3 Added Minutes

Analysing the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Spurs, Chelsea, Everton 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...

Welcome to 3 Added Minutes’ daily round-up and breakdown of some of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours – and we’re starting today’s digest off with an eyebrow-raising story concerning Tottenham Hotspur.

According to TeamTalk, Spurs are “leading the race” to bring an England international striker back to the Premier League, but it’s not Harry Kane, whatever recent gossip might have you believe it’s Ivan Toney.

Toney has been impressive for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli but is apparently “unsettled” in the Middle East and “poised” to make a comeback, with an initial loan deal in January on the table – and his relationship with Thomas Frank is said to “remain strong” after they worked together at Brentford.

West Ham United and Everton have also “entered the frame” and are said to have “sounded out” the 29-year-old striker, but it’s Spurs who are said to be “favourites” to strike a deal as it stands. No agreements have yet been reached, but apparently “momentum is building” behind the scenes.

The 3AM Verdict: We’d like to see some corroboration of this story before we buy it, but it must be said that it makes a lot of sense – Frank knows Toney well, Spurs need a striker, and he would hardly be the first player to experience a sense of regret after moving to Saudi Arabia. One to watch, but the financials will be difficult to sort out.

Chelsea ‘leading candidates’ to snap up big free transfer

Over to Spanish gossipmongers Fichajes now, who claim that Chelsea have become the “leading candidates” to sign goalkeeper Mike Maignan on a free transfer next summer with talks over a new contract with AC Milan said to have “stalled.”

Milan are said to be “confident of reaching an agreement” which would keep the Frenchman at the San Siro, but it’s suggested that Maignan is considering his options with Chelsea “preparing to seize the opportunity” to snap up a free upgrade on Robert Sánchez.

They may not wait until the summer, however, and this report claims that Chelsea could weigh in with a January bid “if an opportunity arises.” There’s no word on what Milan might demand to let him go, and it’s stated that no formal contacts have taken place between the relevant parties.

The 3AM Verdict: This is, of course, not a new story – rather, it’s an old rumour which is resurfacing as negotiations over a new contract continue to go nowhere. We doubt that Chelsea will splash out to sign him in January, especially with Sánchez on much improved form, and our opinion of Fichajes’ reliability isn’t very high, but it’s interesting to see this story doing the rounds again.

Everton star lashes out at transfer ‘lie’

Let’s wrap up today’s column with a story concerning Everton – and it involves left-back Vitalii Mykolenko hitting out at claims that he could leave the Merseyside club in January with his contract close to expiring.

The Daily Mirror report that the Ukrainian has described claims that he is refusing to sign a new deal and is pushing for an early exit “a complete lie” and that his “agent will be talking to Everton representatives soon… I am a professional and will work out my contract 100%.”

Which is good news for Everton fans worried about a lack of depth at the back, although the newspaper reports that the priority isn’t tying Mykolenko down to a new deal but coming to terms with midfielder James Garner instead. Mykolenko is said to have “attracted interest” from unspecified sides in Italy and Spain as his contract enters its final months.

The 3AM Verdict: Mykolenko seems to have made it pretty plain that he wants to stay with Everton, which can only be good news for the team, especially with defensive resources looking rather stretched at the moment. We have no reason to contradict the report and can’t see him leaving in January.

Analysing the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Arsenal, Spurs, Wolves and Crystal Palace.

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...

Once again, it’s time for us to wade through the global gossip columns to bring you 3 Added Minutes’ daily round-up and breakdown of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours – and today, we’re starting with a story for Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur fans.

The North London rivals have been “alerted” to the very real chance that Rodrygo Goes could leave Real Madrid in January with the Brazilian winger frustrated by his peripheral role under new head coach Xabi Alonso, according to TBR Football.

The 24-year-old is said to be “considering his future” at the Santiago Bernabeu after being handed just two starts so far this season, and while Alonso is said to be “happy to keep Rodrygo at the club” he is not set for a bigger role moving forward – and could be displaced altogether by next summer with further signings anticipated.

Arsenal and Spurs have supposedly shown “strong interest” in getting a deal done and while it “remains to be seen” whether Real will sanction a January departure – or how much they would demand if they do – a winter transfer is now said to be “a real option.”

