3 Added Minutes

Click here for more of our videos

on ShotsTV.com or watch on Freeview 262

Why Spurs could be set to sell Son Heung-Min this summer - and how they might replace him.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

A couple of weeks after the new Premier League season starts, on 28 August, Son Heung-Min will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the record transfer which took him from Bayer Leverkusen to Tottenham Hotspur, the club with which he will be forever associated. The only slight problem is that he might not be in North London to enjoy the occasion.

Signed for around £22m back in 2015, Son became the most expensive Asian player in history but would swifty prove to be worth every penny and more. 454 Spurs appearances and 173 Spurs goals later, he will go down as one of his team’s greatest players of the Premier League era, while very few neutral fans won’t have been happy to see the ever-smiling Son finally lift some silverware following the club’s Europa League triumph in Bilbao.

The swell of positive sentiment behind a deeply loveable player may not save him from the axe, however. Sentiment, in general, has little space in the modern game of cold hard stats and balance sheets – and according to The Daily Telegraph, he could be sold before he marks a decade at Spurs. But should they move on from one of their finest servants? And do they have the right replacement lined up?

Why Spurs really could sell Son Heung-Min this summer

It didn’t escape notice that Son, who will turn 33 before the start of next season, struggled to hit his usual high standards over the course of the past year.

A combined total of 27 goals and assists in the Premier League slipped back to 16, and his total of seven league goals was his worst tally since his debut campaign back at the old White Hart Lane, when he was yet to establish himself as a regular starter.

The data behind his performances isn’t all that damning in general, and stats which measure his ability to create chances for his team-mates suggest that he has improved, if anything, but the South Korean looked markedly less dangerous in front of goal.

He was shooting less often, less accurately, and was getting into fewer and fewer dangerous positions. His total expected goals of 7.2 was his lowest mark for a season since the stat started to be recorded in the 2017/18 season, and it more or less halved compared to the last two campaigns when you take penalty kicks out of the equation.

In short, Son, once second only to his old partner Harry Kane in terms of goal threat for Spurs, lost his bite. Under Ange Postecoglou, who has now been giving his marching orders, Spurs scored at a healthy rate and created plenty of opportunities, but a player who was once on the end of a great many and scored plenty of them was less incisive and almost less instinctive around the box.

The worry is that when a player starting to inch towards their mid-thirties shows signs of decay, it may be irreversible. Son’s struggles with a persistent foot injury over the closing weeks of the season may raise alarms too, given that he has so rarely failed to be healthy. There are signs that his time at Spurs may be drawing towards a natural conclusion.

Most of the time, that might have meant a farewell tour as he plays out the final year of his current contract with Tottenham. Few players have done more to earn the right to the tearful goodbye as they soak up the adulation of the crowd on a pre-planned date after one last year. But since when did modern football care for such moving scenes? Certainly not since the Saudi Pro League reared its head.

The Telegraph claim that there is sincere interest from Saudi teams in a player who remains immensely marketable in Asia, and while the specific team is not mentioned – nor the inevitably inflated financial details that might be involved – the suggestion is that Spurs would happily cash out given an unexpected opportunity to do so.

It would be a cold and calculating move, but then chairman Daniel Levy has repeatedly claimed that Spurs are operating under tighter financial restrictions than might be expected and selling the ageing and latterly underwhelming Son would open up some breathing space in the coming transfer window. It would be an unpleasant, unsentimental decision. It may also be the right one.

The suggestion seems to be that Spurs are ready to accept that Son’s time in north London is drawing to a natural close, and will cash in if they can. But do they have the right replacement in mind?

Could Yoane Wissa replace Son Heung-Min at Tottenham?

If Son does leave, of course, a replacement will be called for – likely one who would cost more than the money brought in by selling the South Korean. Still, it may make economic sense to replace him at less of a loss now than to wait a year.

The Athletic’s recent transfer reporting named just one player as being firmly on Spurs’ shortlist for the next few months: versatile Brentford forward winger Yoane Wissa, who typically operates as a number nine for his current club but can play on the left wing and usually does so for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The 28-year-old is older than the players Spurs normally sign, and likely wouldn’t come cheap given that Brentford rejected offers in the region of £20m outright in January, but likely offers the kind of penetrative goal threat that Son failed to provide last season, even if he may not have all of the same guile and creativity. In this last transfer window, the Evening Standard claimed that the Bees wouldn’t sell their star forward for a penny less than £40m.

Wissa scored 19 times this last year, his best tally yet by some distance, and it’s hard to argue with the quality or precision of his finishing or his capacity to find half a yard in the penalty area when required.

With Dominic Solanke spending rather too much time on the treatment table this year, Spurs could do with a player who could cover the central striker role while also offering firepower from the flank, and while Wissa doesn’t play on the left in the Premier League often enough for us to have the data to know if he’d be quite as threatening there as he is through the middle, he clearly has most of the right skill set.

He may not replicate Son’s ability to tee chances up, however. Positional responsibilities will once again play a role, but Wissa created fewer than half as many shooting chances per game compared to Son last season and registered just four assists. Even digging into the minutiae, he completes far fewer passes in and around the box and beats defenders on the dribble considerably less often compared to the player he might replace.

