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The latest Premier League transfer news as Spurs, Man United, Arsenal, Everton and more seek out summer deals

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The FIFA World Cup is raging on in North America, as 48 teams battle to progress into the knockout stages of the competition. England failed to make it two wins from two matches when they played Ghana on Tuesday, having to settle 0-0 draw instead after Thomas Tuchel’s side failed to break down an impenetrable opposition defence.

Back in the Premier League, the summer transfer window is stirring to life, as a host of clubs push forward to get some early deals done. Chelsea look to have all but sealed a move to sign Atalanta defender Marco Palestra, Aston Villa are after ex-Spurs full-back Emerson Royal, and Tottenham have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Martin Dubravka from Burnley.

Today’s rumours round-up gets underway at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal are still bathing in the glory of their Premier League title triumph. They’re set to go hard in the summer transfer window as they attempt to establish a stranglehold over the competition, and Caught Offside report that whispers of a Viktor Gyokeres-Julian Alvarez swap deal with Atletico Madrid are wide of the mark.

The report claims that Alvarez only wants to join Barcelona, and that Gyokeres isn’t likely to leave the Gunners after just one season in north London. Eli Junior Kroupi, Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola are all named as alternative attacking options Arsenal may pursue, while a potential move for controversial ex-Man United forward Mason Greenwood is dismissed.

The 3AM Verdict: Atleti have kicked up a serious fuss about Barcelona’s not so subtle advances towards Alvarez, and they’d surely delight in selling him to Arsenal rather than their La Liga rivals. Still, he does seem set on joining Barca, and the staggering sum of money it would take to bring him to Arsenal would really damage them in terms of the cash they’d have leftover to also strengthen their squad in other areas.

Tottenham ready to hijack Man United move

We’ll stay in north London for our next story, where Tottenham are moving at a rapid pace in the summer transfer window. They’re keen to put last season’s humiliating league campaign behind them, and have snapped up four quality new signings already. They’re now looking to sign a midfielder, and appear ready to beat Man United to the signing of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham.

Team Talk claim Spurs are making “significant progress” in their attempts to sign the Portuguese gem, and are ready to make an opening offer of £75m - just £5m short of the Hammers’ reported valuation of the player. He’s also said to be keen on a move to Tottenham, with the club having made a strong pitch to his entourage.

The 3AM Verdict: This would be a serious coup for Spurs, and a brutal defeat for Man United, who did look like the front-runners to sign Fernandes. If the Red Devils decide to make a similar bid, it will be fascinating to see who the player picks, given that he could play Champions League football at Old Trafford next season. Not having to uproot his life and getting to remain living in London shouldn’t be overlooked, however.

Everton make ‘preliminary move’ to sign Bowen

We’ll finish things off at Everton, where the Toffees are said to be ready to make a bold move for West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen. Just yesterday, we covered reports suggesting Aston Villa are eyeing a move for the £50m-rated winger, who looks set to leave the Irons this summer following their relegation down to the Championship.

Football Insider now claim Everton have opened talks with West Ham, as they look to assess the feasibility of making a move for Bowen. The report says that the 29-year-old is keen to remain in the Premier League, and that he will wait to see the full extent of interest clubs before making his final decision.

The 3AM Verdict: Signing Bowen would be a brilliant bit of business for Everton, but we just can’t see it happening. Aston Villa, if they can sort their finances out and make a bid, will surely be the preferred option here. Man United are also said to be in the mix, and again they would be a more likely destination for Bowen than the Toffees. Still, if Villa can’t afford it and United look elsewhere, you never know...

A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Spurs, Liverpool, Everton, Fulham and more.

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Welcome to our regular morning round-up of some of the biggest (and sometimes strangest) Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the past 24 hours – starting with a story involving both Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

According to TEAMtalk, Spurs have “held discussions” with Liverpool as they explore a long-rumoured move for winger Cody Gakpo, with the Dutchman supposedly “increasingly concerned” about his place in Andoni Iraola’s plans.

It’s suggested that Spurs are starting to wonder whether Gakpo might “represent a better option” than Manchester City’s Savinho, a player that Spurs have been strongly linked with after bidding on the Brazilian last summer. Apparently Gakpo is not planning to force a move as yet, but is debating his future after Liverpool agreed a deal for Victor Muñoz and made a bid for RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande.

Apparently Leipzig could also be keen on Gakpo should they lose Diomande, but Spurs seem to be the only side exploring the terms of a deal as it stands. There’s no word on what Liverpool might demand for a player they signed for £45m back in 2023.

The 3AM Verdict: An eminently plausible story, with Spurs certainly in the market for a winger and known to be admirers of Gakpo. Talks seem to be at an exploratory stage and there’s no suggestion that a bid is imminent, and it’s hard to know how likely such a deal is until we have an idea of the terms that would be involved.

