Chelsea & Tottenham ‘monitoring’ £30m striker as Crystal Palace eye surprise Guéhi replacementplaceholder image
Chelsea & Tottenham ‘monitoring’ £30m striker as Crystal Palace eye surprise Guéhi replacement | Getty Images
Rounding up the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Chelsea, Spurs, Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
After another day of rumour, gossip, and the surprising news that Andrew Robertson could be on the brink of becoming a Tottenham Hotspur player, 3 Added Minutes are back with our latest round-up of all the biggest (and strangest) Premier League transfer stories that you might have missed over the past 24 hours.
We kick today’s off with a story which suggests that Robertson might not be Spurs’ only transfer target – according to TeamTalk, the North London club are “one to watch” in the bidding for Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta after Aston Villa’s pursuit was left “falling flat.”
According to the article, Villa are now unlikely to continue attempts to sign Mateta after getting a complicated deal for Tammy Abraham over the line, and that has opened the door for Spurs and perhaps other suitors after Mateta made his desire to leave Selhurst Park public.
There’s no suggestion that Spurs have made a bid but they are apparently considering doing so, while Juventus – who had a bid of around £30m rejected last week – could make another move and are “monitoring the situation.” Chelsea could be a factor as well, and they’re said to have made contact with Mateta’s agents, although no further details are given.
The 3AM Verdict: We’re sure there will be some other suitors for Mateta, but frankly this article is all over the place – no evidence is provided for the headline assertion that Spurs are interested, and Chelsea only get a throwaway mention even though it’s alleged that they’ve opened talks. Mateta seems likely to move before deadline day, but we’re not sure we’re any closer to knowing where he’ll go, and this report doesn’t make us believe that Spurs or Chelsea are especially likely to be his destination.
Crystal Palace targeting rivals’ rising star to replace Guéhi
Let’s move on to a story from Sky Sports News now, who report that Crystal Palace may have identified their replacement for the departed Marc Guéhi in the shape of Chelsea youngster Josh Acheampong.
The 19-year-old, who impressed in early-season starts under Enzo Maresca but couldn’t hold down a regular starting place, has “emerged” as a prospective target and a deal is being “discussed” – although the report adds that “no formal conversations are understood to have taken place” between the two sides as yet.
It’s not clear whether Chelsea are open to a sale - the Blues are usually excited by the opportunity to sell young players for a swift profit but also have defensive injuries to worry about. There’s no word on what kind of transfer fee Palace would have to pay, either.
The 3AM Verdict: There’s no much meat on the bones of this story yet and other reliable outlets have yet to take it up, so it’s too early to know how likely it is that such a deal happens. Acheampong looks like a high-risk, high-reward target with Guéhi gone, but Chelsea would perhaps be taking an even bigger risk by letting another talented young player leave mid-season.
Arsenal ‘exploring’ deal for young La Liga starlet
Let’s finish up with a rumour reported by FootballFanCast, who claim that Arsenal are “exploring” a deal for 22-year-old Levante and Cameroon forward Karl Etta Eyong, who has scored six goals in 17 La Liga matches since moving to his current club over the summer.
Etta Eyong has become a “subject of interest” after the club began to monitor him in recent months, but they aren’t the only team to have taken notice – apparently Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona are “contending” for his signature as well.
There’s no suggestion that any of those sides have made a move as yet and it seems like this is a watching brief for now, with no hint of an imminent bidding war, but Arsenal are apparently “keen” to get the Cameroonian on board if they can. There’s no word on asking price, either.
The 3AM Verdict: This is a very speculative article, although we don’t doubt that Arsenal and many other elite teams have sent scouts to watch Etta Eyong in action. It’s far too early to suggest that they will make a bid, however, and if the youngster does move then it’s more likely to be in the summer than it is this winter.
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