The latest Premier League transfer rumours analysed - with news from Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and more.
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We’re already over the halfway point of the January transfer window, but there’s a lot of business left to be done – and to help you keep track of all the likely comings and goings, we’re back with our latest round-up and review of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours.
Today, we start things off with a story for Tottenham Hotspur fans, who probably need a bit of exciting transfer news more than most – well, according to TeamTalk, they now “plan to convince” Real Madrid and Morocco winger Brahim Díaz to move to North London this month.
Díaz just finished the Africa Cup of Nations as the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals, but also missed the last-gasp penalty in Sunday’s final which cost his side the trophy. At least that means he has some experience of dealing with disappointment, which wouldn’t do a potential Spurs signing any harm.
Apparently Spurs are “keen” on the 26-year-old and have “already begun making moves” to make a transfer happen, although there’s no suggestion that serious negotiations have yet taken place. It’s said that discussions over the future of Thomas Frank won’t stop Spurs from making deals this month, and a winger like Díaz is “on Tottenham’s agenda.”
The 3AM Verdict: Díaz is one of those players who crops up in the gossip columns every window without fail and also without ever moving to the Premier League, but given that he’s only started three league games for Real this season, it’s hardly an implausible story. That said, we haven’t seen much corroboration of this story from sources we’d view as being more reliable, so we’ll stay sceptical for now.
Michael Carrick eyes former favourite for Manchester United move
Up to Old Trafford now, courtesy of a story from eager gossipmongers Caught Offside – who reckon that Manchester United could make a move for Hayden Hackney, a Middlesbrough and England Under-21 midfielder of whom interim manager Michael Carrick is a “long-term admirer” having coached him at the Riverside.
Spurs had been favourites to make a move for Hackney, apparently, but have “cooled their interest” after securing the signing of Conor Gallagher. That could put United at the head of the queue for the young holding midfielder, as the Red Devils “continue to track the player closely.”
Apparently Everton, Brighton and Fulham are all “monitoring Hackney closely” as well, but there’s no suggestion that any of his apparent suitors have yet made a move. Nor is any evidence provided that they will before this month’s deadline.
The 3AM Verdict: United seem to want to hold fire on signing a new midfielder until the summer, when starrier and frankly more expensive players such as Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba could be on the menu. Hackney will surely get a Premier League move eventually, but we haven’t seen anything to convince us it will happen this winter or that United are particularly strong candidates. Stranger things have happened, mind you.
Nottingham Forest ‘agree terms’ for striker signing
Let’s wrap up with a transfer tale from Fabrizio Romano, who took to social media earlier today to state that Nottingham Forest have "agreed all terms” on a transfer deal which would see them sign Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca – although the deal isn’t over the ‘here we go’ line just yet, apparently.
The deal would see them sign the 25-year-old forward on an initial €1m loan deal with a purchase option worth €35m (£30m), with Forest’s offer accepted after “many clubs’ calls.” Romano doesn’t name the other teams interested, but half of Serie A has been linked with a move in recent weeks, as have Besiktas and Benfica.
The decision now rests with Lucca himself, after Forest made their “best salary proposal so far” to the forward, and it’s not clear whether a better deal could wind up on the table before he makes his call.
The 3AM Verdict: Given the financial stature of the teams linked with Lucca in recent weeks, we suspect that Forest will make the most lucrative offer and get the deal over the line, but it’s always possible that he would prefer to stay in his homeland. We’ll find out soon enough, by the sound of it.