The latest Premier League transfer news as Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and more chase summer deals
The summer transfer window is up and running, and Premier League clubs are getting stuck into the action, with a handful of sides already making early forays into the market. Tottenham have moved to get all their business done as quickly possible, with a fifth signing of the summer now close, while the likes of Liverpool and Brighton have also completed deals.
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The ongoing FIFA World Cup in North America, complete with its controversial hydration breaks, has seen things get off to a more sedate start than usual, with a number of top quality players fully focused on their international duties. However, as more teams are knocked out the tournament, we expect to see the Premier League’s transfer activity heighten considerably.
We’ll get today’s transfer rumour round-up underway at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea are working hard to complete their first signing of the Xabi Alonso era. The Blues’ new gaffer is said to be desperate to reunite with Granit Xhaka, his star player at Bayer Leverkusen, and the Blues are now working to break Sunderland’s resolve to keep him.
After seeing their initial £8m offer knocked back, Caught Offside report that Chelsea will now return with a second bid, hoping to tempt the Black Cats into selling with an offer of “around £10m”. The report notes that Xhaka wants to make the move, but the latest proposal is unlikely to be accepted. There is also scepticism over whether Chelsea’s owners would pay too much more for a 33-year-old who will have no resale value of note.
The 3AM Verdict: Chelsea fans who’ve seen their owners sign players based on their potential, rather how they can benefit the team now, have been deeply frustrated for some time. Xhaka probably won’t stay longer than a season or two if signed, but let’s be honest - neither will Alonso. It’s a short-term fix and one that makes sense, even if it’s just to get the Blues back into Europe.
Nottingham Forest pick Anderson successor
Nottingham Forest could be set to replace Elliot Anderson with Spurs' Lucas Bergvallplaceholder image
Nottingham Forest could be set to replace Elliot Anderson with Spurs' Lucas Bergvall | AFP via Getty Images
Next up, it’s over to the City Ground, where Nottingham Forest’s owner is presumably diving into a vault of coins like Scrooge McDuck, after securing a monster £116m fee for star midfielder Elliot Anderson. The England international may have brought in plenty of cash, but his presence in the midfield will be sorely missed, and the pressure is on for Forest to sign a suitable successor.
According to Football Insider, the Tricky Trees have made a £43m bid for Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall, but have seen their opening offer knocked back. The report says that Spurs don’t want the player to leave, despite reports that he’s unsettled and wants an exit this summer. Arne Engels, Curtis Jones and Davide Frattesi are listed as three potential alternatives Forest could sign.
The 3AM Verdict: We’re a little bit baffled by this one. There’s no doubt that Bergvall is a quality player, but he really doesn’t provide the sort of defensive contribution numbers that Anderson delivered so impressively. Jones is the closest match,but he’s probably going to join Serie A giants Inter. The annoying thing for Forest is, no matter who they choose to sign, they’ll end up overpaying: everyone knows they’re loaded now.
Premier League clubs race to sign Tavernier
Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier has been linked with a host of Premier League clubsplaceholder image
Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs | Getty Images
Last up, it’s down to the south coast, where Bournemouth are preparing for a bold new era under Marco Rose. The club are expected to see some players follow Andoni Iraola out the door, and midfielder Marcus Tavernier looks like he could be one of them. Team Talk claim that Aston Villa and Fulham have both “made enquiries”, which Liverpool are also in the mix.
The story goes on to say that the 27-year-old has been identified as a potential quality signing by both the Villans and Cottagers, while Reds boss Iralola could be keen to seal a speedy reunion with one of his trusted former players. Bournemouth are said to have no plans to sell, and are confident of keeping the ex-England youth international, who still has three years left on his current contract.
The 3AM Verdict: If all the clubs mentioned are genuinely interested, this all probably boils down to one thing: what does Tavernier want? If he’s after a glamourous move, then it’s Liverpool or perhaps Villa. If he wants to play football every week and enjoy the London lifestyle, then it’s Fulham. Either way, it’s a rather nice dilemma to have.
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