Wissa, in short, can’t be counted on as a wellspring of opportunity for those around him, and signing him to play on the left would hint at the need for a slight change of tack to emphasise chance creation in other areas – hopefully with the reward being more players who can score regularly getting into more threatening positions.

It could well work. Having two players who know where the back of the net is in Solanke and Wissa might pay dividends, even if they would have a long way to go to replicate the success of Son and Kane. But Wissa lacks Son’s all-round game despite his prolific record in front of goal.

That being said, replacing Son straight up won’t be easy whoever Spurs sign. The Athletic’s reporting does not hint at the story linking Son to Saudi Arabia, and as such it can’t be taken to mean that Levy or his transfer team view Wissa as a direct replacement. It may well be that if Son leaves and Wissa comes in, another left winger would be on the menu anyway, especially with the likelihood that Richarlison, Timo Werner, Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon all leave on permanent deals.

But Wissa taking over from Son is an intriguing prospect. He scores goals, and statistically sits among the best strikers in the league. He’s versatile, and if he could strike up an understanding with the players who would play around him – especially Solanke and James Maddison – there could be plenty to get excited about.

No Spurs fan will be happy to see Son leave, especially if he doesn’t get the chance to say a proper goodbye in a year’s time in front of the fans who have adored him for the past decade. It may be time, however, and Wissa may well be a replacement that dries the eyes reasonably swiftly. What’s more, there’s every chance that Thomas Frank could be at the helm of Spurs next season - it might just be a match made in heaven.

Tottenham Hotspur have an important summer on the recruitment front coming up

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur need to bring in some more quality this summer. Ange Postecoglou’s long-term future is up in the air after their tough season in the Premier League. He will be hoping that their Europa League triumph can keep him in a job.

Finishing in 17th place is unacceptable for a club of their size and stature though. The board have a big decision to make regarding their managerial situation. In the meantime, they will be keeping an eye out for potential targets in the window.

Tottenham Hotspur could target Jack Grealish swoop

Jack Grealish’s situation at Manchester City is up in the air at this moment in time. The winger hasn’t been at the top of his game for a while and Pep Guardiola will need to start thinking about whether he is part of his long-term plans at the Etihad Stadium. The Telegraph has reported that he has been left out of their squad for the Club World Cup, which strongly suggests a summer departure is beckoning.

If he is given the green light to head out the exit door for a new start somewhere else, Spurs should try and lure him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Grealish, 29, would be ideal for the London club. They would also be a perfect next home for him and could provide him with the platform to show what he can do. He isn’t guaranteed a starting place at City every week and could do with going somewhere he will be.

He is option for Spurs, Football Transfers claim, and their chances of getting him have been boosted by the fact Newcastle United are not interested in a move over the next couple of months, as per The Athletic. Caught Offside report his price tag is around the £43 million mark. Therefore, suitors will need to fork out decent money to try and secure his services - but the fee will be nothing compared to the £100m the Citizens splashed out to sign him from Aston Villa back in 2021.

Why Jack Grealish would suit Tottenham Hotspur

Grealish would add more competition and depth to Spurs’ attacking ranks. He would give them something different to what they have at their disposal already. In addition, he could inject some useful experience and know-how into their dressing room.

The England international, who has 39 caps under his belt, has been playing at the top level for the past four years now and has won a hatful of trophies. He will have learnt a lot under the guidance of Guardiola. The Birmingham-born man will have also developed a winning mentality.

Grealish rose up through the academy ranks at Aston Villa and was a regular for them at various different youth levels. He was loaned out as a youngster to Notts County in the Football League to boost his development. Upon his return to Villa Park, he broke into their first-team.

He went on to become a key player for Villa and played 213 games in the end, scoring 32 goals. That form earned him a big-money transfer to City four years ago and he hasn’t looked back. Grealish has made 157 outings for the North West club and has found the net on 17 occasions, winning the league title, Champions League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup along the way.

If City were to sign someone in his position though, he will get pushed down the pecking order. This would be a good time for them to cash in on him, especially with him about to enter his 30s. If he does become available, he should look no further than Spurs to be his next destination in a deal that would suit both parties.

Son Heung-min could well leave Tottenham this summer, and Grealish would be the ideal signing to replace the club icon. Wages, of course, could well prove to be a stumbling block, but the lure of regular first team football, Champions League football and the lavish lifestyle a footballer can enjoy living in London could well be too great an opportunity for Grealish to turn down.

Click here for more of our videos

on ShotsTV.com or watch on Freeview 262

Rounding up the latest Premier League transfer rumours, with news from Chelsea, Spurs, Manchester United and more.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

With the transfer window finally open for business and the first major deals already getting done, it’s going to be hard to keep track of all the latest stories – luckily, we at 3 Added Minutes will be here every single morning right through the summer with our round-up of the latest new Premier League transfer rumours to help you stay up-to-date.

