are not, in our opinion, a remotely reliable source for transfer gossip. On that basis alone, we’d warn Sunderland fans not to get their hopes up.
Spurs & Newcastle among seven Premier League sides who want Serie A starlet
Let’s finish today’s column up with a story from Sport Witness, who have the latest on widespread Premier League interest in Lecce defender Tiago Gabriel – and suggest that both Newcastle United and Spurs have joined the list of teams “showing interest” in the 21-year-old.
Citing different sources in the Italian media, the article suggests that West Ham have already had a bid of €18m (£15.6m) turned down with Lecce holding out for €25m (£21.6m) instead. That rejection “hasn’t put off” Spurs or Newcastle, however, while some media outlets throw even more names into the mix.
Crystal Palace, Everton, Bournemouth and Brentford are all name-checked and said to have interest in the impressive young Portuguese centre-back, although the article does wonder – cynically but perhaps fairly – how many of the links are genuine and how many represent work by the player’s agents. Lecce, for their part, are said not to want to sell for now.
The 3AM Verdict: Gabriel’s name is appearing on the grapevine with regularity now but there’s still very little clarity about where he might end up or when – but he’s a significant talent and it wouldn’t surprise us if most of the teams mentioned really are keeping tabs on him. Whether any further bids arrive in January is an unanswerable question, however.
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