Everton join Hull in battle for proven Premier League star

Over to a story from Sports Boom now – they allege that Everton and Hull City have both “joined the race” to sign Fulham midfielder Sander Berge, with the Norwegian said to be considering his options following the departure of manager Marco Silva.

Berge has three years left on his contract at Craven Cottage but he is said to be “contemplating a move” this summer. Manchester United are also mentioned as a team who have shown interest in the 28-year-old, although it’s suggested that they are focussing on other targets for now.

“Tentative talks” are said to be taking place involving Everton and Hull, with no suggestion that any real progress has been made as yet – and there’s no mention of the potential transfer fee involved in such a deal.

The 3AM Verdict: Berge is a regular starter at Fulham, although it’s fair to suggest that there might be some uncertainty as to his role under a new manager, with Silva’s replacement not yet appointed. Until that happens, we’re struggling to imagine much movement happening, and suspect that any discussions taking place are purely exploratory at the moment.

Fulham ‘serious’ about signing Serie A star

Let’s stick with Fulham for our final transfer rumour, which comes from Sport Witness, who cite Italian media sources in suggesting that the Cottagers are “in the picture” to sign wing-back Raoul Bellanova – and are more “serious” in their interest than their potential rivals in the bidding.

Spurs and Nottingham Forest have both been linked with the Atalanta star, as have AS Roma. The 26-year-old has a reputation as a strong attacking wing-back but has found his playing time diminished, due in part to fitness concerns – but Fulham don’t seem to have been put off by any lingering medical worries.

Atalanta apparently want a transfer fee of €25m (£21.5m) for Bellanova, although it’s not clear whether Fulham are prepared to pay that or not. There’s no mention of how deep into discussions the two teams might be, but there’s clearly plenty of interest.

The 3AM Verdict: Bellanova’s name is coming up quite a lot in the Italian press at the moment but all the stories we’ve seen have been pretty speculative – Fulham may well be interested, but there’s no evidence that they’re any more serious than the other sides and that assertion isn’t backed up by this article. We’ll see.

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to let a player with plenty of untapped potential leave - and Chelsea and Aston Villa are waiting in the wings.

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Tottenham Hotspur made more than a few mistakes as they bought and sold players over the last few seasons - and may be in the process of making yet another, with reports suggesting that they could lose one of their most promising young players in the coming weeks. It’s a loss which could be Chelsea or Aston Villa’s gain.

On Sunday, The Athletic reported that Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall wanted to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Chelsea and Villa among the teams who have been tracking him for some time. So how did we get here, and what should Bergvall’s next move be?

Would Spurs be making a mistake letting Lucas Bergvall leave?

Bergvall’s desire to depart appears to have come about after Spurs began making moves to sign two expensive new midfielders as part of a wider refurbishment of a squad that has been involved in consecutive relegation battles – Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.

Both are fine – if exceptionally expensive – players, but Spurs’ efforts to sign them also send a signal to players like Bergvall that they are not a priority for first-team minutes in the immediate future, whether or not those negotiations are successful. For Bergvall, who was voted as the fans’ Player of the Year in 2025 after an impressive debut season, it seems to felt like a snub that wasn’t worth bearing in silence.

He won’t have been encouraged by the fact that new head coach Roberto De Zerbi doesn’t seem to be too keen to play him. The 20-year-old, who has come on as a substitute in both of Sweden’s World Cup matches thus far, played just 51 minutes for Spurs after the Italian’s appointment without starting a match. There is little evidence that regular starts would come with patience, either.

De Zerbi seems to prefer a more physical and combative type of midfielder than Bergvall, who has yet to really establish what kind of midfielder he is – as it stands, the Swede plays like a collection of traits and technicality without a clearly defined role, a jack of all trades type of player. De Zerbi’s system doesn’t seem to have space for a generalist in midfielder.

Tonali and Fernandes may end up costing close to £200m for the pair if Spurs are fortunate enough to win both transfer battles, but they are proven box-to-box players in the mould that De Zerbi appears to want – and both are better at breaking down opposing play than Bergvall has been so far, while lacking none of his passing range of graceful ball carrying skill.

Few sides in Spurs’ situation would be happy to jettison a player of Bergvall’s talent in favour of spending immense sums on others, but then Spurs have far greater resources than most clubs who spend two years hovering precariously above the Premier League’s relegation zone. It seems that they would prefer to flex their financial muscle and risk losing a talented player around whom the team could perhaps have been partly built.

