Arsenal ‘ready to battle’ Manchester United for £65m signing as Chelsea join three-way race for star strikerplaceholder image
Arsenal ‘ready to battle’ Manchester United for £65m signing as Chelsea join three-way race for star striker | Getty Images
Rounding up the biggest and wildest new Premier League transfer rumours - with stories from Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs and more.
Another day dawns, and with it comes our regular morning round-up of some of the biggest and strangest Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the last 24 hours – starting with a story involving both Arsenal and Manchester United.
According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are “ready to battle” Manchester United for the signature of Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye, whose performances this season have led to “growing speculation” that the 25-year-old could be on the move this summer.
We covered the first rumours of United’s interest a couple of weeks ago, but now Arsenal are keen and aren’t necessarily alone – Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are said to be “monitoring the situation” as well.
There’s no suggestion that any teams have yet approached Ndiaye or Everton regarding a move, but the Toffees are said to be after a fee “in the region” of €65-75m (£57-65m or so) for the newly-minted Africa Cup of Nations champion. Ndiaye doesn’t seem to be set to push for a move with any urgency, but it’s hinted that he would be keen to take a step up.
The 3AM Verdict: To be perfectly honest, there’s very little detail in this story and no evidence offered to support what information is published – this reads like pure speculation with little to back it up. It’s also unclear why Arsenal’s interest is headline news when Spurs and Chelsea only get a brief mention later on. We’re approaching rumours of widespread interest in Ndiaye with healthy scepticism for now.
Chelsea & Spurs among ‘frontrunners’ to sign big-name striker this summer
Let’s head over to a story from Sport Witness now, who cover reports from Italy which have Chelsea and Spurs “emerging as frontrunners” in the battle to sign Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović, who is available on a free transfer this summer with his contact running down.
The Premier League pair are said to be in “pole position” ahead of AC Milan, and even Newcastle United who apparently started “making contact” ahead of a possible move for the Serb. The bad news is that it being a free transfer won’t necessarily make it cheap.
Vlahović’s agent is said to be tabling some “very high” demands and negotiations over a contract are expected to be “complicated.” Still, it’s suggested that that hands the English sides the edge with their financial clout.
The 3AM Verdict: We expect negotiations to rumble on for weeks and months as the striker’s agents extract the best salary out of his suitors, and this will be a persistent transfer saga between now and the summer. Whether Chelsea or Spurs are really in the lead, we couldn’t say, and we suspect it’s too early to be sure.
Manchester United & Brighton among sides scouting ‘next Michael Essien’
Let’s wrap today’s column off with a story from TeamTalk, who allege that Manchester United have “stepped up their interest” in talented FC Nordsjælland midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi, with scouts watching him in Denmark this weekend.
United aren’t the only Premier League side said to be casting an eye over the “next Michael Essien,” with Arsenal, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion all “monitoring” the 20-year-old ahead of what promises to be a “hotly-contested” summer transfer battle. It’s alleged that all four teams have “made enquiries,” although there’s no suggestion that any bids have been lodged as yet.
Other teams said to be watching Yirenkyi without formalising their interest include Spurs, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Brentford, West Ham and Crystal Palace alongside unnamed sides from France and Germany – apparently it would take a fee “in excess of” €25m (£22m) to sign the young Ghanian.
The 3AM Verdict: If this article is right then there must be more scouts than supporters at Nordsjælland matches these days – they’ve developed a strong reputation as a hotbed for young talent, so perhaps that isn’t surprising. We don’t believe we’re any further along than the exploratory stage for many teams here, and it’s far from clear who will actually emerge as serious contenders for the player down the line.
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