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Everton 'reignite' plan to seal Aston Villa icon transfer as Liverpool favourite 'intrigued' by Serie A exit
The Premier League delivered on its promise of another barnstorming set of fixtures last weekend, as the title race, relegation battle and the scrap for European football provided its expected high-octane shot of drama. Arsenal now sit top of the table once more, while wins for Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Tottenham mean there’s no change at the bottom.
Manchester United round off the gameweek this evening, when they play host to Brentford. They’ll be looking to all but confirm their place in next season’s Champions League, while the sides below them continue to scramble frantically for European football, whatever form that may come in, for the 2026/27 campaign.
Meanwhile, the transfer rumour mill has been uncovered from its tarpaulin shroud, dusted down and lightly oiled, as it prepares for another hectic summer of wheeling and dealing. Here are the latest transfer stories doing the rounds which concern the Premier League:
Juventus ‘lead race’ for Man City icon
We’ll start things off with a trip to Italy, where once Serie A serial winners Juventus are bleakly coming to terms with a six successive season without winning the league. Given that they won nine on the trot during the 2010s, though, we’re not quite at the stage of starting up a sympathetic charity fundraiser.
In a bid to return to those glory days, The Old Lady are expected to be highly active in the transfer market this summer, and are now, according to Caught Offside, the front-runners to sign Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva once he leaves the Premier League giants at the end of the season.
The report adds that Juventus have already proposed a contract, offering the Portugal international a lucrative annual salary, and view him as exactly the player they need to bring manager Luciano Spalletti’s tactical system to life. Barcelona, Benfica and PSG are also mentioned as potential suitors.
The 3AM Verdict: Wecovered a similar report to this late last week, which named Chelsea and Arsenal as clubs who could snap up Silva. Given that he’s played nine seasons in the Premier League, he’s surely crying out for a change of scene, and a little bit of that Turin sunshine could be just the ticket. A chance to revive relentless title-winners should appeal to the 31-year-old, too, given the wealth of silverware he’s bagged during his time at City.
Everton ‘reignite’ interest in Aston Villa’s McGinn
Next up, it’s over to Goodison Park, where Everton are believed to ready to pick up where they left off last summer, and have another crack at signing Aston Villa skipper John McGinn. Football Insider note that Everton are keen to sign a new central midfielder this summer, and... well, that’s where the details appear to dry up.
Other than noting that Everton “have set their sights” on the Scotland international and that manager David Moyes wants to sign a player ready to go into his starting line-up, there is little in the way of further insight. There’s no suggestion of how much he could cost, whether Villa would be willing to sell or, crucially, whether McGinn would even want to go.
The 3AM Verdict: McGinn is a key part of Villa’s set-up, and a move to Everton would feel a bit like a downgrade were his side to go on to secure Champions League football for next season. That’s not to say Everton aren’t capable of attracting a player of McGinn’s calibre - they absolutely are.
The issue is that, unless he’s not getting minutes on the pitch, there’s nothing on offer at Everton - be it a stronger squad or Champions League football - to make it a rational move at this stage of his career. On top of that, McGinn has a World Cup to busy himself with this summer, and relocating to a new club after eight seasons in the West Midlands could be deemed a distraction.
Liverpool goalkeeper could leave in swap deal
We remain on Merseyside to round things off. You may recall us telling you Juventus are going to be rather busy this summer, and is appears that they’re after not just Silva, but Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson too. That’s according to Team Talk, who suggest the Old Lady have a rather crafty swap deal proposal up their zebra striped sleeve.
It’s suggested that their current starting stopper, Michele di Gregorio, could be used in a bold goalkeeper-for-goalkeeper exchange, presumably with a chunk of cash involved in one way or another as a makeweight.
The report also suggests that Liverpool aren’t fully convinced over Giorgi Mamardashvili’s capabilities to become their next number one, leaving them with a conundrum over what to do with Alisson as his contract ticks down towards its summer 2027 expiry.
The 3AM Verdict: By the sounds of things, Alisson is clearly looking for a new challenge after enjoying an excellent few years at Anfield where he’s won the Premier League twice, the Champions League, as well as both domestic cup competitions. A move to Juventus would certainly represent an exciting next step for him.
However, there’s no telling whether Liverpool have any concrete interest in Di Gregorio, or whether he’d be coming in to become their new first-choice between the sticks. Certainty in the goalkeeping department is essential, and having two number ones of a similar stature may not be what the Reds need heading into next season.
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