Arsenal ready to battle Chelsea for £53m blockbuster signing as Aston Villa look to snatch gem from PL rivals

Arsenal are hoping that they can get their hands on the Premier League trophy this season after falling short over recent years. According to Caught Offside, the Gunners are 'monitoring' Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ousmane Diomande. The report adds that the 22-year-old, who is an Ivory Coast international with nine caps to his name, is also on the radar of Chelsea and Crystal Palace amid his £53 million price tag.

Diomande, who started his career at FC Midtylland, has been a key player for his current club over recent times. He joined them back in 2022 and they could face a battle to keep hold of him down the line amid expected attention from elsewhere. He has made 113 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals from the back.

The 3AM Verdict: Arsenal could do with some more defensive cover due to recent injuries to Gabriel, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera. At the age of 22, Ousmane Diomande is someone with potential and he has already played a decent amount of games for someone of his age. He has impressed at Sporting Lisbon over recent times and may now be ready to test himself in the Premier League.

Aston Villa could join race for Tottenham Hotspur winger Brennan Johnson

Aston Villa are weighing up whether to join the race for Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson with Crystal Palace, TEAMtalk claim. The 24-year-old's future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is up in the air ahead of the January transfer window. He is under contract in London until June 2028 but it remains to be seen whether he will see his deal out.

Johnson was snapped up by Spurs back in 2023 after catching the eye at Nottingham Forest. He has since played 105 matches and has scored 27 goals, 18 of which came in the last campaign. The Wales international scored in the Europa League final last term against Manchester United in Bilbao.

The 3AM Verdict: Aston Villa need to sort out what is happening with Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott before they start plotting potential attacking targets. If the pair do leave, Brennan Johnson would be perfect for Unai Emery's side but they would need to see off competition from Crystal Palace for his signature. It would be a surprise to see him leave Tottenham Hotspur but he doesn't appear to be in Thomas Frank's plans and isn't a guaranteed starter.

Crystal Palace eye right-back

Crystal Palace are 'actively' looking to land a new right-back next month, Sky Sports have revealed. The Eagles have seen Daniel Munoz sustain an injury recently. That means they are short in that position and need some cover.

It has been an impressive term to date for the South London outfit and they find themselves in 5th position. They are currently juggling their league duties with their Europa Conference League campaign. Oliver Glasner has the chance to freshen up his ranks when the new window opens up for business and is expected to be a busy man. He will be desperate to keep the likes of Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi as well.

The 3AM Verdict: Crystal Palace could do with another option at right-back following Daniel Munoz's injury. They need as much depth in their squad as possible to deal with their increased workloads. It remains to be seen exactly who the Eagles could target at this stage. Their recruitment team will be monitoring potential targets and weighing up who to move in for.