Let’s kick today’s quick-fire digest off with news of a “fierce race” for an established Premier League full-back that’s being reported by Caught Offside. They claim that Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and AC Milan are all doing battle for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pervis Estupiñán – and that the Ecuadorian is available for a fairly reasonable fee.

It’s claimed that the Seagulls have slapped a price tag of €40-45m (roughly £33.5-38m) on their left-back, who remains under contract at the Amex for two more years but who has enough clubs interested to “prompt negotiations” over the coming months.

Chelsea and Spurs are said to be “particularly enthusiastic” about the player, and the two London sides supposedly see the 27-year-old as a “key asset”. United, meanwhile, have allegedly made an enquiry already.

The 3AM Verdict: There are no claims that any bids have been lodged nor have personal terms been discussed, so we’re too far away from a move to know how much of this report is true. We can imagine Chelsea being interested, given their left-back situation, but Spurs already have Destiny Udogie, while United recently investment in the largely impressive Patrick Dorgu. We’re not ruling anything out, but would be surprised if this was a priority move for either side.

Manchester United ‘accelerate’ goalkeeper bid

Over to a story which concerns Manchester United alone this time – the Old Trafford outfit have long been rumoured to be looking for a replacement for goalkeeper André Onana, and now TeamTalk claim that they are set to “accelerate” and indeed “escalate” a bid for AS Roma’s Mile Svilar.

The Red Devils have supposedly made “significant moves” for the Belgian stopper in the last week or so, and view him as a “value-for-money” option between the sticks having monitored the 25-year-old for “some time”.

Roma are purportedly set to demand a fee in the area of €25-30m (£21-25m) for Svilar, who is contracted to the Italian team for another two years. United aren’t the only club keeping tabs, mind you: Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and AS Monaco are all mentioned as being at least somewhat interested.

The 3AM Verdict: We’re not sure about the veracity of that long list of suitors, but United have indeed been watching the impressive Svilar for a while and do seem set to buy a new goalkeeper, so we don’t doubt that exploratory discussions are taking place. Whether they’re as advanced or ‘accelerated’ as implied in this article, however, remains to be seen. United do seem to be in a hurry to do their business quickly, so it may well all be entirely true.

Crystal Palace tracking two defenders

We’ll wrap up this morning with two stories for Crystal Palace fans – stories which may or may not contradict each other, depending on just how many centre-backs the Eagles need to buy over the coming months.

For starters, Sport Witness have dug up reports which suggest that Oliver Glasner’s side are keen on Juventus defender Tiago Djaló, who has been on loan at Porto of late. With the Portuguese side not interested in a permanent deal and Juve keen to sell, a deal could be “easy to get done”, with speculation that he may be available for as little as €5m (£4.2m).

Just as that report emerges, French media outlet L’Equipe claim that actually Palace want to buy Burnley centre-half Maxime Estève, and that they have made the 23-year-old “their defensive priority”.

Everton have also been “pressing” for Estève’s signature, supposedly, while Bayern Munich have expressed interest to “a lesser extent”. No word on how much he might cost or whether Burnley would let him leave following their promotion. He’s tied to Turf Moor until 2029, so perhaps a less ‘easy’ deal to get over the line.

The 3AM Verdict: There isn’t much detail on the Estève story, which is often an accuracy red flag, and with him glued to a long-term contract it’s not the kind of deal which gets done very often. Still, it’s possible. As for Djaló, it’s a reasonable enough suggestion if Palace want to add some depth. The 25-year-old was impressive in France before his ill-fated move to Turin.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to add more quality to their ranks this summer

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur have an important summer ahead of them as they prepare for the 2025/26 season. The London outfit are back in the Champions League after their Europa League win. They beat fellow Premier League side Manchester United 1-0 in the final in Bilbao last month to secure the trophy.

They finished in a disappointing 17th place in the league though and need to perform better next term. Ange Postecoglou’s side have the opportunity to bring in some new players when the transfer window opens for business. They could do with getting a few quality additions through the door to boost their squad.

Whether their manager is the man at the helm come the start of next season is still yet to be seen - the former Celtic boss is widely tipped to be axed during the summer months, with the likes of Brentford’s Thomas Frank believed to be in with a shot of becoming the club’s next head coach. Regardless of the main man in the dugout, it’s expected to be a summer of major change in terms of playing personnel, with the Athletic suggesting the club have an enormous transfer budget in the region of £200m ready to spend on new players.

Tottenham Hotspur could target Noni Madueke from rivals Chelsea

According to a report by The Guardian, Chelsea will listen to offers for winger Noni Madueke. The attacker may well move on if his price tag, which Fichajes claim is around the £50million mark, is met.

Madueke, 23, would be a shrewd addition for Spurs if they were able to lure him away from Stamford Bridge. A change of scene would do him good and he needs to go somewhere he is guaranteed regular minutes. His contract with the Blues expires in June 2030 but it is yet to be known whether he will be sticking around.

He was actually on the books of Spurs from 2014 to 2018 as a youngster after arriving from Crystal Palace. However, he didn’t stay long enough to break into their first-team. He left seven years ago to embark on a new challenge abroad at PSV and his decision to get out of his comfort zone in Holland worked out well for him.