The 3AM Verdict: Much will depend on whether Real feel they can sign a replacement they’re happy with, and that’s the kind of thing that complicates many January deals, so we wouldn’t say that this move is at all definite – but it’s become more plausible by the week. Without knowing the finances involved, it’s hard to say how likely Arsenal or Spurs are to be the specific beneficiaries, but we’d expect other teams to be in the hunt too.

Spurs ‘circling’ £70m striker

Let’s stick with Spurs for our second story of today’s digest, which comes courtesy of TeamTalk – they claim that Thomas Frank’s side are “circling” a Porto striker Samu Aghehowa as they continue to be “on the lookout” for a striker to put an end to their attacking struggles.

While they retain an interest in bringing Harry Kane back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they’re also looking at Aghehowa while they wait for Kane to make a decision – and the Spanish striker (who nearly signed for Chelsea under his former name Omorodion before last season) is said to be available for €20m less than his release clause would otherwise mandate.

That still means he’s valued at €80m (£70m), an amount which would apparently prove “irresistible” to his Portuguese employers – and they are “ready to sell in January” and cash in on his impressive form. Spurs could also sign a new winger, with Brentford’s Kevin Schade among the targets.

The 3AM Verdict: With Dominic Solanke perennially injured, Richarlison struggling for consistent form and Randal Kolo Muani taking time to settle in, this isn’t all that unlikely of a deal – but plenty of other teams want Aghehowa and it’s not entirely clear that Spurs have the funds to do this in January and remains PSR compliant. We’ll see…

Wolves & Crystal Palace ‘track’ Brazilian wonderkid

Over to a story from Sport Witness now, who cite South America media sources in claiming that both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace are “continuing to track” young Flamengo forward Wallace Yan – but that their hopes of a January deal may just have been dashed.

Apparently, the 20-year-old had “ looked certain” to be sold in the new year for a fee as high as €20m (£17.5m) with his current club allegedly fed up with Wallace Yan after a series of off-field issues. That had alerted his Premier League suitors, but now Flamengo have decided to “give him another chance.”

That means that a “January move seems off the table” for the striker, who has impressed with his work on the pitch even if he has run into difficulties away from it. Wolves and Palace will continue to monitor his progress but he’s not likely to be playing in England imminently.

The 3AM Verdict: Wallace Yan has a lot of talent but very little senior football to his name and only seven senior goals as yet, so it’s hard to gauge how likely clubs like Palace and Wolves really are to bid for a player whose temperament has been called into question. It now sounds as though we’ll be waiting a while longer to get an answer, too.

The latest Premier League news and rumours with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, Aston Villa and West Ham

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...

Manchester United have seen an upturn in form in the Premier League over recent weeks. According to Caught Offside, they remain ‘interested’ in Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. The report adds that Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the £70 million-rated centre-back ahead of the January transfer window.

Branthwaite, 23, has had some injury issues so far this season and hasn’t played as much football as he would have liked to. The England international, who has one cap to his name so far, joined the Toffees back in 2020 from Carlisle United. He has since made 86 appearances in all competitions and has scored four goals.

The 3AM Verdict: Manchester United are no strangers to being linked with Jarrad Branthwaite at Everton. He would be an ideal addition for the Red Devils if they were able to lure him to Old Trafford in January. At the age of 23, he has bags of potential and would strengthen their backline. However, they would need to see off potential competition from Tottenham Hotspur if they are to keep him in the North West.

Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson wanted

Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson is wanted on loan by Championship pair Leicester City and Southampton, journalist Alan Nixon has reported on his Patreon page. The Black Cats have a big decision to make regarding the player’s immediate future at the Stadium of Light this winter. He has fallen down the pecking order in the North East since their promotion under Regis Le Bris.

Patterson was their first choice in the last campaign as they went on to win the second tier play-off final at Wembley against Sheffield United. However, he has since lost his place between the sticks to Robin Roefs. His situation is now up in the air amid fresh attention from the league below.

