The latest Premier League transfer news as Nottingham Forest, Everton, Arsenal and more chase down summer deals
The countdown is on ahead of England’s World Cup clash against DR Congo, with the two sides set to battle it out for a place in the last 16 on Wednesday. The winner looks likely to face the daunting task of taking on Mexico in the Azteca Stadium, their fortress, before even sterner tests await towards the tail end of the tournament.
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Meanwhile, Premier League sides are already mapping out their plans for the 2026/27 season, after the fixture list for the upcoming campaign was released earlier this month. The majority of sides in English top tier are gearing up for a busy summer of transfer business, and it will be fascinating to see which new stars are snapped up ahead of September’s deadline.
We’ll kick off today’s transfer rumour round-up at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Everton look to be closing in on their first big deal of the summer. The Telegraph report that the Toffees are finally ready to meet Middlesbrough’s £25m asking price for star midfielder Hayden Hackney, after weeks of speculation concerning a potential deal.
In the story, it says that the Toffees had three separate bids for the 24-year-old rejected, but they’re a breakthrough in negotiations means that deal is now almost there, and will likely be announced later this week. It’s said that Everton’s first bid was a mere £7m, which was dismissed out of hand by the Championship club.
The 3AM Verdict: Everton played a seriously risky game in their attempts to sign Hackney, arguably messing Boro about with derisory offers before finally meeting the original asking price. Still, they look to have got their man, and have done well to beat a number of other Premier League clubs to secure his signature. He’s too good to play in the second tier, and could be an excellent addition to the Toffees’ midfield.
Arsenal accelerate £100m transfer mission plans
Arsenal have been heavily linked with Aston Villa star Morgan Rogersplaceholder image
Arsenal have been heavily linked with Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers | Getty Images
Down in London, Arsenal look to be upping their efforts to sign Aston Villa and England star Morgan Rogers. Team Talk say that the Gunners are set to “accelerate” their efforts to sign the in-demand attacking midfielder, and could be willing to pay over £100m for the 23-year-old gem. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is said to be eager to get the deal done.
The report also says that Rogers is highly interested in a move to the Emirates Stadium, amid rival interest from both Chelsea and Manchester City. Arsenal had been looking to sign Atletico Madrid gem Julian Alvarez, but with the Argentina international likely to join Barcelona, all the eggs now look to be in the Rogers basket.
The 3AM Verdict: The Rogers to Arsenal chat has really started to intensify this week, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see things continue to escalate. When the fee is so high, things are unlikely to move quickly, and Villa won’t just roll over and accept the Gunners first offer. By the end of the window, however, we find it hard to believe Rogers won’t be an Arsenal player.
Nottingham Forest eye £34m striker deal
Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Bologna striker Santiago Castroplaceholder image
Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Bologna striker Santiago Castro | Getty Images
Nottingham Forest are here to round us off nicely, as they look to sign a new striker. Reports from the Italian press, via Sport Witness, say that the club are chasing Bologna striker Santiago Castro, who could be sold for a fee of about £34m. That figure is said to be achievable for Forest, who spent around £200m on a distinctly mixed bag of signings last season.
The report says that Forest also want to sign Castro’s teammate Jhon Lucumi, a 28-year-old Colombian defender who’s been impressing at the World Cup and who’s also on Bournemouth’s radar. Castro played 51 matches in all competitions for Bologna last season, scoring eleven goals.
The 3AM Verdict: Forest have thrown around an awful lot of money with little in the way of a reasonable return in recent times. Case in point: Dan Ndoye, who was signed from Bologna last year and completely flopped. If the money is there to spend, Forest should take a leaf out of Spurs’ book this summer and sign some tried and tested Premier League players. That said, out of the two, Lucumi looks to be a decent option compared to Castro.
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