Why Noni Madueke would suit Tottenham Hotspur this summer

Madueke would be worth a gamble for Spurs and would add more competition and depth to their attacking department. Chelsea swooped to land him back in 2023 and he has since endured a mixed spell there. Nevertheless, he has bags of potential and at the age of only 23 still, he has plenty of time on his side to grow and develop down the line.

The England international, who has five caps to his name, has scored 20 goals in 87 games for the Blues so far, 11 of which came in this past campaign. He caught their eye in the Eredivisie at PSV and he found the net on 20 occasions in 80 outings for the Eindhoven club. That proves he has an eye for goal from the wing and can be a real threat cutting in on his left foot from the right.

Both Kevin de Bruyne and Mohamed Salah infamously didn’t pull up any trees at Chelsea and went on to become world stars. Although Madueke is unlikely to reach the same heights as them, there is no reason why he can’t go on and win trophies on a consistent basis if he did leave. Spurs need to make some smart signings and they could do a lot worse than luring Madueke back to his former team.

Tottenham Hotspur have an important couple of months ahead on the transfer front

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur have the chance to bring in some new faces this summer. They also have the opportunity to let players head out the exit door when the next transfer window opens up for business to help free up space and funds. Ange Postecoglou's side finished the 2024/25 season in a disappointing 17th place in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, they were able to get their hands on the Europa League trophy. The London outfit beat Manchester United in the final in Bilbao. That result also means that they will be competing in the Champions League again next term which is a big boost.

Tottenham Hotspur could strike Jadon Sancho transfer deal this summer

Jadon Sancho’s future is up in the air at the moment and it remains to be seen where he will be playing his football from now on. He has spent this past campaign on loan at Chelsea from rivals Manchester United. As per Sky Sports, Enzo Maresca’s side have a £25million obligation to buy him permanently and will have to pay £5million if they send him back to Old Trafford.

If he doesn’t end up moving to Stamford Bridge on a full-time basis, Spurs should try and snap him up instead. It is unlikely that he has a future ahead of him with his parent club under Ruben Amorim. Therefore, another move somewhere else wouldn’t be a surprise over the next couple of months.

Sancho, 25, would give Postecoglou another option to pick from going forward if they were to sign him. He has proven himself in the top flight in the past and needs to find a home where he is guaranteed regular first-team fotball. The England international is still relatively young and has plenty of time left ahead of him at the top level.

A report by Fichajes last winter suggested he was a player who Spurs were admirers of. He played 41 games for Chelsea after linking up with them from United, 31 of which came in the league. The London-born man chipped in with five goals.

Tottenham Hotspur could be perfect Jadon Sancho home

Sancho would inject more competition and depth into Spurs’ ranks and would give them something different to what they already have. Postecoglou could do with adding some more quality into his squad after a tough season. Despite winning the Europa League, they still have a lot of work to do and must ensure that they get their recruitment right.

Both Chelsea and United would be kicking themselves if Sancho went somewhere like the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and immediately hit the ground running. That wouldn’t be a surprise either and he is someone who has proved in the past that he can tear it up on the big stage. Going back to his time at Borussia Dortmund, he was one of the most promising talents in Europe.

Sancho moved over to Germany back in 2017 as a youngster after a spell at Manchester City. He broke into the first-team of the Bundesliga giants and fired 50 goals in 137 matches. That earned him a big-money switch to United but his time back in England hasn’t quite gone to plan yet though.

Click here for more of our videos

on ShotsTV.com or watch on Freeview 262

A round-up of the biggest transfer rumours from the Premier League - with news from Liverpool, Man Utd and Tottenham.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

The 2024/25 season is firmly in the books, but the summer transfer window has only just begun as teams begin strengthening their squads a little earlier than usual in preparation for the Club World Cup.

The first window of opportunity which applies to all teams falls between 1 June and 10 June, before transfer activity resumes once opening again just six days later from 16 June until 1 September.

As it stands, Liverpool have been the most active team this summer and after securing the £29.5m addition of Jeremie Frimpong and a reported £8.4m for Trent Alexander-Arnold to leave a month early with his contract expiring, it’s suspected that it won’t be long before further names are added to their star-studded team with Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz seemingly being the next names on the list.

However, it’s also widely reported that Liverpool will be in the market for further attacking reinforcements this summer as well, and one player that is thought to rank highly on their list is Yankuba Minteh. The Gambian international, 20, has enjoyed a breakout season for Brighton & Hove Albion after a £30 million move from Newcastle United last summer.

The North East club didn’t want to sell Minteh at the time but found their hands tied amid concerns about breaching PSR in a frantic 24 hour period which also saw Elliot Anderson depart to Nottingham Forest and enjoy similar success.

Liverpool target bold move for Yankuba Minteh

Champions Liverpool are now eyeing a move to sign electric Brighton star Yankuba Minteh this summer, according to Stretty News. The outlet explains the Reds are huge fans of the young right-winger, who has scored seven goals and registered five assists in 37 appearances across all competitions this term.

