A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, Hull, Bournemouth and more.
It’s time for 3 Added Minutes’ regular morning round-up of some of the biggest (and strangest) new Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the past 24 hours – and we start with a story involving Chelsea, Arsenal and Bournemouth.
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According to Caught Offside, Chelsea are shopping around for alternatives to Enzo Fernández should the Argentine move to Manchester City before the transfer deadline, with Enzo Maresca’s side still said to be “interested” despite missing the Friday deadline for a bid which was set last week.
Martín Zubimendi became a world champion this summer - could he also become a Chelsea player?placeholder image
Martín Zubimendi became a world champion this summer - could he also become a Chelsea player? | Getty Images
The “leading” target should Fernández leave is still Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, apparently, even though a bid of nearly £65m was rejected by the Cherries earlier this summer. Apparently a deal would not be “straightforward,” but the suggestion is that Chelsea might be ready to up their offer.
The other midfielder on their radar is said to be Arsenal’s Martín Zubimendi. There is increasing speculation surrounding the Spaniard’s future following the arrival of Bruno Guimarães and Chelsea could seize the opportunity to sign him should Scott prove unobtainable. There’s no word on what kind of transfer fee might be involved.
The 3AM Verdict: While neither of the proposed targets are necessarily implausible, this is a very speculative article with no meaningful evidence provided to back up the assertion that either Scott or Zubimendi are at the top of the list – although we do know that Chelsea are keen on Scott, at least. We’ll see, but this feels like guesswork as much as anything else, if we’re being honest.
Everton pick out potential Grealish alternative
Diao has scored 10 goals in 35 games since moving to Como in January 2025placeholder image
Diao has scored 10 goals in 35 games since moving to Como in January 2025 | Getty Images
Over to a story for the Everton fans, now. According to TEAMtalk, the Toffees have “registered interest” in 20-year-old Assane Diao, a hotly-tipped winger who currently plays for Como in Serie A.
Diao is being lined up as an alternative should Everton be unable to agree a permanent deal for Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, it’s suggested, with the wideman’s physical profile said to be just what David Moyes is looking for.
Apparently Como would listen to offers in the region of £50-60m but no formal discussions have yet taken place while Everton continue to hold out hope of agreeing a deal for Grealish. If any other teams are interested, there’s no mention of it here.
The 3AM Verdict: Diao joined Como for around £10m last year after flashing a lot of promise with Real Betis, and seems to be developing at a decent pace – he was a member of Senegal’s World Cup squad and certainly seems like the kind of player who would suit Moyes’ system. It sounds like he’s no more than a Plan B, however, so the odds that this deal gets done probably aren’t all that high.
Hull target Italian wonderkid as winger deal goes south
Niccolò Fortini received his first call-up to the Italy squad earlier this summerplaceholder image
Niccolò Fortini received his first call-up to the Italy squad earlier this summer | Getty Images
We’ll finish up with a story concerning Premier League new boys Hull City. According to Sky Sports, the Tigers could be frustrated in their long-term pursuit of Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey – with Ajax now holding talks over a deal for the Jamaica international.
The Dutch outfit haven’t yet made a formal offer but are now “considering” doing so after holding exploratory discussions. Hull had come close to signing Bailey earlier this summer, but talks fell apart and the have not been successfully resurrected as yet.
The good news for Hull is that they have other irons in the fire. Sky also mention interest in young Fiorentina full-back Niccolò Fortini, although no further details of their work to sign the Italy international are forthcoming.
The 3AM Verdict: A deal for Bailey looked likely not so long ago but seems to be slipping away, and Ajax’s interest will either spark Hull back into life or knock them out of the bidding altogether. Which remains to be seen. Fortini, incidentally, would be a very promising signing – he earned his first cap for Italy after playing just 26 games for Fiorentina.