The Athletic haven’t reported on whether Spurs are prepared to let Bergvall, who is under contract until 2031, leave the club or how much they might ask for his signature, but their interest in Tonali and Fernandes and De Zerbi’s unwillingness to start the youngster seem to signal their intentions. Given Bergvall’s talent, there is every chance that his sale will come to look distinctly unwise in years to come, at least if a team can figure out the best way to use him. Chelsea and Aston Villa could be among the teams to take that chance.

Could Chelsea or Aston Villa sign Bergvall this summer?

As it stands, there are no suggestions that Spurs have received any offers for Bergvall or been involved in any talks about a deal – or, more accurately, they haven’t been in any talks since January, when they reportedly fielded calls from multiple Premier League teams who had noticed that Bergvall’s playing time had become less consistent.

Chelsea and Aston Villa are the two sides known to have made enquiries during the winter transfer window. Those approaches were dismissed out of hand at the time, with Spurs then viewing Bergvall as a talent with a key role to play in the club’s future, but De Zerbi’s arrival appears to have changed their thinking.

It’s not clear as yet whether either side will make another effort to sign Bergvall, but both are likely to be in the market for a midfielder of some stripe. Chelsea seem keen to add depth in that position regardless of whether or not they can keep hold of Enzo Fernández, whose likely departure to Real Madrid will only add to the urgency of their search. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are still trying to plug a frustrating hole which has never been convincingly filled since Douglas Luiz first left. Even Luiz’s return didn’t offer a lasting solution.

Bergvall certainly fits Chelsea’s youth-focussed transfer policy, even if his best role is yet to be defined and it’s not clear that he would be able to offer the same degree of defensive cover as a player like Fernández. They are a club who seldom pass up the opportunity to develop a talented player.

Villa, meanwhile, have a more fluid midfield set-up which would perhaps be a better fit for Bergvall – Unai Emery’s system needs players who can fulfil a variety of different roles and who have a strong technical profile. Whether they’re prepared to pay what would likely be a hefty fee for Bergvall is another matter.

Bergvall may not get his wish to leave Spurs this summer simply because his transfer value is likely to be very high, but they seem increasingly likely to welcome the opportunity to sell him in order to reinvest the money in player like Tonali and Fernandes who fit De Zerbi’s tactical vision. Where he ends up remains an open question – but he’s likely to have plenty of suitors over the coming months, with Chelsea and Aston Villa only the tip of the iceberg.

The latest Premier League transfer news as Newcastle, Manchester United and Chelsea eye summer deals

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Summer is here at last, and in a year ending with an even number that means just one thing: international tournament football. The 2026 FIFA World Cup has lived up to the hype so far, with the 48-team mega competition seeing shock results, stunning goals and controversy galore in the group stage.

Meanwhile, we’re just under a week into the summer transfer window, and excitement is building as clubs begin to get deals done. We get the feeling that once one major move goes through - Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, perhaps - the domino effect will begin, and Premier League clubs will begin their transfer frenzy.

We’ll today’s rumours round-up rolling at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues are looking to finally find some stability and kick on under new manager Xabi Alonso. According to Caught Offside, the Blues have figured out exactly who they’ll replace Enzo Fernandez with should he complete a blockbuster move to Real Madrid: Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz.

The report says Alonso is a “huge admirer” of the Germany international, having managed him at Bayer Leverkusen, when the club won the Bundesliga as Invincibles back in 2024. There’s no suggestion of how much Liverpool would want to sell Wirtz, or even whether they’d actually consider the sale. They only signed him last summer, for a whopping £115m

The 3AM Verdict: We covered pretty much exactly the same story, by the same publication, last month. We thought it was cobblers back then, and little has changed to make us think any different. Wirtz being a supposed replacement for Fernandez is a new angle, but it would likely mean Cole Palmer getting shunted out of the number ten role, which makes little sense. We also can’t see Liverpool parting with such a huge investment after just one season.

Tottenham ready to smash transfer record for Tonali

Next up, it’s up to St. James’ Park, where Newcastle United are facing a pivotal summer transfer window after getting the bulk of their recruitment wrong last season. After failing to qualify for Europe, they’re likely to see one or two top players leave over the next few weeks, and midfielder Sandro Tonali looks likely to be among them.

Sky Sports report that Tottenham are looking to continue their early window spree with a bold raid for the Italy international, and have have already seen an £80m offer turned down. They note that Spurs are desperate to sign a midfielder capable of dictating play, but add that they could have competition for Tonali’s signature from Manchester City.

The 3AM Verdict: Spurs really aren’t messing around this summer, having already bagged three new players. Tonali would be another excellent addition to the squad, but the threat of Man City is a concerning one. Newcastle will likely push for a fee closer to £100m, which could price Spurs out of the deal. However, with structured payments, it could happen.