Minteh is primarily a right-sided winger, renowned for his exceptional speed, agility and workrate. He ranks 12th in terms of goal creating actions per 90 in the entire division this season and ranks in the 96th percentile for tackles and 97th for clearances amongst wingers in Europe.

The winger is progressing at a rapid rate and is seen as someone that could provide long-term competition for Mohamed Salah and offer further squad depth next season. However, Man United are also thought to be keeping a close eye on proceedings due to the young winger’s ability to slot into Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, as per Caught Offside.

The 3AM verdict: Yankuba Minteh is developing into a fine footballer and at just 20-years-of-age already looks at home in the Premier League.

He could prove a suitable option for United in the wing-back role due to his ability to bomb up the pitch and track back in equal measure, while he’d also suit Liverpool in many ways by giving the club an option from the bench. However, at this stage of his career staying at Brighton could be the best bet for his development and also for the Seagulls as his valuation is only likely to increase with each passing season.

Tottenham Ready to Trigger £68m Release Clause

Tottenham Hotspur are back in the Champions League and reportedly ready to make a statement of intent by activating the £68m release clause of Crystal Palace FA Cup hero Eberechi Eze, as per reports from GiveMeSport.

The Lilywhites finished last term in 17th and are in desperate need of recruits to cope with the demands of Europe’s elite competition while also climbing the league table. Eze has enjoyed his finest individual campaign of his career to date with 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 matches across all competitions and will have high hopes of representing England at next summer’s World Cup.

The 3AM verdict: Eze is arguably one of the most talented players in Crystal Palace’s recent history and a key figure in the club’s progress into European football for the first time in the club’s history. He’s someone that would slot into most teams in the league and would be an asset for a club like Tottenham despite competition from Dejan Kuluveski, Heung Min-Son, Brennand Johnson and potentially Richarilson in the wide areas.

It’s a move that makes sense from a Tottenham perspective in a lot of ways due to the quality he’d offer them, but their priorities should lay in defensive areas after a season where they have leaked 65 goals alone in the league. They should only really move for Eze if they can get other attackers out of the door and should first be prioritising the backline and defensive midfield options.

Click here for more of our videos

on ShotsTV.com or watch on Freeview 262

Assessing the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal and more.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

It’s Transfer Window Eve Eve (as all the kids are calling it these days) with less than 48 hours until what promises to be a historic summer of spending kicks off, and we start with a side who have exploded onto the rumour mill in recent days: Tottenham Hotspur.

The usually frugal north London club look set to splash the cash garnered from their Champions League qualification heist in Bilbao and are seeking reinforcement to their forward line having added Dominic Solanke for a club record fee last summer.

And talkSPORT understands Ange Postecoglou is eyeing up a move for Christopher Nkunku who is set to finally leave Chelsea having come close to a January exit. Bayern Munich were the potential destination then but were put off by Enzo Maresca’s staff demanding more than £50m for the forward who scored three Premier League goals this season.

Tottenham aren’t so easily dissuaded though. Nkunku flourished at RB Leipzig, making an astounding 90 goal contributions in 119 Bundesliga games, which inspired Chelsea to trigger his £52m release clause in 2023. Nkunku signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge so Chelsea are in no rush to sell, but would welcome the opportunity to break even or make a small profit on the mercurial Frenchman who would sprinkle some stardust on Tottenham’s attack.

The 3AM Verdict: Nkunku boasts a genuine triple-threat in the final third, possessing the ability to beat a defender with the ball at his feet, pick a pass to create a goal-scoring opportunity or get on the end of one to finish himself. That would fit well in Postecoglou’s system which relies on unpredictability caused by rotation across the attacking five, though Nkunku’s failure to fire in the Premier League so far is cause for concern.

Newcastle United prepared to battle Arsenal and Liverpool for Rodrygo

Yesterday we reported that Newcastle are chasing an audacious double-swoop for Marc Guehi and Bryan Mbeumo and it’s now emerged that another, even bigger, name is firmly on Eddie Howe’s radar.

With Newcastle apparently not bothered by their rumoured Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) handicap, they’re lining up a £68m bid for the Brazilian according to Fichajes. Rodrygo, Guehi and Mbuemo would take the Magpies’ summer spending up to £178m after three successive lean windows, and could make Newcastle contenders for Premier League and European glory.

Highly rated by his Los Blancos teammates, Rodrygo has been a critical part of Real Madrid’s last two Champions League triumphs including decisive knockout goals against Chelsea and Manchester City, and it’s no surprise that the first season his influence has waned on Carlo Ancelotti’s side has coincided with their worst continental showing in five years.

Howe guiding his side back to the top table of European football means there’s a larger transfer kitty available and Rodrygo would be the perfect statement signing at St James’ Park, which has the potential to replicate Anfield on Champions League nights - remember Newcastle demolishing Kylian Mbappe’s PSG there in 2023?

