Your latest dose of Premier League transfer rumours, including Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Aston Villa and more
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We are already a third of the way through the January transfer window, with the rumours coming thick and fast as clubs across the Premier League look to improve in key areas ahead of the spring run-in.
The winter window is notoriously a difficult one, which means clubs rushing around to sign players quicker than ever. Or, if you are Manchester City, you secure the window’s most coveted player in Antoine Semenyo without even breaking a sweat.
We begin our latest Sunday morning round-up of the latest transfer gossip with a story which will certainly be enjoyed by Liverpool fans…
According to reports by Caught Offside breaking on Saturday afternoon, Tottenham Hotspur star defender Micky van de Ven has reportedly given the ‘green light’ to a shock transfer to Liverpool.
The 24-year-old is said to be ‘keen’ on a move to Anfield as he considers his future at Spurs following another below-par season for the north London side. Van de Ven is a long-term Reds target and has been touted as an ideal replacement for Netherlands team-mate and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. Real Madrid have also been linked with Van de Ven, who can play at left-back in addition to centre-back.
The 3AM verdict: We see no circumstance in which this deal could go through in January, but it might not entirely be out of the question for the future. Van de Ven deserves better than what Spurs can offer him at present, and Liverpool will need to sign a world-class left centre-half at some point soon. Real Madrid could provide serious competition, but we see the possibility of a big-money transfer in summer 2026 or 2027. Unless Spurs can secure a new deal, that is - it will be interesting to see which way this one goes.
Aston Villa may target surprise Tammy Abraham move
Meanwhile at Villa Park, The Telegraph report that a surprise option for a new centre-forward could be targeted by Aston Villa in the shape of Tammy Abraham.
The 28-year-old made a name for himself when he scored 25 Championship goals on loan at Villa in 2018/19 as they were promoted, before going on to shine for Chelsea in the Premier League. Now on the books at Roma, Abraham has scored 12 goals in 24 appearances on loan with Besiktas this term after falling out of favour in Serie A.
Reporting states that Unai Emery is looking for a ‘specialist striker’ this January to provide support and competition for Ollie Watkins as Villa look to ‘keep their title challenge alive’. But Besiktas’ reported £11.2m buy option could complicate a deal.
The 3AM verdict: There is no guarantee this move would pay off for Villa, as the last time Abraham played in the Premier League was back in 2020/21. The former England international has the ability to be a prolific goalscorer in the right environment, though, and Emery’s Villa outfit tends to offer just that to players who need a fresh start. It is likely they would need to secure a permanent deal, considering Abraham’s current loan situation at Besiktas. An Abraham Villa Park reunion would certainly be intriguing.
Mathys Tel ‘explores his options’ at Tottenham
Finally, we return to Tottenham once again amidst reports by BBC Sport that Mathys Tel is set to ‘explore his options’ away this January in hope of gaining a place in France’s World Cup squad.
The 20-year-old has made 19 appearances under Thomas Frank this season, but has struggled to nail down a place in the XI with just five starts, scoring three times. The former Bayern Munich forward only joined in a permanent £29.8m deal in the summer and it is unclear whether Spurs would sanction a departure, following the £35m sale of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace.
The 3AM verdict: Tel’s time at Spurs has never quite sat right with us, or seemed like a perfect match for either player or club. But the recent sale of Johnson indicated that Frank had faith in his remaining forward options.
While we respect Tel’s self-belief in seeking the move, it seems a little ambitious to target the World Cup since he has yet to make his debut for the French senior side. He may well reach a new level elsewhere, but we deem it unlikely that Spurs sanction an exit unless they can bring in a replacement first. No prospective destinations are noted, either, though Roma were previously said to be interested.