Manchester United and Liverpool chase Germany gem

Last up, it looks like the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha is starting to intensify, following an impressive couple of appearances in Germany’s opening World Cup fixtures. Team Talk say that Manchester United and Liverpool are both “in the hunt” to sign the ex-Man City youth star, who has been impressing in the Bundesliga for the past five seasons.

The story claims that he’s up for a return to the Premier League, and that his entourage are actively seeking out a potential move. He’s said to have an asking price in the region of £52m, which could attract interest from both Barcelona and Real Madrid. The names of Chelsea, Arsenal and indeed Man City are also thrown into the mix for good measure.

The 3AM Verdict: It’s another Mr McBal special from Team Talk (linking a player specifically to Man United, Real Madrid, Man City, Chelsea, Barcelona, Arsenal and Liverpool) which always rings alarm bells for us in terms of the story’s legitimacy. He’s clearly a top player who should command plenty of interest, but this feels like probably nothing more than ‘agent talk’ to possibly help get their client a move, at the moment.

Premier League transfer news as Spurs, Arsenal, Aston Villa and more chase summer window moves

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The summer is now in full swing, and World Cup fever has taken hold at 3AM Towers after England got their campaign off to a flying start with a 4-2 win over Croatia earlier in the week. The result gives Thomas Tuchel’s side an excellent chance of topping the group, but their path to glory would still be perilous, with the daunting proposition of facing Mexico in the Azteca Stadium a real possibility.

Meanwhile, the 2026/27 Premier League fixtures are out, and the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City will now be able to start plotting their way to title glory next season. They, along with the rest of the division, are also working hard to seal their key transfer targets, after the summer window opened on back on June 15th.

Today’s rumours round-up starts with a look at one of England’s goal-scorers against Croatia - Man United’s Marcus Rashford. The 28-year-old looks set to be up for grabs this summer, after Barcelona decided against signing their loan star on a permanent deal for £26m, opting instead to spend £70m on his Three Lions teammate Anthony Gordon.

It’s widely understood that Rashford has no future at Old Trafford, and that the player is still hopeful that Barcelona will change their mind and find a way to sign him. A fresh report from the Spanish press, via Sport Witness, claims that only one thing will make Rashford give up his dream: an approach from Aston Villa.

The 3AM Verdict: If the story’s claims are true, this could be a big development in the Rashford saga. It’s also suggested that United would be willing to sell to Villa, and if they can get a fee similar to the one Barcelona would have had to pay, it’s a no-brainer. If the West Midlands side can convince him to take a pay cut, they could secure one of the window’s biggest bargains.

Tottenham plot bold Wharton raid

Down to north London next, where Tottenham have flown out the blocks in the summer transfer window, bagging free agents Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi in an impressive double coup, before landing Netherlands international defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton in a £52m deal. Next up, they’re after a central midfielder, and could look to snatch one from a London rival.

According to Team Talk, Spurs have joined the race to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, after being put off by Newcastle United’s £100m valuation of Sandro Tonali. The story claims that Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi is a “huge admirer” of Wharton, amid rival interest from both Liverpool and Manchester United.

The article goes on to reference the potential big-money move of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, which is expected to be one of the biggest deals of the window. A fee of over £100m could be agreed, which is likely to inflate the values of similar players - including Wharton, with Palace determined to get a fair price for their top talent.

The 3AM Verdict: Tottenham’s transfer strategy has been flawless so far this summer, and they’ll be a significantly stronger side in 2026/27 than the one that nearly got relegated last season. Wharton would take their midfield to the next level, and we could see him going for around the £80m mark. Whether Spurs are willing to smash their transfer record to that extent remains to be seen.

Nottingham Forest get transfer boost

Over to the City Ground to round things off, where Nottingham Forest fans are just about recovering from a season that saw them sack three managers, reach a Europa League semi-final and flirt with relegation during a roller-coaster 2025/26 campaign. They spent around £200m on new signings last season, and look set to press ahead with the spending again, especially if Anderson does indeed seal his big-money exit.

The Tricky Trees have been linked with Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira over the past couple of weeks, and a fresh report from Football Insider claims they could be in luck, with the Gunners “open to offers” for the 26-year-old ace. He spent last season on loan with Bundesliga side Hamburg, and has just a year left on his deal at the Emirates Stadium.

The story goes on to suggest that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has no plans to use the ex-Porto star next season, and that the club are looking to “cash in” while they can. Previous reports from Germany suggested that Forest have gone as far as to have made a £24m bid for the player, but there look to have been no further developments since then.