The 3AM Verdict: Newcastle’s bid falls some way short of Real Madrid’s €100m (£85m) asking price for Rodrygo, with Arsenal and Liverpool also chasing the Brazilian. Those rivals have other cheaper winger targets and Rodrygo would likely enjoy returning the limelight after he’s been sidelined at the Bernabeu, yet this still feels like a long shot for Howe to pull off.

Fabrizio Romano hands Arsenal double transfer boost

Fabrizio Romano has reported Arsenal have “started moving initial concrete talks” for RB Leipzig frontman Benjamin Sesko. Sesko scored at just under a goal every other game for the east German side and has been targeted by Chelsea and Manchester United, though is set to cost his next club an eye-watering £92.5m.

However, Arsenal are desperate for a goal-scoring centre forward after making do with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Mikel Merino, while Sesko would’ve been automatically worth that sum if he’d been able to convert some of the Gunners’ golden opportunities against PSG and send them to the Champions League final.

Meanwhile Romano also tweeted that Arsenal are set to tie down Gabriel Magalhaes to a long-term extension running until 2030. The Brazilian’s partnership with William Saliba has been the bedrock on which Mikel Arteta has rebuilt the Gunners and alongside a spending spree, locking down superstars like Gabriel, Saliba and Bukayo Saka is a key aim in north London this summer.

The 3AM Verdict: Sesko is exactly the mould of player that Arteta needs to take Arsenal to the next level, and he’s also the type of marquee signing that the Gunners have too often missed out on all the way back to their infamous £40,000,001 bid for Luis Suarez. Getting the rest of Gabriel’s prime years is another major win.

Click here for more of our videos

on ShotsTV.com or watch on Freeview 262

Ruben Amorim must sell some Manchester United stars to raise his summer transfer budget

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has had some perverted reverse of the Midas touch throughout his sporting endeavours, and the latest dose of that at Old Trafford looks set to cost Manchester United one of their brightest established stars, which could benefit Tottenham Hotspur.

Whether it’s watching the all-conquering Mercedes and Team Sky turn into F1 and Tour de France also-rans, abandoning Britain’s sailing team straight after reaching the America’s Cup final or keeping FC Lausanne Sport as a yo-yo club in Switzerland, Ratcliffe’s presence in has proved the kiss of death so far in sporting boardrooms.

Indeed, Ratcliffe’s best success on the field, tarmac or water this season has been Nice who qualified for the Champions League after finishing fourth in Ligue 1, when he and his team were “Not been allowed to get involved because of multi-club ownership rules”.

In that interview with The Times, Ratcliffe went on to say: “They’ve been so much better without our interference! Maybe there’s a lesson there as well, you know.”

Yet his presence at the Estadio San Mames to watch Manchester United pathetically concede the Europa League to Tottenham shows he’s not taking that lesson on board regarding his biggest and boldest sporting venture, as that defeat has turned a poor situation at Manchester United into a truly dire one.

Their failure to qualify for any European football next season combined with Ebenezer Ratcliffe’s draconian hands controlling the purse strings means Ruben Amorim will be forced to raise a lot of his transfer budget through player sales this summer. The ex-Sporting boss is targeting an overhaul at Old Trafford to enable the Red Devils to compete with the rest of the big six (and ASEAN All-Stars) once again, with Erik ten Hag’s leftover squad apparently proving unfit for purpose in Amorim’s system.

Bruno Fernandes, who may have saved Manchcester United from a relegation battle this campaign, is among those on the chopping block but Kobbie Mainoo would be even more valuable if United can tempt a big offer and he could be a perfect fit for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou.

Kobbie Mainoo is Tottenham Hotspur’s one-man fix to two problems

With Manchester United looking to quickly raise cash, academy graduates are the most treasured prize of all as they can be booked as pure profit on the club’s ledgers; welcome to the romance of football in 2025.

There are varying reports on Manchester United’s exact asking price for Mainoo, from £55 million to north of £80m, but Tottenham have the bounty of Champions League qualification to spend and Mainoo would be much-needed midfield upgrade for Postecoglou. A big weakness for Tottenham this season has been their inability to beat the press, with teams hemming them into their defensive third and Postecoglou strictly forbidding any balls long up to the halfway line or beyond.

They’ve been dispossessed more times than anyone else in the Premier League except Newcastle and attempt the fourth-fewest long passes in the division, so it’s integral to have quality ball players in central or holding midfield. And they don’t come much better in that mould than Mainoo.

He ranks in the top 4% of central midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons and is also in the top quintile for progressive passes received, as teammates trust him enough to give him the ball under pressure knowing that more often than not he can escape that defender.

It’s the main reason the 20-year-old was drafted into England’s starting lineup at last summer’s Euros once the Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment failed and Connor Gallagher couldn’t kickstart the Three Lions, and Mainoo duly started every single knockout game for Gareth Southgate.

Mainoo is also extremely versatile in the final third, ranking highly among central midfielders for carries into the penalty area and passes that lead to goals excluding set pieces, while the stats suggest he’d have doubled his assist tally at Manchester United if he’d spent it in the service of even average strikers rather than Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund.

