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The latest Premier League transfer news - including stories concerning Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Sunderland and more
Gameweek 35 of the Premier League hasn’t disappointed so far, with an action-packed Friday night and Saturday of fixtures drawing us ever closer to the season’s dramatic climax.
Leeds United all but extinguished their relegation fears by battering Burnley at Elland Road, while Arsenal went six points clear at the top of the table after cruising past Fulham. Newcastle United showed signs of life after whooping Brighton 3-1, and Wolves picked up a rare point with a draw at home against a ten-man Sunderland side.
Elsewhere, West Ham’s hopes of avoiding relegation took an almighty blow at Brentford, as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat. That means Tottenham can leapfrog them into 18th place if they beat Aston Villa - an outcome which isn’t really as outrageous as it first sounds, given that Unai Emery’s side’s thoughts will inevitably be leaning towards their Europa League semi-final second leg with Nottingham Forest on Thursday.
Off the pitch, things are starting to heat up on the transfer front, with the rumour mill starting to rattle and hum as it gears up for a hectic summer of player trading. We begin today’s round-up at Sunderland, where a number of the Black Cats’ seventeen (that’s right, seventeen!) signings since getting promoted have been gaining admirers for the Premier League elite.
United, meanwhile, are expected to sign two midfielders this summer, as they look to both replace Casemiro and sign another top class option to get the side ready for Champions League football. Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham are also credited with an interest in the 21-year-old, who could be reluctantly sold if a bid in the region of £50m is made - a significant profit on the £18m they signed him for last summer.
The 3AM Verdict: There does seem to be some serious hype around Sadiki, who will go to the World Cup this summer with Congo DR in a group with Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan. As is often the case, that lengthy distraction could see any transfer move delayed until mid/late July. Mind you, if they get knocked out at the group stage, perhaps not.
Newcastle hesitancy could pave way for Arsenal move
To Newcastle next, where the Magpies ended a dismal run of form with their aforementioned win over Brighton on Saturday afternoon. They don’t have much hope of qualifying for Europe this season, which will make their crucial summer transfer window all the more difficult as they look to lure elite footballers to St. James’ Park.
Football Insider report that while Newcastle do have an interest in Sporting CP left-back Maxi Araujo - a story we covered last week - they more pressing concerns they’re determined to address in the transfer market first. Specifically, that means a striker, central midfielder, and a right-back.
This could well open the door for Arsenal, who are said to be highly-interested in signing the £43m-rated gem this summer as they look to land a top class new left-back to their ranks.
The 3AM Verdict: In fairness to Newcastle, it seems like they’ve got their priorities spot on here. They desperately need a new striker after the disastrous double acquisition of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa; they could well need to replace Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes in midfield, and Kieran Trippier’s upcoming exit means they need a right-back too.
With Lewis Hall having locked down the left-back spot this season, they don’t need to replace him in a hurry, either. As for Arsenal, they’ve got a mighty squad at their disposal already, but a shiny new left full-back would go a long way to making them an even more formidable force next season.
Aston Villa eye massive transfer fund boost
Last but not least, we’re Villa Park bound, where Unai Emery’s side look set to play Champions League football again next season - either by finishing in the top five, or by winning the Europa League. Even with a return to UEFA’s elite competition on the cards, the future of Morgan Rogers is once again set to be up for debate over the summer months.
Team Talk state that the Villans will be bullish when it comes to dealing with any interest in the England star when the transfer window opens, and could demand a fee in excess of £100m to let him go. The report says that Villa will point to the similar fee that Liverpool shelled out to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last summer when setting any asking price.
Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are all said to be monitoring the 23-year-old’s situation closely, and could test Villa’s resolve to keep the ex-Man City wonderkid whose contract doesn’t run out until 2031 and, importantly, contains no release clause.
The 3AM Verdict: Let’s be honest, transfer fees have gone utterly bananas. Given that Chelsea paid £106m to sign Fernandez, maybe £100m+ for Rogers is, somehow, about right? An impressive World Cup showing with England under Thomas Tuchel, and those sporting directors might just call Villa’s bluff and stump up the cash come late July.
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