The 3AM Verdict: Anthony Patterson is unlikely to get back into Sunderland’s team now ahead of Robin Roefs unless there was an injury. Therefore, a loan exit in January to a team in the Championship like Leicester City or Southampton would be sensible for him. It would allow him to get some regular minutes under his belt and put himself in the shop window ahead of next summer.

Aston Villa, Manchester United and West Ham linked with Endrick

As per the Daily Star on Sunday, Aston Villa are eyeing a surprise swoop for Real Madrid attacker Endrick. They aren’t the only name in the frame though, with United, West Ham and Juventus also mentioned as potential suitors. The 19-year-old has seen hs game time in La Liga dry up over recent times.

Endrick was snapped up by the La Liga giants as one for the future back in 2024. Prior to his switch to Spain, he rose up through the academy at Palmeiras and broke into their first-team as a youngster. He then left South America to pursue his European dream but he isn’t getting into Xabi Alonso’s team right now.

The 3AM Verdict: It would be a surprise to see Endrick move to the Premier League. He would give each of Aston Villa, Manchester United and West Ham another option to pick from at the top end of the pitch. The attacker lacks experience though and hasn’t been able to make the impact that he would have wanted to in La Liga with Real Madrid. Therefore, it would be a risk to bring him to England.

Thomas Frank and Tottenham’s marvelous yet muddled season will need January reinforcements

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’s 2025/26 season has resembled a riddle wrapped in an enigma with Thomas Frank’s side flying high in the Premier League but already well behind rivals Arsenal, and unbeaten in Champions League while sitting mid-table in the League Phase.

A statement victory over Manchester City in just Frank’s third competitive game, after he also drew with Paris Saint-Germain in normal time and only missed out on the UEFA Super Cup thanks to goals in the 85th and 94th-minutes goals, combined to a winning start to their Champions League campaign marked a very strong beginning to potentially another season of silverware.

However, draws to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bodo/Glimt preceded defeat to Aston Villa and the wheels seemed to be coming off after another lacklustre stalemate in Monaco.

Then came that surprise 3-0 win on Merseyside as Spurs became the first visiting team to win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium despite looking like the second-best team for much of the game, and more questions remain than answers.

We can’t solve all of those puzzles, but ahead of the full release of Football Manager 26 we can at least answer ‘who will Tottenham buy and sell in the January transfer window’ as we fired up the Beta, jumped to February and here’s what it predicted…

Royal return at Tottenham combined with risky FC Koln signing

Emerson Royal - £12.5 million from Flamengo - Royal was always strong out of possession at Tottenham, but struggled when The Lilywhites were going forwards and failed to make a positive impact for AC Milan. Still aged only 26, Royal’s now back in Brazil with Flamengo, who boast the best defensive record in the top flight, such a flexible manager as Thomas Frank could surely get more out of him.

Eric Martel - £16.5m from 1. FC Koln - 23-year-old Martel wouldn’t do much to improve the average age of a youthful midfield at Tottenham, but having played over 2,400 minutes in each of the last four seasons, he brings plenty of experience.

A defensive monster, Martel is in the 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for blocks, interceptions and aerials won, while ranking in the top five for interceptions, touches in his defensive third and penalty area, and assists (with two for the season in eight games). While it’s a limited sample size, he certainly looks like another Joao Palhina and if Martel could keep those numbers up in the Premier League then £16.5m would be a bargain.

Mason Melia - £2.9m from St. Pat’s Athletic - Not the most difficult transfer to predict given Melia has already agreed to join Tottenham for an initial £1.6m that could rise to £3.5m. The first League of Ireland to break the million pound barrier, Melia has already played his final game in front of St Pat’s home supporters and scored his 15th goal of the season, having only turned 18 in late September.

Dodi Lukebakio - £43m from Benfica - Paying almost £50 million (a fee that would make Lukebakio Tottenham’s eighth-most expensive signing of all time, ahead of James Maddison) for a 28-year-old winger who’s never made more than 15 goal contributions in a league season would be a bold move, that’s for sure. Lukebakio has started this campaign well at least, notching three assists in four Primeira Liga games for Benfica at one every 83 minutes, and he’s pushed his goal tally into double figures twice in his last three full seasons.

