Running the rule over the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with stories from Spurs, Manchester United, Newcastle and more.
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The weekend is upon us, but while most of us put our feet up for a couple of days the world’s gossip columnists don’t plan to take a break – so we’re here with our latest round-up of the biggest and sometimes strangest new Premier League transfer rumours.
Let’s start with a story from TeamTalk which looks at Tottenham Hotspur’s January transfer plans – and alleges that they’ve settled on two transfer targets and are “ready to splash” a hefty £145m to bring them both to North London.
The players in question are Porto striker Samu Aghehowa and Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, who have release clauses worth £78m and £65m respectively (the article curiously claims that Port will accept £80m for Aghehowa but our understanding is that his release clause means that they wouldn’t have a choice).
Frank is said to want “firepower that terrifies defences” – the supposed words of an inside source – and these are alleged to be the players that Spurs have settled on to deliver it this January.
The 3AM Verdict: We’ve covered the interest in Semenyo in detail elsewhere and suspect that Spurs will have their work cut out to sign him, while Porto will force Spurs to pay off Aghehowa’s release clause (or close to it) if they want to buy him this January. There are a lot of stories like this which suggest that Spurs are going to spend very heavily this winter – we’ll find out if they’re true soon enough.
Arsenal & Manchester United join three-way race for Newcastle man
Let’s check out a story from Caught Offside now, which claims that not only do Manchester City have a “strong interest” in Newcastle’s Tino Livramento – a story that’s been circulating for a while now – but they may “face competition” from both Arsenal and Manchester United when they make their move.
Newcastle aren’t keen to sell Livramento, as you might expect, but it’s claimed that City will “test the Magpies’ resolve” either in January or over the summer and that Arsenal and United could come along for the ride. There’s no suggestion that he’s a priority signing for either side, simply that they will be “in the conversation” when the time comes.
Livramento, it’s claimed, isn’t planning to try and force a move away from St. James’ Park, which could make life easier for Eddie Howe if he wants to keep the full-back for the long term.
The 3AM Verdict: We’ve seen enough sources say that City are interested in Livramento to believe it, but we’re less certain about the other two teams here – there’s not been any real evidence of interest to date, and we certainly can’t imagine why Arsenal would need another full-back. We’re gently sceptical, and suspect that City are the only real suitors here.
Manchester United ‘preparing’ shock £87.5m bid
Let’s round today’s rumour digest off with perhaps the most improbable new story of the past 24 hours, which comes from Spanish outlet Fichajes – they reckon that Federico Valverde has “emerged as a target” for Manchester United as they search for a new midfielder, and they pay an awful lot to get their hands on him.
The article claims that United are “preparing a bid close to €100m” (£87.5m) for the Real Madrid man, whose relationship with manager Xabi Alonso is said to be deteriorating. There’s no word on whether Valverde is keen to leave the Bernabeu, but it’s implied that the Red Devils are keen to take advantage of the situation.
Bizarrely, it’s suggested that United want to sign Valverde as part of their “commitment to youth” – he’s 27 – and there’s no suggestion that any kind of formal contact has been made. Or, if we’re honest, any evidence of their alleged interest whatsoever.
The 3AM Verdict: The article doesn’t begin to back the claim of a huge transfer bid up, and that leaves us assuming that it’s pure speculation – especially given that we don’t have a high opinion of Fichajes’ historical record of accuracy. United need a midfielder, so they’re going to be linked with everyone, and if Valverde is of interest we suspect that’s a coincidence.