The 3AM Verdict: Vieira didn’t really get much of a chance during his first couple of seasons at Arsenal, and his revival in Germany has showcased a player with impressive technical abilities who could thrive in the Premier League - if he’s given a chance. That said, if Arsenal are after a fee in excess of £20m, it’s a lot to pay for a player who will be out of contract next summer.

The latest Premier League transfer news as Man United, Spurs, Crystal Palace and Fulham chase summer signings

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We’ve well and truly got World Cup fever here at 3AM Towers, after England bulldozed their way past Croatia with a 4-2 win in the opening match of Group L. A roller-coaster encounter saw the Three Lions defence look worryingly shaky in the first half, with the two sides going into the break level at 2-2, before a potent display of attacking football saw Thomas Tuchel’s side assert their dominance and run out comfortable winners by full-time.

Meanwhile, the summer transfer window is open and business is booming. Premier League are clubs looking to seal new signings and get rid of the deadwood ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. The big done deals so far this month include Barcelona’s £70m swoop for Anthony Gordon, and Real Madrid’s raid for Chelsea’s left-back Marc Cucurella.

We’ll stay in the Spanish capital to kick off this rumour mill round-up, as Los Blancos are looking to push ahead with another blockbuster transfer deal. They’ve already signed Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva alongside Cucurella, and Team Talk claim the club are now ready to spend over £100m to sign Enzo Fernandez from the Blues.

Jose Mourinho’s side have been heavily linked with the Argentina international since the spring, when Fernandez received a two-match ban from his own club after making comments in an interview that many perceived to suggest he was angling for a move to the Spanish capital. The Blues’ high asking price was initially thought to be an obstacle, but now it appears that Real Madrid are ready to pay up.

The report suggests that they have an “agreement in principle” with Fernandez over personal terms, and will now look to tempt Chelsea with a financial package lucrative enough for them to consider a sale. The Blues look set to sell at least one more key player this summer, after failing to qualify for Europe following a poor 2025/26 league campaign.

The 3AM Verdict: Real Madrid flicked a switch and got the Cucurella deal done out of nowhere in just a couple of days - we wouldn’t be surprised to see the same thing happen with Fernandez. He’ll leave a gaping hole in Chelsea’s midfield, but with the money accrued from his sale, they could get a top class replacement - Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, perhaps.

Tottenham ‘in contact’ with West Ham to sign star man

Over to east London for our next story, where West Ham are bracing themselves ahead of a transfer window likely to see them lose a host of their most important players. Tottenham just got the better of their London rivals in the Premier League relegation battle, with the Hammers going down on the final day of last season, and now Spurs could be set to rub salt in the wound.

According to Team Talk, Tottenham, along with Man United, have made contact with the Hammers with an eye to signing their star winger Crysencio Summerville. West Ham are said to be holding out for a £50m fee to agree a deal, as they look to deal with the financial difficulties caused by dropping down to the Championship.

The report notes Spurs’ need to strengthen in wide areas, and describes their interest as “strong”. However, it’s also claimed that they view Summerville as more of a cover option, who could be picked up if they fail to make progress with their other targets. Man United, meanwhile, look to be on the hunt for a Marcus Rashford replacement should he leave this summer.

The 3AM Verdict: There’s no chance West Ham are holding onto Summerville. Along with his teammate Mateus Fernandes, he’s far too good to be playing Championship football next season. Spurs are so short in quality in wide areas, so it’s odd that it appears he’s not a first-choice option for them - he could improve their attacking threat considerably.

Crystal Palace and Fulham eye bargain signing

We’ll round things off at Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace are gearing up for Europa League football next season after winning the Conference League last month. They’re set to make some signings with new manager Pierre Sage at the wheel, and according to Italian outlet AS Roma Live, they’re looking at Girona full-back Arnau Martinez.

The story says that the Eagles, along with a host of others including Fulham, Roma and Real Betis, are ready to meet the 23-year-old’s release clause, which is thought to sit at around the £7m mark. He’s a highly versatile footballer, also capable of putting in a shift at centre-back, or playing further up the field in wide areas.

The 3AM Verdict: Bargains are hard to come by these days, and a £7m release clause for a relatively young defender with four seasons of La Liga experience to his name seems like a very fair deal. Palace could do with some more cover a right-back, so a move for Martinez makes sense. With so much interest, however, getting a deal done won’t be straightforward.

A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Spurs, Newcastle, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.

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Every morning, 3 Added Minutes combs through the gossip columns to bring you a round-up of some of the biggest (and strangest) Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the past 24 hours – and today, we start off with a story involving Tottenham Hotspur.

According to TEAMtalk, Spurs “have opened talks” with Köln over a deal for impressive young winger Said El Mala, and “hope to beat” both Newcastle and Nottingham Forest to his signature.