With Postecoglou’s system so heavily reliant on interchangeable groups on the edge of the penalty area, this Swiss Army knife ability would be invaluable. As would his strong defensive edge and effectiveness against counter-attacks, which Tottenham often found themselves scrambling to stop last season.

Spurs have also been linked with Angel Gomes and the free agent would thrive similarly at Tottenham Hotspur, but Mainoo’s skill and composure in possession under pressure, and effectiveness in the final third would be a better fit if Postecoglou truly wants to make a splash this summer

Manchester United forced into lose-lose situation

Manchester United will be thanking their lucky stars that Mainoo signed a long-term extension at Old Trafford in 2023 that has still has two years remaining, but the way they could be forced to sell one of their best players is endemic of cannibalisation the Red Devils have performed since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure 12 years ago.

Incoming managers have been given ever-increasing budgets and influence over transfers, which have almost universally proven ineffective at the time and then unusable to their successor, while the pipeline from the legendary Red Devils academy to the first team has grown increasingly clogged.

Barcelona have shown how a team can escape financial trouble with talented youth products forming the core of the starting XI, but equally important has been the revenue raised by sales from the academy.

Selling Nico Gonzalez, Marc Guiu, Chadi Riad and Estanis Pedrola raised €39.2m (£32.8m) with negligible negative impact to matchday performance but it’s hard to see who could have a similar impact for the Red Devils outside of established stars like Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho or Amad Diallo. Both players exemplify another problem at Old Trafford; player development (or lack of it).

Mainoo played a full 90 minutes only once more under Amorim than he did under Ten Hag this Premier League season despite the Dutchman leaving in October, and deployed higher up the pitch with predictably low-key results. Garnacho and Marcus Rashford are among the crowd of other players to go backwards after breaking into the first team, and both are for sale this summer.

None of that is a concern to Tottenham though, who have the opportunity to supercharge their attack and reinforce their defence while weakening one of their rivals - a chance Postecoglou can’t afford to pass up.

Click here for more of our videos

on ShotsTV.com or watch on Freeview 262

Ange Postecoglou is preparing for a busy summer transfer window and a Bayern Munich free agent is on his radar

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to bolster their squad ahead of their return to the Champions League, and could bring back a Premier League great back to England’s top flight for free in the process. Ange Postecoglou was clear that he’s prioritising experience at the top level of European football on his summer shopping list, as he looks to fulfill his promise that season three will be better than season two.

"If we do some good business in the transfer market, obviously bring some experience in, I'm not talking about age, I'm talking about players who have played at this level and can help the team, then I've got no doubt we can make the impact we want," Postecoglou told reporters.

"Not just us but any club that gets into the Champions League, I think understands that. It's the most elite competition in Europe and it's a great demand.

"So I think every club that gets into the Champions League sees it as an opportunity to strengthen with experience, players who have played at that level, who are going to be comfortable at that level, not players who are stepping up to that level. That's the difference.”

With that in mind, the forward line will be an obvious focus. The attacking quartet that started the Europa League final in Bilbao (Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke) somewhat lacks firepower and boasts a combined 514 career Champions League minutes, 71% via the Brazilian alone.

And as Leroy Sane’s contract expires at Bayern Munich, Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol and Michael Bridge say the German has been offered to Tottenham on a free transfer.

Sane fills Tottenham need up front

Of Tottenham’s forwards currently under contract for next season, only Son Heung-Min and Mathys Tel have started in a Champions League knockout win. Meanwhile Sane has 73 Champions League appearances under his belt and has produced goals in some memorable moments.

His first ever goal in the competition was an equaliser against Real Madrid helping Schalke beat Los Blancos 4-3 at the Bernabeu, and he also popped up with a goal that looked like it’d help Bayern Munich reach the 2024 final at Real Madrid’s expense before Joselu’s inexplicable brace proved otherwise.

Sane’s presence would also take less pressure off Spurs’ impressive crop of budding attacking youngsters including Will Lankshear, Mikey Moore, Dane Scarlett and Oyindamola Ajayi, all of which netted in the Europa League this season and were used pretty heavily by Postecoglou.

They could do with a longer-term introduction to regular first-team action at the very highest level, at a time when the post-Son era is coming to an end in North London.

A bonafide Spurs legend, this seasons saw Son rack up his fewest Premier League minutes since moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and he was just 70 off his making it his lowest ever for the club across a campaign. The classy South Korean will be 33 when Spurs kick off their 2025/26 campaign while somewhat incredibly, Sane will still be in 20s and could provide a good fit for Postecoglou too.

Sane still has much to offer Premier League

Despite falling off English football fans’ radars somewhat since leaving these shores, Sane has made 85 more appearances for Bayern Munich than he did at Manchester City and clocked more goals and assists there as well.

This season has seen the German score 13 times in all competitions including one in the Champions League, and he’s made six assists in 45 games overall - respectable numbers for a player who’s split his appearances pretty evenly between the bench and the starting XI. Sane remains in the picture for the national team too - starting in both of Germany’s knockout games at least summer’s Euros, and each leg of their March Nations League quarter-finals win against Italy.

