The biggest new Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Aston Villa, Everton and West Ham.
It’s time once more for 3 Added Minutes’ regular morning round-up and review of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours – and today, we’re kicking off with a story for the Aston Villa fans among you.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Villans are “exploring a deal” to bring PSG attacking midfielder Marco Asensio back to the club following an impressive loan spell at Villa Park in the second half of last season.
It had looked as though Asensio would head elsewhere while Villa sorted out a difficult PSR situation, but he remains available and Unai Emery is said to be “keen” to get him back, with “either a permanent or loan move being considered”. PSG, for their part, would accept a “cut-price fee” as the Spaniard has just one year left on his contract at the Parc des Princes.
Asensio has had interest from both Turkey and Saudi Arabia since the start of the transfer window and was reportedly close to joining Fenerbahçe in June, but remains available. Turkish news reports from this week, however, suggest that he is now ready to sign for José Mourinho’s side pending an agreement on a fee between his current employers and Fenerbahçe.
The 3AM Verdict: There’s a lot of confidence in the Turkish media that Asensio is on his way to Istanbul, but no deal has been agreed and Asensio may well be tempted by the chance to return to Aston Villa after a productive loan spell. There’s no word on a formal offer or any agreement between player and club, however, so Villa have to play catch-up and do it quick.
Everton ‘do battle’ with AS Roma over £21.5m midfielder
Up to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, now – no, it still doesn’t sound right, sorry – where Everton are preparing to “do battle” with Serie A side AS Roma for the signature of Benfica midfielder Florentino Luís, according to Sport Witness.
The Toffees are said to have a “longstanding interest” in the 25-year-old and while he is “particularly appreciated” in the Italian capital, Roma have yet to make a concrete offer and there is the implication that they may not have the funds required to get a deal over the line.
Supposedly, Benfica have slapped a €25m (£21.5m) price tag on the Angola-born midfielder, who has represented Portugal at age-group level without earning a senior cap. Sport Witness do observe that this is far from the first time that Everton have been linked with Luís with no bid ever materialising…
The 3AM Verdict: We suspect that Sport Witness are right to be a little sceptical, and there’s been no corroboration from the British media as yet. Everton could do with a new defensive midfielder, however, and may well have Luís on their radar, so perhaps that cynicism isn’t entirely deserved.
West Ham ready offer for Italy international star
Let’s wrap things up with a story from OneFootball, via Get Italian Football News – they claim that West Ham are “set to send an offer” to AS Roma for (them again) club captain and Italy international Lorenzo Pellegrini.
A couple of disappointing season has seen the 29-year-old slip down the pecking order at the Stadio Olimpico and that has led to an “imminent offer”, the scale of which is sadly not reported.
West Ham have “yet to secure approval from the player” on personal terms ahead of a move, but he is aware of the interest. Roma themselves have yet to make a final decision about whether he will leave, either, but it’s implied that they need the cash enough to wave a deal through.
The 3AM Verdict: This isn’t the first time ‘Pellegrini to West Ham’has cropped up over the last couple of weeks, and there’s enough smoke now that we’re beginning to believe there’s fire – as West Ham’s pursuit ofMateus Fernandes proves, however, there are other targets. Still up in the air, but looking increasingly likely.
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