Aston Villa & Man Utd ‘offered’ chance to sign England star as West Ham eye cunning swap move

Another day of gossip and negotiations has passed, and that means that it’s time for 3 Added Minutes’ daily morning round-up and review of some of the biggest (and sometimes strangest) new Premier League transfer rumours – starting with a story which involves Aston Villa, Manchester United and several other teams besides.

A report from TeamTalk claims that AC Milan and England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been “offered” to several Premier League clubs by intermediaries after finding himself in and out of the starting line-up at the San Siro this season – and Villa and United are among the sides “showing possible interest” in a deal.

Both United and Villa are on the hunt for affordable midfield reinforcements and Loftus-Cheek could fit the bill, although it’s not suggested that either side have made a bid as yet. Newcastle, Everton, Brentford, Fulham and Sunderland have also been contacted, but it’s less clear that they have any sincere interest. Juventus, meanwhile, are among teams from outside the Premier League who could perhaps be keen.

Loftus-Cheek himself is said to be “open to taking on a new challenge” after a largely successful spell in Italy which recently earned him a recall to the Three Lions squad after several years out of the national side. There’s no word on how much Milan might demand for the 29-year-old as yet.

The 3AM Verdict: Loftus-Cheek always seems to pop up on the rumour mill in the transfer window and generally just stays at Milan and continues to play rather well. Will this time be any different? Perhaps, if people from his side are actually pushing a deal, as this article implies. He could easily be an affordable option for several teams, and perhaps an improvement. We wouldn’t be shocked if he finally makes his way home.

Twist emerges in West Ham transfer saga

Let’s head over to a story from Sport Witness now, which discusses a possible twist in the tale of the potential transfer of Lucas Paquetá from West Ham to Flamengo – apparently, the Hammers have decided that they want to bring versatile attacking player Gonzalo Plata to the London Stadium “as part of [the] deal.”

Plata, a 25-year-old who is apparently valued at €25m (£22m) by Flamengo, and West Ham would allegedly be “willing to open their wallets” to get a deal done and “meet [the] asking price.”

From Flamengo’s point of view, it’s said that they could make Plata available due to “internal considerations” – hinting, in other words, that they could be willing to come to an arrangement if it helps to get the Paquetá deal over the line. The article is at pains to stress that it’s currently “talk rather than action,” and no deal has been reached, but suddenly the saga could become a swap deal.

The 3AM Verdict: Obviously including another player makes a transfer more complicated, not simpler, but if West Ham’s interest is genuine then it may help both parties reach a price point they’re happy with. It’s worth noting that an alternative version of events has been reported elsewhere – The Daily Mail reckon that West Ham want a deal which leave Paquetá in England on loan for the rest of the season before he joins Flamengo permanently.

Brighton line up potential Baleba replacement

Let’s wrap up our latest little digest with a story from journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who claims that Brighton & Hove Albion are “considering” a move for Belgium and Parma midfielder Mandela Keita, a standout performer in Serie A this season.

Brighton are said to be looking at Keita as a replacement for Baleba if the Cameroonian midfielder leaves this summer, which seems relatively likely given Manchester United’s well-publicised interest. It’s said that “other Premier League clubs [are] also [in] on it,” although none of them are named.

The only potential competition that does get a namecheck in the race for the 23-year-old is Galatasaray, and apparently the Turkish club have “added him to their shortlist.” There’s no discussion of a transfer fee, and it all sounds like something that’s more likely to happen in the summer than the January transfer window.

The 3AM Verdict: We’d be surprised if Keita was on the move over the next few weeks but a summer deal does seem very likely – and he also seems like the kind of player that Brighton would love to sign to follow in the footsteps of Baleba and Moisés Caicedo. He certainly matches the profile. One to watch, but probably over the long term.