Deranged loan departures in FM26 prediction

Brandon Austin - £3.8m to Ipswich Town - The Tractor Boys have endured a tour start to life back in the Championship and no one has felt that more keenly than Alex Palmer, who’s been the eighth-worst shot-stopper in the division out of 35 goalkeepers before injury forced Kieran McKenna to turn back to Christian Walton, who last played regularly in League 1.

FM26 believes the solution to that problem is Tottenham academy graduate Austin, who’s only been a first-choice goalkeeper once, a half-season spell at Viborg, but won’t be prising the jersey from Vicario any time soon.

Dominic Solanke - loan to Napoli - If you got through all of the signings wondered what gave us the right to label this an ‘unhinged’ wonder no more. There’s a reason why we led this section with Austin - he’s literally the only player FM26 had leaving Tottenham for a fee in January. Solanke hasn’t lived up to his club-record price tag so far but letting him leave, even on loan, with only Richarlison and Tel as Spurs’ only permanent alternatives would be insanity.

Djed Spence - loan to Brighton & Hove Albion - No, we can’t make head or tail of this one either…

Kota Takai - loan to Coventry City - The most expensive J-League player to move overseas at £5m, Takai is yet to make his debut in lilywhite battling a foot injury. Even when fully fit, he’ll struggle to get game time ahead Cristian Romero, the red hot Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin if he ever recovers from his own injury woes.

However, he’d fit in well at Coventry, who are flying high in the Championship and already have one Samurai Blue star in Tatsuhiro Sakamoto. And Tyrell Ashcroft, Maeson King and George Feeney are also leaving north London temporarily according to FM26, loaned to Harrogate Town, Lincoln City and Eastleigh respectively.

Breaking down the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Manchester United, Spurs, Arsenal, 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...

It’s time for 3 Added Minutes’ regular morning round-up and review of all the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours – and we start with a story which throws Manchester United’s name into the hat for one of Brazil’s most exciting young talents.

According to Sport Witness – who cite sources in the South America media – United have “joined the race” for Vasco da Gama forward Rayan, who was linked separately with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal earlier in the week as Premier League teams fall over each other to get a deal done.

Reports have yet to reveal what Rayan’s release clause is at Vasco but apparently the Brazilian side are trying to tie the 19-year-old down to a new deal which would include a €70m (£61.5m) buy-out, which tells us how his current club value him, if nothing else. Rayan, who has scored 16 goals this season, will certainly be hard to sign in January unless a team is prepared to pay full whack.

Apparently Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion have all been linked in recent weeks as well, but they’re not the “front-runners” for the signature of an exciting prospect. There’s no word on what Rayan wants to do with his future career, as it stands.

The 3AM Verdict: We imagine there’s plenty of interest from the usual suspects on the continent, too, and it seems to be too early to know which teams are going to bid and which teams are just having their names thrown about in the gossip columns. Expect a big team to be the one to get the deal over the line when it does happen, likely next summer.

Arsenal have ‘money to spend’ in January – and three targets

Over to Caught Offside, now, who have further news for Gunners fans – Arsenal are “expected to have money to spend” in January as they look to seal a first Premier League title in over 20 years, and they have “three long-term transfer targets” in mind.

All three are rising stars rather than established names – Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi (who has been linked with Manchester United) is one, Barcelona’s Marc Casadó the second and Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl the third and final, although it’s noted that a deal for Karl “isn’t too realistic.”

Arsenal are in “no rush” to complete deals for any of their targets but the cash is there to spend over the winter if an agreement can be reached. Bouaddi sounds like the most likely, with Karl too well-regarded at Bayern to be sold and Chelsea supposedly “further ahead” in the bidding for Casadó.

The 3AM Verdict: We doubt that Arsenal push too hard for any of these players in January as they’re all developing players to some degree, and the most experienced, Casadó, plays in an area in which Mikel Arteta is already well-stocked. We suspect the talk of a big spending spree in January is a red herring, but we don’t dispute that any of these are targets for the future.

Leeds targeting two forwards for January moves

Let’s finish today’s digest up at Elland Road – according to TeamTalk, Leeds United are close to working out what they might do in January, and have two targets in mind while Daniel Farke “wants to bolster his attack.”

