Man Utd show 'great interest' in Serie A star as Arsenal plot 'astronomical' offer for former Leeds forwardplaceholder image
Man Utd show 'great interest' in Serie A star as Arsenal plot 'astronomical' offer for former Leeds forward | Getty Images
Breaking down the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham.
Another day of gossip has been and gone, and as always 3 Added Minutes are here with our daily round-up of the biggest and strangest Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the last 24 hours – starting with a story involving Manchester United.
This story builds on reports we’ve already covered which suggest that United will have scouts in Italy this weekend to watch Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu – but according to Tuttosport, the Frenchman isn’t the only player they’ll be keeping a close eye on when Juve take on Inter Milan.
United are said to be checking out Inter full-back Federico Dimarco, who they are said to be “following with great interest” as they prepare for the summer transfer window. The 28-year-old’s contract is set to expire in 18 months, suggesting that he could be a very plausible and potentially comparatively budget-friendly option for a side in need of new full-backs.
Inter may yet offer a new deal in the hope that they can “banish the English sirens” – how very poetic – and the Serie A side “want to keep” Dimarco around if they can. There’s no word on whether Dimarco would be open to such a move, or how much he might cost.
The 3AM Verdict: A plausible enough transfer rumour, but one we’d like to see more corroboration of before we swallow it whole. It’s worth noting that Arsenal get a brief mention as having held interest before, but we suspect that a left-back is the last of their needs this summer.
Arsenal prepare ‘astronomical’ offer to sign former Leeds star
Over to a story from TeamTalk now which claims that Arsenal are plotting an “astronomical offer” to sign a former Leeds man they believe could be a significant upgrade for their front three: Raphinha.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is supposedly “ready” to launch a bid for the Barcelona and Brazil star, who has been “identified as a prime target” for the summer – and that his current employers would be “forced to listen” to a significant bid due to their financial position.
It’s said that Raphinha is “not planning” to leave the Camp Nou while Barcelona would prefer not to lose him, but if the Gunners are willing to stump up a suitably large offer then a deal could well get done. It’s speculated that €100m (£87m) would be enough.
The 3AM Verdict: The apparent primary source for this story is Spanish outlet Fichajes who are not, in our opinion, a remotely reliable source at all – and as such, we’re inclined to dismiss this story as fanciful, with apologies to any Arsenal supporters who were getting excited.
West Ham hold edge in race for midfielder
Let’s finish up with a story from Sport Witness now which suggests that West Ham “have an edge” in a likely battle to sign Metz midfielder Alpha Touré this summer, with the player apparently keen to move to the Premier League.
Apparently the Hammers hold “serious interest” in the 20-year-old and made a move for him over the winter, but a bid of just €7m (£6m) was rejected by Metz and no deal was done. That may not stop them from coming back to the well in the summer, although they could face competition from Turkish outfit Besiktas.
The good news for West Ham is that Touré is said to find interest from England particularly “flattering” and is keen to move to the Premier League if he can – as such, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side may have the advantage in the next round of negotiations.
The 3AM Verdict: West Ham’s interest in Touré has been corroborated a few times by different sources, and while it’s not certain that they’ll make a move in the summer, it’s certainly very possible – if they stay up, of course.
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