Aston Villa 'hold talks' to seal £20m first summer signing as Crystal Palace look to deal Leeds brutal blow

The summer of 2026 is rattling along at a fearsome pace, with the FIFA World Cup in North America continuing to dominate the headlines. The knockouts have been a treat so far, with highlights including Brazil sealing a last-gasp win against Japan, and both the Netherlands and Germany getting booted out by Morocco and Paraguay respectively. England, meanwhile, take on DR Congo for a place in the last 16 on Wednesday.

Premier League clubs, you would imagine, will be glad to have their star players back from international duty as soon as possible, with the 2026/27 Premier League season mapped out and just around the corner. They’ll be flung back into pre-season soon after the tournament ends, with minimal rest for any players who go deep into the World Cup.

We’ll kick off today’s transfer rumour round-up in West London, where Chelsea are hard at work as they prepare for (another) new era under incoming manager Xabi Alonso. He’s already spearheading a bold move to sign his former Bayer Leverkusen star Granit Xhaka from Sunderland, and further signings including a new left-back and a striker are set to follow.

One player who was thought to be already halfway out the door is vice-captain Enzo Fernandez, who has been in the bad books at Chelsea ever since a controversial interview in which he not-so-subtly hinted that he might enjoy relocating to Madrid. Intense speculation has followed, with Real Madrid thought to have made him a key transfer priority for this summer.

Now, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has taken to his X account to claim that there have been “No changes on Enzo Fernandez story as always mentioned: zero talks between Real Madrid and Chelsea despite different reports. He’s appreciated by Real but one of 5 names on the list + zero club to club talks so far.” Intriguing stuff indeed...

The 3AM Verdict: Call us cynical, but we have a feeling Romano’s post may have something to do with Real Madrid trying to get Chelsea to drop their asking price. The Blues need to sell some players this summer, but Los Blancos are unlikely to meet their mega £120m asking price. If Real Madrid were to, theoretically, put it out there that they’re not interested, Chelsea just might be a little more open to selling Fernandez for a lower price.

Aston Villa eye new goalkeeper option

Second up, it’s over to the West Midlands, where Aston Villa are looking to build on an excellent 2025/26 campaign that saw them shake off a sluggish start and go on to both win the Europa League and finish in the top four. They’re likely to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, and The Athletic report they’ve got a new target in mind: Toulouse stopper Guillame Restes.

The story contends that Villa have already been in talks with the player’s entourage, and could agree a deal in the region of £20m should they make an official bid. Parma’s Zion Suzuki, who impressed at the World Cup with Japan before their elimination, is named as another option, but the club are still said to favour keeping first-choice ‘keeper Emi Martinez over finding an alternative option. He future still remains undecided.

The 3AM Verdict: Martinez arguably messed Villa about in the last transfer window, and manager Unai Emery will want the Argentina international’s plans decided as soon as possible to give him time to find a replacement if required. Both Restes and Suzuki are great options, but we agree that managing to keep Martinez would be the biggest win for Villa.

Crystal Palace could beat Leeds to Charles deal

Our last stop takes us to south London, where Crystal Palace are preparing to go forward under new manager Pierre Sage, following the exit of Oliver Glasner. The Europa Conference League winners will be busy in the market over the next few weeks, and a new report from Football Insider claims they could be ready to challenge Leeds United to sign Southampton gem Shea Williams.

In fact, the report goes so far as to say that the Eagles are already “hopeful” of sealing the deal, with their participation in the Europa League next season likely to give them a significant advantage over Leeds. The Whites are said to have had two offers for the Northern Ireland international already knocked back, as the club hold out for a £30m bid.

The 3AM Verdict: This is a really interesting one, if it’s true - the source publication aren’t exactly renowned for their reliability. Charles to Palace does make a lot of sense, given that their star midfielder Adam Wharton will leave the club either this summer or next. The Saints midfielder is a top prospect, and could well become the Eagles’ latest gem plucked from the Championship. If they pull it off, Leeds will be fuming after putting in a lot of groundwork.