A round-up of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours from the past 24 hours.
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Another day of gossip has been and gone, and that means that it’s time for 3 Added Minutes’ regular morning round-up of the biggest Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the past 24 hours – starting with a story involving Arsenal and Liverpool.
Caught Offside claim that the two top-flight clubs are “involved in [an] intense competition” over Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, whose name is “circulating among Europe’s elite” off the back of another strong season at the San Siro.
Arsenal and Liverpool have both “explored his situation,” apparently, and they will have learned that Inter would “only entertain offers between €90-100m” – that’s up to £87m. That could easily make the 26-year-old the most expensive defender of all time.
Apparently both Manchester City and Chelsea are also taking a look at Bastoni but “appear more cautious,” perhaps because of the colossal price tag, while Barcelona also “admire” him – not that there seems to be much chance that they can afford €100m given their financial issues.
The 3AM Verdict: This story has really done the rounds over the past day or two, but we think that it’s all very speculative for now – we struggle to see Arsenal, in particular, spending that much on a centre-back this summer. We don’t doubt that sides of this calibre are casting an eye over Bastoni, but we’re a long way from the point at which a deal is actually likely.
Fulham offer Spurs striker ‘escape route’
Let’s head over to Football Insider now, for a cross-capital story which suggests that Fulham could offer Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison an “escape route” this summer, with Marco Silva apparently interested in reuniting with a player he managed at both Everton and Watford.
The report suggests that a very friendly chat and hug between Silva and Richarlison following the final whistle of the recent game between Fulham and Spurs was a “hint” of a future bid, with the Brazilian “a likely candidate to be sold” heading into the summer. Apparently Silva will “surely” want his side to launch a bid if he extends his stay at Craven Cottage past the end of the season.
There is no indication that any talks have taken place, nor any word on the kind of transfer fee which Spurs might demand for their leading goalscorer. It’s also mentioned that Crystal Palace have demonstrated interest as well, but that thought isn’t expanded upon.
The 3AM Verdict: This is an entirely specious report spun out from a quick hug and a chat between two former colleagues at the end of a game. There is no evidence that a deal is likely or even under discussion at any level. Ignore this rumour – it’s not necessarily implausible, but there is absolutely nothing to substantiate it whatsoever.
Chelsea boss ‘fighting’ to keep striker amid Everton & Bournemouth interest
Let’s round things off with a story from Sports Boom which states that Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior is “fighting” to persuade his club’s transfer team not to sell striker Liam Delap this summer – with Everton and Bournemouth both said to be keen to sign the 23-year-old forward.
Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge is “shrouded in doubt” following a disappointing debut campaign, but Rosenior will apparently “plead” with his bosses to keep him, having presumably been impressed by the former Ipswich man since taking over from Enzo Maresca.
Financial pressures caused by their record-breaking losses could encourage a sale, it’s suggested, with Bournemouth “monitoring” Delap and Everton briefly mentioned as potential suitors as well. There’s no word on how much money it might take for either side to get hold of him.
The 3AM Verdict: To be honest, this is another story which is rather light on detail, especially when it comes to Everton and Bournemouth’s alleged interest. Delap has shown a few sparks of life since Rosenior’s arrival, however, so perhaps the new manager is keen to see what his striker can do before he’s sold – but Chelsea’s business model means that they’re seldom afraid to get rid of a player quickly if he’s deemed to be below par.