Coventry City’s Haji Wright, who already has nine goals this season, is one of them, while struggling Norwich City’s Josh Sargent in the other, although it’s noted that both deals “look hard to pull off” with Coventry pushing for promotion while Norwich battle relegation. Neither side will be keen to lose key players in the middle of the season.

While it might be tricky, however, “that’s not to say Leeds won’t try,” as the report notes it. One deal that’s cropped up on the rumour mill in recent probably isn’t on the menu, however, with this article suggesting that links with Aston Villa’s Ross Barkley are wide of the mark.

The 3AM Verdict: It would take some silly money to persuade either Coventry or Norwich to sell at this stage and Leeds are likely to have relatively limited resources over the winter having spent most or all of their transfer budget already. We also agree that a deal for Barkley is relatively unlikely, unless Villa want to move him on and are happy to offer a cheap loan deal or something similar.

Thomas Frank could have set his sights on a major swap deal ahead of the January transfer window

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...

Thomas Frank’s early months as new head coach of Tottenham Hotspur have led to renewed optimism, as the Europa League winners have returned to challenging in the upper reaches of the Premier League table whilst making a solid start in Europe.

The Lilywhites have risen to third in the league table despite having very few striking options to choose from, with Richarlison and Mathys Tel often Frank’s only options through the centre amidst injury lay-offs for Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke.

Spurs’ search for a striker may extend to the transfer market, amidst rumours that Frank “does not fancy” Solanke according to Football Insider. The former Bournemouth striker has only made three substitute appearances under the Dane thus far due to injury, but this has not prevented the head coach from forming an early opinion on the Englishman. Should his doubts persist when Solanke returns to full fitness, a January swap deal could be on the cards.

Tottenham and Everton swap deal could be huge January move

While not a direct replacement for Solanke, Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye is reportedly a Spurs target and could switch ways with the striker in a deal which would work well for both clubs.

Everton have expressed that they do not want to sell Ndiaye and will not part with him easily, but there is no denying that the striker position is one where David Moyes’ side could still do with an upgrade. If Solanke can prove by January that he is capable of staying fit, there is an argument to be made that he would do a great job for the Toffees.

The 28-year-old has scored 38 Premier League goals in spells with Liverpool, Bournemouth and Spurs, netting 16 in all competitions last season following his £65 million move from the Cherries. Solanke was first-choice under Ange Postecoglou, but this is unlikely to still be the case - and Spurs would be smart to use the striker as a bargaining chip in securing a deal for Ndiaye.

Solanke and Ndiaye transfer deal would work for all parties

If Everton are to accept they must part ways with Ndiaye at some stage as his long list of suitors grows, they would be smart to secure a Premier League-proven striker as part of a deal. Meanwhile, Spurs are looking to build a squad capable of winning trophies and competing on the European stage, and the Frank project could certainly be an appealing one to the 25-year-old Senegal international.

Ndiaye has reached new heights so far this season, earning rave reviews for his performances against the likes of Manchester City at the Etihad. “Ili’s performance in the first half was outstanding,” Moyes told Everton TV. “He was the standout player at that time in the game.”

As for Solanke, he might be disappointed to depart just over a year after securing his big move, but success for the Toffees could be enough to see his name return to the England conversation, as has been the case with Jack Grealish. If he were to score the goals to help Everton earn a much-awaited return to Europe - or even to win a trophy - he would become an icon for one of England’s sleeping giants.

Everton are reported to value Ndiaye at north of £60m, which comes as no surprise in the current market for creative wide players. Though this is a similar fee to that for which Spurs signed Solanke, it is unlikely they will be able to command a similar valuation after his injury issues. If they were to offer Everton around £15m-£20m in addition to the three-cap England man, they might be able to secure a headline-grabbing January deal.

Breaking down the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Manchester United, Spurs, Chelsea 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 once again time for 3 Added Minutes’ daily round-up and breakdown of some of the biggest Premier League transfer rumours that are currently doing the media rounds – and we’re starting off with a story concerning Manchester United’s January shopping list.

Spanish gossip-mongers Fichajes allege that Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham is “on [United’s] priority list” ahead of the winter, and that they could bid “around €50m (£44m) for his services.”