He retains the pace that was such a problem for Premier League defences while wearing sky blue and has a better non-penalty expected goals and assist than 94% of the wingers in Europe’s top five leagues in the past year.

Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy is aimed at getting the ball into rotations of players on the edge of the final third who can all make a pass to a teammate running in behind or drive at the penalty area themselves and Sane is comfortable doing either, while his defensive work isn’t to be sniffed at.

And most importantly, his ability to cut inside from the right flank onto his left foot and open fire remains as deadly as ever - just ask Bundesliga defenders this season. He’s clearly not quite the same all-round package as before but Sane remains a high-class free signing for Postecoglou to kickstart Spurs’ summer transfer window with.

Click here for more of our videos

on ShotsTV.com or watch on Freeview 262

Assessing the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds and more.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

There’s only two more sleeps until the summer transfer window swings open, though there’s not much rest for Premier League clubs as they prepare for the 2025/26 campaign as this latest hit of transfer news and gossip shows, featuring six top-flight teams starting with Newcastle United.

Newcastle had been expected to spend this summer on the defensive, fighting to keep hold of stars like Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak under the cloud of potential Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) trouble.

The club is also still reeling from the shock departure of sporting director Paul Mitchell, who replaced Dan Ashworth in 2024 and had butted heads with Howe behind the scenes, while their CEO for almost all of the Magpies’ Saudi era is stepping down for medical reasons at the end of the season.

However, with England reportedly keen to appoint Eddie Howe as national team manager there must be a concerted effort to show the 47-year-old the potential still available to him on Tyneside after he captured Newcastle’s first trophy in 56 years. With that in mind, the Magpies are targeting an audacious double-swoop from their Premier League rivals with The Telegraph reporting Howe is interested in Marc Guehi and Bryan Mbeumo.

With a year remaining on his contract, Guehi isn’t short of admirers this summer as Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been linked with the centre-back. Spurs saw a £70 million bid rejected by Crystal Palace in January but Guehi is now expected to be available for a discount, at around £50m.

Similarly, fellow Londoner Mbeumo has one year left on his contract and is set to cost £50-£60m from Brentford after the best season of his career. The Cameroon international hit 20 Premier League goals as the Bees finished 10th, and is also a Manchester United target especially if they miss out on Matheus Cunha.

The 3AM Verdict: Both players fit Howe’s target profile of pace at both ends of the pitch and the offer of Champions League football will be an attractive one. However, there is a question of realism. It’s hard to believe Newcastle could sign Mbuemo while keeping hold of their other star attackers and the monetary competition for Guehi’s services should be fierce.

Spurs attempt to hijack Reds’ pursuit of Simons

Xavi Simons has been part of Arne Slot’s raft of summer targets, but a new suitor has emerged in the form of Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham.

ESPN report Spurs are monitoring the situation between Simons and Liverpool, which was rumoured before news of the Reds’ blockbuster £100m+ pursuit of Florian Wirtz exploded onto the rumour mill. Wirtz would occupy the number 10 spot that Simons currently calls home, meanwhile the Dutchman would become the new star at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Postecoglou looks to make a rare splash in the transfer market.

Tottenham are desperate to bolster their attacking options while RB Leipzig could make a quick buck on Simons - after signing him permanently at the end of January for €50m they’ve now set an €80m (£67.3m) price tag for a player who’s made 44 goal contributions across the Bundesliga and Champions League in his last two seasons.

The 3AM Verdict: Tottenham could be the perfect landing spot for Simons. The creative wizard would instantly upgrade the attacking quartet of Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke that started the Europa League final and seems at his best when he’s the biggest fish in his pond, which would be the case at Spurs.

Leeds United return to race for Kalimuendo

Sharpening Leeds’ attack is a top priority for Daniel Farke this summer, as he’s been handed £150 million to try and become the first promoted side to survive in the Premier League since 2023.

The Yorkshiremen have been linked with Callum Wilson on a free and young Ukrainian international Vladyslav Vanat already ahead of the transfer window opening, but a new name has emerged to potentially challenge Joel Piroe and lead the Leeds line - Arnaud Kalimuendo. Leeds got very close to signing the striker for £21m ahead of their Premier League relegation season, though their attack was still better than eight other top-flight teams that season and it was their division-worst 78 goals conceded that sunk the Whites.

Fast-forward 24 months and 40 goals in all competitions for Kalimuendo, and the deal is back on the table according to TBR Football. After initially beating Leeds to his signature, Rennes have got great return on investment from the 23-year-old and the Breton club look keen to cash in with two years remaining on his contract. After interest from Juventus last October, Rennes have set an asking price of over €30 million (£26m) this summer with Newcastle also interested - ironically as a replacement for Callum Wilson to back up Isak.

The 3AM Verdict: Kalimuendo will cost over £10m more than Vanat, but that could be money well spent on a striker with extensive experience at the top level. Piroe can blow hot and cold - he only scored in one Championship game since the end of February but hit four on that afternoon - so Leeds could be a good fit for Kalimuendo with plenty of opportunity to raise his profile even if the Whites can’t stay up.