All three sides have apparently been involved in “active dialogue” with the 19-year-old’s representatives in recent days after a proposed move to Brentford fell through – reportedly because his parents (who act as his agents) demanded that they also sign his elder brother Malik too.

That put Brentford off, but Spurs are “prepared to compromise” as they seek to do a deal with a player who is said to be “keen” to move to the Premier League. A deal is likely to cost around €40m (£35m), and Spurs are showing “optimism” that they can be the team to win the race.

The 3AM Verdict: The potential requirement to sign Said’s frankly less talented brother is a sticking point, but a number of sides are still monitoring El Mala, who was unfortunate to miss out on a place in Germany’s World Cup squad. Whether Spurs are likely to win the race or not simply isn’t clear yet, and this promises to be among the more protracted transfer sagas of the summer.

Chelsea make contact over £43m Atalanta star

Over to a story from Italy now, which comes courtesy of Corriere dello Sport – they reckon that Chelsea have made contact with the representatives of Atalanta full-back Marco Palestra to “request information” about his future plans.

Atalanta are apparently “ready to sell” the 21-year-old defender, who already has two caps for Italy, and are expected to demand a transfer fee in the region of €50m (£43m). Chelsea, for their part, are interested because they’re concerned that incoming Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca will attempt to sign Malo Gusto from them.

Whether that’s the case or not, Palestra’s response to their enquiries wasn’t promising – the young right-back “wants to go to Inter” and is rebuffing interest from other sides. He spent time with Inter’s academy before moving to Atalanta, and is clearly keen to return. He’s only likely to move elsewhere if Inter Milan can’t get a deal over the line.

The 3AM Verdict: Chelsea don’t appear to have Palestra down as a priority, simply because right-back is a position they have two strong options for, so this is just a case of a club doing their due diligence in case Gusto leaves – so they probably won’t be too concerned by his response. A move to the San Siro does look quite likely as it stands, although Atalanta do often play hardball with their negotiations.

Nottingham Forest deal getting complex as a second player enters the equation

Over to Sport Witness for our final story of the morning – according to them, it’s still “very possible” for Nottingham Forest to complete a deal for AS Roma centre-back Jan Ziółkowski but negotiations have become more complicated after the Serie A side started showing interest in Forest full-back Nicolò Savona.

Forest are “crazy” about the 21-year-old Ziółkowski, whose valuation is expected to end up at around the €20m (£17m) mark, but their deal was getting “held up” – and could slow down even further if Roma want to simultaneously negotiate a deal of their own for Savona, who signed from Juventus last August.

It’s not clear whether Forest want to sell Savona, either as part of a swap deal or quite separately, but Roma are said to be “confident” that they can do a deal for around €17m (£15m).

The 3AM Verdict: Forest have been keen on Ziółkowski for a while, and we suspect that they’ll get that deal over the line even if progress has been slower than hoped. If Roma do make a move for Savona, then we doubt it would be a swap due to the financial implications – more likely it would be the case that the two deals were negotiated separately. It’s not clear just how likely it is that Forest are willing to sell Savona as it stands.

The latest Premier League transfer news including stories on Newcastle, Man City, Spurs, Nottingham Forest and more

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We’ve got FIFA World Cup fever at 3AM Towers, with the international football tournament already providing some classic moments. Mexico victory over South Africa entertained with goals and red cards aplenty, Canada sealed a late comeback to draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the USA came flying out of the blocks, dismantling Paraguay in a 4-1 win.

It’s an agonising wait until Wednesday for England’s first match of the tournament, but spirits are high in the Three Lions camp after they cruised past Costa Rica in their final friendly before their opener against Croatia. Thomas Tuchel’s side will be confident of getting off to a winning start, as they chase their first major tournament win in sixty years.

Meanwhile, the summer transfer window opens tomorrow, and we’re expecting a flurry of deals to go through as Premier League sides look to strengthen their squads. Today’s round-up begins at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City have a goalkeeping situation to sort out. James Trafford looks set to leave this summer, and they could be set to replace him with a League One stopper.

According to Team Talk, the Citizens have accepted that Trafford will move on, after being brought in as the club’s new number one last summer only to be replaced by Gianluigi Donnarumma in the same transfer window. Sheffield Wednesday’s Pierce Charles is said to be their desired replacement, with City’s interest “advancing” towards an offer being made.

The story notes that Newcastle United are ready to push ahead and sign Trafford, after missing out on him last summer. Charles, a Manchester-born Northern Ireland international, came through City’s academy and it’s said that the club view him as a potential future number one who would serve as Donnarumma’s understudy for the time being.