It is, of course, only a few months since Bellingham left Sunderland to join Dortmund in a deal worth up to £32m but he has struggled for form in Germany and his current club “wouldn’t put up too many obstacles” to his departure, according to this report.

Still, €50m is said to “fall short of Dortmund’s demands” and Bellingham himself allegedly only wants to play for a side which can offer Champions League football. It’s implied that several other big sides – perhaps ones which are playing in Europe this year – are also monitoring the 20-year-old’s situation, but they aren’t named here.

The 3AM Verdict: It would be unusual for a club like Dortmund to abandon a project such as this quite so quickly, and we doubt that United have €50m to spend in January due to

Spurs set to make ‘ambitious’ bid for Serie A star

Let’s head over to North London, now, with a story from TeamTalk which suggests that Tottenham Hotspur “are keen” on striking a deal for Napoli and Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay, who was a Ballon d’Or nominee after helping his side to win the Scudetto last season.

A deal for the former United man “may not be easy,” but Spurs are still “among the club that have taken a shine to McTominay” – alongside Newcastle United and even Barcelona, although the Catalan club are also alleged to be interested in Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana.

A January move is “categorically off the table” and Napoli want to nail the Scot – who already has four league goals to his name this season - down to a new contract. Nevertheless, Spurs are among the sides hoping that they can persuade the 28-year-old not to pen a new deal and instead to push for a move.

The 3AM Verdict: McTominay seems to love life in Naples and is in the form of his life, so we strongly suspect that he’s more likely to extend his stay in Italy than he is to push for a move. He’s arguably Napoli’s most important player and they shouldn’t be under immense financial pressure to sell, so we suspect that he’s there for the long haul regardless of other teams’ interest.

Chelsea & Manchester United both chasing ‘generational talent’

Finally, a story from Caught Offside which claims that both Chelsea and Manchester United are “interested” in signing 16-year-old Leicester City starlet Jeremy Monga, who is described in the report as a “generational talent.”

The winger is said to be “on the radar of multiple clubs” and Chelsea and United are both hoping to snap him up before he’s eligible to sign professional terms with Leicester next summer. The Foxes, for their part, “hope to keep him” and are trying to persuade him to reject the overtures of bigger teams.

Manchester City, Spurs and Real Madrid are also briefly mentioned as being among the teams in the chase for Monga, and it’s not entirely clear why this article focusses its attention on Chelsea and United – if they have any kind of edge in the race or simply more interest, that isn’t evidenced. There’s also no word on what the teenager might choose to do.

The 3AM Verdict: Monga would scarcely be the first big talent ripped away from his academy team by a wealthier side, so it’s hard to say that this isn’t likely to happen. On the other hand, he’s getting first-team football at Leicester right now, so he has more reason to stay put than most players in his position. We’ll see…

Tottenham Hotspur travel to Newcastle United on Wednesday as they look to advance in the EFL Cup

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 begun strongly in the Premier League and will hope to replicate that form in the EFL Cup when they travel to holders Newcastle United on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

Spurs reached the semi-finals of the competition last season, having beaten both Manchester clubs on the way to losing 4-1 on aggregate to beaten finalists Liverpool. A similar run will be the target this season, particularly as the club have now broken their trophy duck after Europa League glory in May.

New boss Thomas Frank has had to contend with a series of first-team injuries during his early months at the club, though Spurs strengthened in the summer transfer window to combat long-term absentees. Several major stars are beginning to get closer to returning to fitness, and so Frank will look forward to having more of a full squad to choose from in the near future - though nine players could be unavailable on Wednesday.

Will Cristian Romero be fit to play for Spurs against Newcastle?

Cristian Romero has been out for Spurs ever since he was injured in the warm-up ahead of their home defeat to Aston Villa on October 19. He had been battling an adductor issue prior to the match and it was ultimately decided that he was not fit enough to feature. The Lilywhites captain has missed three games and that run may be set to continue, at least for a little longer. He will aim to be back in early November.

“Cuti just walked out on the grass running [with] some of the performance guys,” updated Frank at the weekend. “So positive, progressing, no time frame, but I don't expect it to be a longer one.”

