Chelsea join Arsenal in £100m ‘transfer battle’ as Leeds ‘take a shine’ to rising defensive starplaceholder image
Chelsea join Arsenal in £100m ‘transfer battle’ as Leeds ‘take a shine’ to rising defensive star | Getty Images
The biggest new Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Chelsea, Arsenal, Leeds, Newcastle and more.
The transfer window may have slummed shut – nobody ever closes them carefully these days – but the gossip columns are still packed with stories, and that means that we’re back with our regular morning round-up of the biggest Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed from the past 24 hours.
We start today’s digest off with a story from Caught Offside which suggests that Newcastle United are preparing for an “intense transfer battle” to keep hold of midfielder Sandro Tonali this summer, after the Italian was surprisingly linked with a move to Arsenal on deadline day.
That story didn’t have any legs, as it transpired, but it’s said that Arsenal “would love” to sign Tonali in the next transfer window if they can and – perhaps more intriguingly – it’s also alleged that Chelsea are “keeping a close eye on developments” as they look for further midfield reinforcements.
Newcastle, for their part, have “no urgency or incentive to sell” and have, as such, supposedly set Tonali’s asking price at a massive £100m in order to deter bids. It’s hinted that the player himself is quite happy to stay at St. James’ Park, too.
The 3AM Verdict: This is speculation fuelled by a deadline day rumour which was never true and concerned a deal which would never happen. We doubt Tonali would fetch £100m in any case, but we wouldn’t worry too much about his leaving if we were Newcastle fans, and we’ve seen no hard evidence that Chelsea are keen, either.
Leeds show interest in former West Ham target
Over to a story from TeamTalk now, which alleges that Leeds United are “taking a shine” to 23-year-old Le Havre defender Arouna Sangante – who came close to signing for West Ham during the recent transfer window.
Apparently Nuno Espirito Santo pulled the plug on a deal for the Senegalese star, but his doubts haven’t done anything to quell the “growing attention” the youngster is getting from the Premier League, with Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion also said to be “tracking” Sangante.
There’s also interest from unnamed European sides, too, it’s claimed, although despite this long list of apparent suitors and the suggestion there were active negotiations between West Ham and Le Havre, there’s no word on how much Sangante might cost.
The 3AM Verdict: As will be the case with all too many rumours which spring up at this time of year, it’s simply too early to tell just how interested any given side is in a potential target – often, a host of clubs will scout a player but only a few of them will end up bidding, and that may well be the case here. It’s also not made clear why Leeds’ interest is singled out compared to sides like Brentford and Bournemouth. One to watch, but holding of breath isn’t advised.
€25m Wolves deal still set to go through after deadline day
We’ll finish up with a story for the Wolves fans which comes courtesy of Sport Witness and suggests that deadline day won’t stop the club from doing at least one more deal – with winger Jhon Arias supposedly set to return to Brazil just months after moving to the Molineux.
Apparently the Old Gold have “accepted” an offer of €25m (£21.5m) from Palmeiras for the 28-year-old winger, who has scored just two goals in his 23 appearances in England. Personal terms have yet to be agreed, by the sound of it, but Arias is reportedly “open to a return” to the country he spent four years in before heading to the Black Country.
While Wolves won’t be able to sign a replacement, they’re said to be “willing to do business,” and are allowed to go through with the sale because the Brazilian transfer window remains open. The deal is expected to “pick up considerable pace” over the coming days.
The 3AM Verdict: The article cites multiple sources in the Brazilian media and has been corroborated elsewhere, so we believe it – things could prevent the deal from happening, of course, but it looks likely that Arias’ stint with Wolves will be a short one.
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