The latest Premier League transfer news as Chelsea, Newcastle United, Everton and more chase summer deals
World Cup fever continues to sweep through 3AM Towers, as the 48-team tournament in North America heads into the knockout stage. Scotland went home after dismal display in their group, while England managed to top theirs despite some less than convincing performances in their last two games. They’re now gearing up to play DR Congo in the round of 32.
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We’ll stay with Chelsea to kick off today’s Premier League transfer rumours round-up, as the Blues look to strengthen their striker options. £30m flop Liam Delap looks like he could well leave the club after just one season at Stamford Bridge, and Caught Offside claim Chelsea are looking to replace him with Monaco striker Folarin Balogun.
The report says that the Ligue 1 outfit want a fee of around £47m for the ex-Arsenal prospect, who has impressed at the World Cup with the joint-hosts USA, scoring two goals in as many games. Chelsea, along with Newcastle United, are said to be “monitoring” the 24-year-old, who blasted his way to 19 goals in 43 appearances for Monaco.
The Blues are said to be excited by the potential Balogun still possesses, and the fact he’s the same nationality as the club’s owners is also believed to be going in his favour. The article claims that the player now wants to leave Monaco, and has additional interest from both Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and La Liga giants Barcelona
The 3AM Verdict: Chelsea really need some cover for Joao Pedro, and neither Delap nor Nicolas Jackson look up to the task. Balogun barely played during his time at Arsenal, but did feature a little for Middlesbrough in the Championship on loan. He’d certainly be a gamble, and could well fall into the classic ‘ill-advised World Cup inspired signing’ category.
Newcastle lead race to sign Trafford
James Trafford looks certain to leave Manchester City this summerplaceholder image
James Trafford looks certain to leave Manchester City this summer | Getty Images
Over to the North East next, where Newcastle United are on the hunt for a new goalkeeper. They’ve already landed 20-year-old stopper Ewen Jaouen from French side Reims, but he’s not expected to be a starter. Man City’s James Trafford is their long-term target to be their new number one, and Football Insider claim they’re now leading the race to sign him.
Aston Villa are also said to be in the mix, as Trafford looks to move on after being usurped by goalkeeping titan Gianluigi Donnarumma within weeks of joining the club. The story notes that Newcastle tried to buy Trafford before he joined City from Burnley, and that they’re now ready to push again to sign him as he prepares to push for an exit.
The 3AM Verdict: This could be the good news that Newcastle seriously need.They had a shocker in the transfer market last season, and have kicked off this window by losing Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, having their first choice replacement hijacked by Liverpool, and now half the Premier League are after the likes of Tonali, Lewis Hall and Bruno Guimaraes. Signing Trafford would tick off a must-sign position and give the fans a morale boost too.
Everton could use Moyes influence to seal huge deal
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We’ll round things off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Everton are looking to push on next season and establish themselves as a powerhouse in their shiny new fortress. Team Talk say that the Toffees have joined the race to sign West Ham talisman Jarrod Bowen, who looks likely to leave the Irons following their relegation at the end of last season.
It’s said that the Toffees could have an advantage over the other Premier League clubs chasing Bowen, in that he has a strong relationship with Everton boss from the time they spent together at West Ham. Bowen is claimed to have made it clear to Moyes that he could be persuaded to join his club, amid rival interest from Aston Villa and Spurs.
West Ham are still desperate to hold on to their skipper, and the report claims that he could be convinced to remain at the club if they can retain squad members of a similar calibre to the England international despite going down. The Hammers are believed to value Bowen at around £50m, which could prove a real stumbling block for the Toffees.
The 3AM Verdict: Bowen certainly wouldn’t come cheap, and £50m would be an awful lot for Everton to spend on a player who, at 29-years-old, will only see his value decrease in the coming years. However, if the Toffees can strike a more favourable deal, perhaps including a player in exchange to lower the fee for Bowen, they’d be mad not to try and make the move happen.
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