Romero is not the only Spurs first-team star hoping to return at the start of next month, as Destiny Udogie (knee) and Dominic Solanke (ankle) have also spent the majority of their time under Frank on the sidelines. Newcastle is likely to come a little early for both, who might aim for the visit of Manchester United on November 8 to be back in action. Solanke has been tipped for an exit if he cannot force his way back into the side.

The same can be said for Yves Bissouma, who has been out all season after picking up a fresh injury on international duty with Mali earlier this month. The 29-year-old recently had surgery on his ankle and will aim to be back soon.

Wilson Odobert, meanwhile, was replaced with a knock at Monaco in the Champions League but was fit enough to be named amongst the substitutes at Everton on Sunday, meaning he is likely to be back involved for this one.

When will Dejan Kulusevsi be back for Tottenham?

Spurs have been without key playmaker Dejan Kulusevski since May, when the Sweden international underwent knee surgery which kept him out of the Europa League final. He is reportedly edging closer to recovery, and may hope to soon appear under Frank for the first time. This will come too soon, but Frank has said there is a “good chance” of Kulusevski returning in 2025, with December a realistic target for him to be back in competitive action.

James Maddison remains out with an ACL injury which is likely to keep him out for the season, while Radu Dragusin is returning from the same injury, sustained at the beginning of the year, and will aim to be back after the November international break.

Wales defender Ben Davies picked up a thigh injury on international duty and is expected to be “out for weeks”, set to miss the next set of World Cup qualifiers as a result. While young Japanese centre-back Kota Takai returned to training after a foot injury last month and might be in line to make his Spurs debut in the near future.

Rounding up the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Spurs, West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool 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 time once more for our regular morning round-up and review of some of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours – and we start thing off with a story concerning a potentially controversial transfer which could involve Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United.

TeamTalk claim that the two London clubs are “among several European clubs” who are “circling” Marseille striker Mason Greenwood, who joined the French outfit from Manchester United in a £26.5m move in 2024.

His recent scoring form, which includes eight goals already this season, means that he has become “sought-after” again, with Barcelona said to “lead the chase” as it stands, although Spurs and West Ham are also considering a bid.

Greenwood left United in the wake of serious allegations, which the player denied and for which he was not prosecuted, but any bid for the 24-year-old would still constitute a PR minefield. There’s no word on what the finances involved in such a deal could look like, or whether we’re looking at a potential January deal or something that would take place next summer.

The 3AM Verdict: We suspect that few Premier League teams would consider a deal like this, which would provoke extremely strong reactions in the press and from fans – but there will always be a team somewhere who are more worried by his ability to score goals than the consequences of potential negative coverage. We would need more corroboration before we believed that either Spurs or West Ham were that club.

Chelsea, Arsenal & Manchester City target rising teen star

Let’s head over to Sport Witness now, who bring word of reports from Germany which suggest that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City all have 17-year-old starlet Lennart Karl “on their radar” after he broke into Bayern Munich’s first team.

All three teams are said to have scouts watching him playing for Bayern, for whom he has now made six league appearances, all this season. The youngster, who can play as a winger or an attacking midfielder, made his debut during the Club World Cup and scored his first goal against Club Brugge in the Champions League last week and then scored again over the weekend in the Bundesliga.

With speculation mounting that he could be called up to the national side already, the three Premier League giants are said to be “sending officials” to keep tabs on the talented teenager – who happens to be represented by former Chelsea star Michael Ballack.

The 3AM Verdict: No doubt the big boys are all gathering intel on Karl but given that Bayern seldom sell their best young talent and the fact that he signed a contract extension over the summer, we doubt that he’s leaving Bavaria any time soon. This is a rather excitable story, when it all comes down to it, and whatever the future holds we’d be surprised if Karl wasn’t still at Bayern in a year or two’s time.

Spurs among sides ‘keen’ on South Korean star

Let’s wrap up with a story which keeps us in Bavaria while also bringing us right back around to Spurs – according to TeamTalk, they’re one of several teams that are “keen” on Bayern Munich’s Kim-Min Jae, along with Liverpool and Chelsea.

With Spurs said to be “on the hunt” for another centre-back, Kim has emerged as a possible candidate alongside Juventus’ Pierre Kalulu and potentially Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, although the source for that last claim is, in our opinion, rather weak.