The 3AM Verdict: City love a homegrown backup goalkeeper - it’s how they manage to fulfil the quota demanded by the Premier League. While it may be a good deal for City, a promising talent such as 20-year-old Charles should be playing football every week, like Trafford should too. Charles is too good to play in League One, but he’d do better finding a club where he can be the number one straight away. City will always be there.

Nottingham Forest ‘submit offer’ for forgotten Arsenal man

Over to the City Ground, where the Tricky Trees are likely to keep us on our toes again this summer, after blowing around £200m on new signings this time last year. According to German outlet Fussball Transfers, Forest are looking to sign Arsenal midfield Fabio Vieira, who spent last season out on loan with Bundesliga side Hamburg.

The story suggests Forest have gone as far as to have “submitted an offer”, believed to be close to £24m. It’s said that this could see them blow the German side out the water, with their hopes of signing the Portuguese playmaker for a significantly smaller fee now in serious doubt. The 26-year-old had a fine 2025/26 campaign, scoring seven times and providing five assists.

The 3AM Verdict: Vieira never really got going in the Premier League- with the abundance of high quality options available to Arsenal, he couldn’t really get much of a look-in. He’s got his head down and put in a great shift on loan, and could be a fine acquisition for Forest as they look forward to a fifth consecutive season of top tier football.

Spurs ‘leading race’ for in-demand star

Last but not least, Tottenham are making headlines again, as the club plough on in what has been a highly productive post-season for the club so far, with free agents Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi already recruited. Caught Offside claim they’re now after another defender: Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez.

The article says that Spurs are ahead of both Liverpool and Chelsea in the race to sign the £39m-rated talent, who is part of Ecuador’s World Cup squad. It’s said that the 22-year-old is viewed as a potential alternative to Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke, as the Seagulls continue to “play hardball” over their valuation of the towering Dutchman.

The 3AM Verdict: If it’s a choice between Van Hecke and Ordonez, we’d go with Van Hecke all day long, given that he’s already proved he’s a quality operator in the Premier League. Given the disastrous season Spurs had last year, they can’t afford to be taking gambles. They should just stump up the cash and make the Micky van de Ven-Van Hecke duo happen.

Premier League transfer latest as Spurs, Liverpool, Leeds United and Man City chase summer deals

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The summer transfer window is just around the corner, and it’s set to be a cracker. Over £3 billion was spent in the Premier League last summer - with Liverpool contributing over £400m of that figure - and we’re expecting a similar spectacle this time around, albeit with much of the action taking place once the 2026 FIFA World Cup finishes next month.

Some clubs have done nothing since the season closed, while others have been more active. Tottenham have already signed two free agents, and Newcastle aren’t far behind them, already closing in on their second deal this month. Man United have moved to bring in midfielder Ederson, while Brentford have signed young defender Jannik Schuster. These players, of course, can’t be registered until June 15th, when the window is officially open.

Let’s get today’s round-up going at the Manchester City, where the club are preparing for a new era without charismatic manager Pep Guardiola, who left upon the expiry of his contract at the end of last season. Ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is widely expected to replace him, and reports from France suggest he’s looking to recruit one of his former players.

City had been heavily linked with the Blues vice-captain Enzo Fernandez, but it now appears that they’re going all out to sign Nottingham Forest’s midfield maestro Elliot Anderson. However, according to French outlet L’Equipe, they’re now turning their attention towards another Chelsea player: right-back Malo Gusto.

The report isn’t rich in detail, but it does suggest that the Cityzens have gone as far as making an “enquiry” regarding the France international’s availability, with the club on the hunt for a new right-back as well as a central midfielder. No potential asking price in mentioned, and it isn’t clear whether Chelsea would be willing or sell or if the player would want to go.

The 3AM Verdict: Chelsea could probably do without Gusto, especially if City offer them a decent fee. He’s been handy cover for Reece James during his various injury troubles, but looked woefully inept on occasions in a shambolic back four throughout last season. With some half-decent centre-backs next to him, however, he could improve greatly at City.

Tottenham line up Gakpo bid

Over to north London, where Tottenham’s summer transfer business is moving at a serious pace. They’ve been linked with Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo on numerous occasions over the past couple of weeks, and now a new report from Caught Offside suggests they’re the front-runners to get a deal done, and are plotting to make a bid worth around £60m.

The story goes on to stress that Spurs aren’t the only club who’ve taken a shine to the 27-year-old, who is part of a strong Netherlands side hoping to challenge for the World Cup. Newcastle United and Bayern Munich are said to be “monitoring” the player, but their interest isn’t as advanced as Tottenham’s looks to be.

