A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and more.
Welcome to 3 Added Minutes’ regular morning round-up of all the biggest (and often wildest) new Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the past 24 hours – which starts off today with a story from Italy which involves several top-flight teams, but which is perhaps particularly relevant to Manchester United and Arsenal fans.
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Calciomercato have published a report on the future of AC Milan winger Rafael Leão, who over the weekend announced that he was “ready to embark on a new adventure” and intended to leave the San Siro this summer – with United and Arsenal apparently his preferred destinations.
The Portuguese winger has apparently separately commented on his desire to move to the Premier League, “especially” to join either of those two sides, who he apparently follows as a fan of sorts. That could be handy for them – the article notes that United have been “repeatedly linked” with Leão, while Arsenal are said to be “keeping an eye” on a player that’s often been suggested as a potential target for them.
Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea are all suggested as potential rivals in the bidding, as are Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal and Turkish outfits Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, but there’s no implication that anyone has yet made a formal bid. Milan, for their part, are prepared to “let him leave” and will demand €50-60m (up to £52m) for his signature.
The 3AM Verdict: This is a very gossipy piece based on comments which may well betray Leão’s preferences but which don’t necessarily give us any insight into his likely destination – but he is almost certain to leave the San Siro at this point, especially if the assertion that Milan won’t stand in his way proves true. We’d guess that the Premier League was his most likely destination as it stands based on previous reports and the needs of the kind of teams who might be interested in him.
Chelsea & Aston Villa ‘join race’ for relegated £52m star
Over to Caught Offside now: They allege that Chelsea and Aston Villa have “joined the race” to sign West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes – although Manchester United remain the “strongest contenders” for the youngster’s signature as it stands.
Arsenal, Inter Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Atlético Madrid and PSG are all said to be “keeping tabs” on Fernandes as well, presumably inspired by 3 Added Minutes’ decision to name him our Young Player of the Year over the weekend. Fernandes himself is said to be “attracted” by the idea of playing Champions League football, which doesn’t narrow the field down too much but could be bad news for Chelsea.
West Ham are said to have slapped a price tag of up to €60m (£52m) on Fernandes, but that sum is “expected to drop” given their relegation from the Premier League. They do, however, have the Portuguese midfielder under contract until 2030, strengthening their position as negotiations unfold.
The 3AM Verdict: Much like his compatriot Leão, it’s clear that Fernandes will be on the move – but far from clear where he’ll end up, with a long list of teams monitoring his situation. It’s simply too early to say how this saga will unfold, and any stories which strongly push the idea that he’ll join any one given team should be treated with scepticism for now.
Aston Villa ‘submit bid’ for Senegal star
Let’s wrap up with a story from Sport Witness, who cite various different sources in the Spanish media in suggesting that Aston Villa are “keen” on Almería and Senegal midfielder Dion Lopy – and have already “submitted an initial offer” for the 24-year-old.
Villa have supposedly made a bid of €17m (£14.7m), but it’s claimed that will fall short of Almería’s asking price of €20m (£17.3m), although their offer is apparently “tempting” for the Spanish second-tier side. It sounds like Lopy himself would be interested in a move to the Midlands, too.
Apparently Aston Villa tried to sign Lopy a few years ago before he moved to Almería, so there’s been long-term interest on their part. Everton also supposedly made a bid last summer, although there’s no suggestion as it stands that they’ll have another go this time around.
The 3AM Verdict: A few sources seem in alignment on this one, suggesting that it could well be the case that Aston Villa have launched a bid for Lopy, a defensive midfielder who has five caps for Senegal but didn’t make their World Cup squad. There doesn’t seem to be too much competition, which suggests that Almería might be willing to lower their demands a little in order to get a deal done.
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