Whoever else they may have in mind, Spurs are “watching Kim’s situation with interest,” although AC and Inter Milan are apparently the “early front-runners.” It’s suggested that a summer transfer is rather more likely than a January move, but there’s no word on how much he might cost anyway.

The 3AM Verdict: Kim crops up on the gossip columns quite often, without ever having come all that close to leaving Bayern – we wouldn’t be entirely shocked if this was all that different. As for Spurs’ apparently extensive defensive shopping list, Kalulu sounds realistic enough but we doubt that Konsa is a serious consideration. Liverpool have been linked with Kim quite a few times before, while Chelsea are likely to prefer a younger defender if they sign another one next summer.

Spurs have been a linked with a January transfer which could bring the next Luka Modrić to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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 so many of the traditional contenders for the top four and even the Premier League title struggling for form, the 2025/26 season is starting to look like a golden opportunity for Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur – and it would be no surprise if they made some significant moves in January in order to take advantage.

There are several areas in which Spurs could still improve, but new transfer rumours suggests that the midfield is due for an overhaul – and if the gossip columns have it right, then they could be considering a bid to sign a young playmaker with the talent to be their next Luka Modrić.

Why Spurs are supposedly interested in wonderkid Kees Smit

That’s despite being more of a creator than a finisher of chances. Smit can play on the flanks but more usually operates as a box-to-box midfielder, and its his first touch, fluid dribbling and ball control – as well as his precise passing – which catch the eye.

Smit is blessed with a graceful style of play and fluent technique, and it helps him to glide past defenders and opposing midfielders as he surges downfield with assurance, if not necessarily immense pace. He has Modrić’s knack of finding ways to carry the ball past his man with apparent ease, even if – at 6’0” – he doesn’t have the same low centre of gravity which the Croatian used to squirm between gaps.

And while it might be generous to equate the precision and range of his passing to Modrić’s just yet, he’s on the right track. His weight of pass is exceptional and his vision unquestionable. So far this season, he has two Eredivisie assists for AZ and has been creating 4.77 shooting chances for his team-mates per game on average – a very impressive mark.

He's also growing as a defensive player, making nearly two-thirds of his tackles against opposing ball-carriers and managing nearly six ball recoveries per game on average. He’s not just a creator but a hard-working ball-winner, too. Modrić is a comparison that has been made by the continental press, but Adam Wharton may have a more similar playing style overall.

Given that Frank reportedly wants to add at least one new central midfielder to his squad soon, Smit could be precisely the player that Spurs need, effective on and off the ball and able to generate chances in volume and to break the lines with the ball at his feet – and he can play as a number ten, too, should Xavi Simons continue to struggle. It’s no surprise that numerous media outlets, including TBR Football, believe that Spurs are watching Smit with great interest.

Will Spurs be able to sign Smit in 2026?

The question, of course, is whether Spurs will be able to seal a deal for Smit when plenty of other teams have taken notice of his talents, too – Newcastle United and Chelsea have been linked with a bid, while Real Madrid supposedly have him somewhere on their shortlist too.

Stories from Spain suggest that Wharton and others are likely to be higher on their shopping list over the course of the next couple of transfer windows, but both Newcastle and Chelsea would love a midfielder with Smit’s profile and room to develop as well. It is unlikely that Spurs get a free run at his signature if they do make a move.

Some of the recent reports suggesting that Spurs are interested, including one from Football FanCast, note that AZ may have been prepared to negotiate for around €30m (£26m) this summer – as the level of interest increases, that price may well go up, but it provides a starting point for guesses as to how much suitors may need to spend.

All three of Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea are likely to be able to afford that in January without damaging their standing with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, although it’s not clear whether AZ would be willing to sell their star player mid-season as yet. With his contract only due to expire in 2028, the Dutch club have plenty of leverage and don’t need to cash in with any urgency.

As such, it’s perhaps more likely that this deal gets done next summer, wherever he ends up – but if he continues to blossom in the Netherlands, then signing him could easily become a matter of some urgency for any number of teams, Spurs among them. It’s a deal which they seem relatively unlikely to regret should they pull it off.