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A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with stories from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and more.
As per usual, 3 Added Minutes have combed through yesterday’s gossip columns to bring you a round-up of a few of the biggest Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the past 24 hours – and we start today’s digest off with a story involving both Manchester United and Liverpool.
TEAMtalk reckon that the old rivals have “stepped up their interest” in AS Monaco and France winger Maghnes Akliouche, with the pair “set to battle” for the 22-year-old’s signature this summer.
Akliouche is said to have impressed scouts from both sides over recent weeks – Manchester United are looking for fresh options out wide as they look to continue their upwards trajectory under Michael Carrick, while Liverpool see the wideman as a “genuine” alternative to the departing Mohamed Salah.
There’s no word on how much Akliouche (who can also play through the middle) might cost, but as he enters the final two years of his deal, Monaco are “bracing themselves” for bids. Both United and Liverpool have other players on their radar alongside Akliouche, however, and there’s no suggestion that any kind of approach has been made as yet.
The 3AM Verdict: Several sources agree that both teams are monitoring Akliouche closely, and we see no reason to disbelieve those stories – but that doesn’t guarantee that either side makes a bid. Both teams have several wingers on their radars, and until they make a decision on their primary targets it’s impossible to know how likely it is that the Monaco man moves to the Premier League.
Chelsea ‘on alert’ over Barcelona star worth up to £70m
Let’s head over to a story from Caught Offside now, who claim that Chelsea are “on alert” after discovering that Barcelona defender Jules Koundé might leave the Camp Nou this summer – and the Blues are said to be preparing an “aggressive push” to land the Frenchman.
Both Liverpool and Manchester City are said to be “monitoring” the 27-year-old as well, so there could be some competition for his signature, but Chelsea are said to be “showing the strongest interest” as it stands.
Koundé is apparently happy to stay at Barcelona and the Spanish side are themselves said to be putting a hefty price on his head – with his valuation said to be “in the region of £65-70m.” That could price Chelsea out, although Barcelona are always looking for opportunities to sell players for substantial fees due to their ongoing financial problems.
The 3AM Verdict: We’re pretty sceptical of this story. Chelsea prefer tosign younger players with resale value and we’ve seen little corroboration of this report from other media sources. That said, we expect Barcelona’s alleged asking price is a little lower in reality, too – but we’re not expecting this to happen as it stands.
Spurs & Aston Villa named as ‘suitors’ for Serie A star
Let’s finish up for today with a rumour from Sport Witness, who allege that Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are “potential suitors” for Sassuolo centre-back Tarik Muharemović, a 23-year-old Bosnian defender who has been a standout in Serie A this season.
Sassuolo are said to be demanding a transfer fee of €30m (£26m), a price tag which could be within the reach of several teams: Inter Milan and Juventus are also said to be “keen,” while it’s noted that Bournemouth had a January bid rejected. No word on whether the Cherries could come back to the table.
As it stands, Inter’s interest is suggested as being the most advanced and it’s said that the Milanese side have already “sounded out” Muharemović’s current employers about a deal – but with plenty of time for things to change ahead of the summer, a Premier League side could force their way into the conversation.
The 3AM Verdict: Other reports in Italy strongly push the narrative that Muharemović is likely to head to Inter, and we suspect that to be the most likely outcome, but Inter don’t have the financial might of most Premier League teams – so there’s still a chance that the situation could change.
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