The latest Premier League transfer news with updates on Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and more
The three-week wait for Premier League football’s return is over, after England rounded off their opening four Nations League fixtures with a comfortable 3-0 win over Czechia. We’re gearing up for a blockbuster Gameweek 6 of Premier League action, with highlights including Man City’s trip to Liverpool and Arsenal hosting Leeds United in the weekend opener.
Meanwhile, Manchester United host Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford, Bournemouth travel to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and Newcastle United finish off the gameweek with some Monday night football at newly promoted Coventry City, who went into the international break in fine spirits after beating Nottingham Forest 1-0.
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Our daily rumours round-up starts off at Chelsea, who are facing increasing interest in their promising young defender Josh Acheampong. According to Team Talk, Newcastle, Liverpool, Arsenal, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace all hold interest in the England U21 international, who has made 50 senior appearances for the club across his four-year career.
The story says that while the 20-year-old’s contract won’t run out until 2028, the Blues are moving quickly to solidify his future at the club, and offer him an extension that runs through until 2032. Current manager Xabi Alonso is also said to be a big admirer of the player, and views him as a vital part of the squad going forward.
The 3AM Verdict: Chelsea have a troubled history of selling promising young players before they go on to become superstars elsewhere - Mohamed Salah and Kevin de Bruyne being the most notable pair. Acheampong is a great prospect and should already be a starter over Wesley Fofana, given how dire the defence has been so far this season. The Blues should give him that new deal, and start him more often too.
Aston Villa ‘long-term admirers’ of goal machine striker
Over in Portugal, Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis is gathering a growing list of admirers, with Aston Villa, Fulham and Tottenham all keen on the Greece international. That’s according to Caught Offside, who claim the prolific striker could be set for a big move away from the Portuguese top tier, although Benfica are said to be unwilling to sell in January.
The player has a hefty £85m release clause in his contract, which puts the Europa League side in a strong position when it comes to rebuffing any potential bids. The player is believed to be “interested” in a move to the Premier League, although rival interest from Barcelona could lure the 27-year-old to La Liga instead.
The 3AM Verdict: Shall we mention the cautionary tale of Viktor Gyokeres? He scored goals for fun in Portugal, but has really laboured since joining Arsenal. There’s no doubting that Pavlidis is a lethal finisher, but a big-money move for a player untested in the ‘big five’ European leagues is always a serious gamble. Aston Villa should look elsewhere, unless they can agree a fee at least half the value of his release clause.
Tottenham could swoop for Endrick in January
We’ll round things off in north London, where Tottenham are looking to haul their way off the bottom of the league table after a dismal start to the new season. Scoring goals has been their big failing, and according to Football Insider, they could look to solve this problem by making a loan move for Real Madrid gem Endrick.
The Spanish giants look to have already u-turned on their decision not to let the player leave on a temporary basis, as he continues to struggle to break into Jose Mourinho’s star-studded side. Tottenham are now said to be “alert” over Endrick’s situation, and could launch a move to bring him in come the new year.
The 3AM Verdict: Endrick looked excellent on loan at Lyon for the second half of last season, and staying shackled to Mourinho’s bench at the Bernabeu will be doing his development no good at all. Tottenham are light on numbers behind starting striker Dominic Solanke, and having Endrick as backup, or even to replace him, would be a great bit of business.