The 3AM Verdict: This story looks to be gathering some real momentum, although it is interesting that the article notes that the player isn’t actively pushing to leave, despite previous reports claiming he wants to go following manager Arne Slot’s exit. Liverpool could almost double their money if they sell Gakpo for the quoted fee, while Spurs would sign a top quality forward.

Liverpool and Leeds eye World Cup wonderkid

Every World Cup has its breakout stars, and FC Midtjylland’s Lee Han-beom has been tipped as one to watch at this year’s tournament. According to Team Talk, both Liverpool and Leeds United are among clubs who have “checked” on the South Korea defender, with Chelsea, Brighton and Newcastle also said to be admirers of the 23-year-old.

The story notes that the player has just a year left on his current deal, meaning that his club are likely to sell him this summer to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of next season. European heavyweights RB Leipzig, Monaco, Lyon, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund are also said to be keen on the player, but there’s no mention of how much he could go for.

The 3AM Verdict: This isn’t the first we’ve heard of Premier League clubs looking to sign the former FC Seol prospect, with Everton linked back in December. Both Leeds and Liverpool could certainly do with a new centre-back, but any interest doesn’t look to be too advanced just yet. A few standout performances in North America however, and we could see a fair bit more of his name cropping up in the gossip columns.

Spurs and Brighton could trade players in a huge summer deal - but who would come out on top?

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One of Tottenham Hotspur’s biggest targets of the summer transfer window, which officially opens for business on Monday, became clear quite quickly after the season ended: They started lodging bids for Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, a favourite of Roberto De Zerbi’s from his time at the Amex Stadium, almost as soon as the 2025/26 campaign ended.

It seemed like only a matter of time before a deal was agreed. Offers of up to £50m were reportedly made and rejected as Brighton held out for £70m, but it was assumed that a compromise would be reached in the end – but now, Brighton have added a twist to proceedings, and made a move of their own for Spurs defender Luka Vušković. The result is that players worth at least £120m could be trading places.

The complex deal which could see Spurs & Brighton swap players this summer

The twist in the tale of the Van Hecke transfer is that the Seagulls have now made a £30m bid for the 19-year-old Vušković, who shone on loan at Hamburg after making a £12m move to Spurs in 2023.

The Evening Standard are among a number of sources supporting the claim of Brighton’s offer for the teenager, who has still never played for his parent club after leaving Hajduk Split.

Currently in North American with the Croatian World Cup squad, Vušković established himself as one of Europe’s most promising young defenders during his year in the Bundesliga. The list of clubs alleged to be interested was lengthy, and it was thought likely that Spurs would cash in – but they were expected to ask for considerably more than Brighton seem prepared to offer.

Most reports regarding Vušković’s future so far have suggested that Spurs would demand at least £50m, making Brighton’s initial offer appear to be rather derisory – but it may well be that they see an opportunity to do a deal which also involves Van Hecke and benefits all parties.

If the two sides negotiated a deal with Spurs which saw both parties sell their defenders to each other for commensurately reduced fees, then they not only would both teams get the players they wanted at a lower up-front cost – potentially useful when toeing the line of the Premier League’s new squad cost ratio rules – but it would also mean that Brighton owed a lower sell-on fee to Van Hecke’s former side NAC Breda.

In other words, they would effectively be engineering a part-exchange deal which consisted of two separate, cut-price transfers designed to benefit both parties. But how likely is it that such a deal takes place? And who would be getting the better side of the deal?

Will Van Hecke & Vušković trades place in the transfer window?

The issue Brighton will have with their half of such a deal is that Spurs are very likely to have other offers for Vušković, and there is a chance that they could get a better price – Barcelona are among a number of sides who are believed to have been tracking the young Croatian’s progress.

Vušković may be away at the World Cup, but if Brighton are making a bid now then it indicates that they believe that a deal can be done imminently. Spurs have to decide whether the prices align, or whether it’s best to be patient. They hold more of the cards in the negotiations – there is likely to be less competition for Van Hecke than there is for Vušković.

There are plenty of Tottenham fans who would be upset to see Vušković leave before he’s ever even played for the club after a hugely impressive season in Germany. He’s a complete defender – aerially dominant, excellent in one-on-one situations and comfortable with the ball at his feet, a skillset which has already made him a nailed-on starter for his country.

Given which, Spurs might be best advised not to sell but to start him instead – but with Van Hecke, they would be getting a proven player who would not only make an immediate impact but who is intimately familiar with De Zerbi’s relatively complex system. Given the urgent need to change the tone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and to enjoy a far more successful season than the one just passed, making moves which net them known quantities makes a certain amount of sense.

In the short term, then, Spurs could end up being the winners of any financially fair deal between the two clubs – but if Vušković continues to develop at his current rate, they might end up looking very foolish indeed in the not-too-distant future were they to let Vušković leave.