Chelsea could snatch PL rivals' £40m-rated gem as Tottenham plot brutal West Ham relegation raid
The latest Premier League transfer news as Chelsea, Spurs and Leeds United plot big summer signings
There’s little over a month left until the summer transfer window begins, and Premier League clubs will be working frantically to get their shortlists ready ahead of what promises to be an exceptionally busy few months of wheeling and dealing across the English top tier.
We’re expecting mass changes at Manchester United, an exceptionally busy window for Newcastle, and Liverpool have the small matter of trying to replace club legend Mohamed Salah. On top of that, there’s set to be some major moves on the managerial front, with Chelsea and Crystal Palace both set to bring in new head coaches, and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola potentially moving on too.
Our rumours round-up gets going in the North East, where Newcastle are said to be plotting an intriguing summer striker move. After wasting over £110m on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa last summer, the club are now said to be eyeing a potential swoop for ex-Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguay international, who now plays for Al Hilal, is ready to quit the Saudi Pro League after just one season, according to the Daily Star. He’s set to mutually terminate his presumably massive contract, and his apparent hopes of a return to the Premier League could be boosted by interest from Newcastle, who are said to be keen admirers.
The 3AM Verdict: Nunez was far from a success for Liverpool, scoring a distinctly average 40 goals in 143 matches for the club. In his final season, he scored just seven in 47 games. Given that Newcastle wouldn’t have to pay a transfer fee to sign him, however, there would be no harm in taking a punt. They’d do well to act fast, with his appearances in this summer’s World Cup likely to attract more interest.
Chelsea ‘on alert’ as Arsenal ponder wonderkid sale
Next up, we’re off to Stamford Bridge where Chelsea are - you’ll never believe it - looking to buy another teenage winger. That’s according to Caught Offside, who claim that the Blues are “on alert” amid uncertainty surrounding Ethan Nwaneri’s future at Arsenal. The report says that the Marseille loan star could be allowed to leave the Gunners this summer, with Chelsea’s long-standing interest in the 19-year-old noted.
The story continues, listing European clubs Juventus, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund as other potential destinations. Given that Nwaneri is a player homegrown at the club, selling him - potentially for a £40m fee - could be highly attractive to the Gunners, given the ‘pure profit’ PSR boost it would give their finances.
The 3AM Verdict: At this stage, we’re starting to run out of jokes regarding Chelsea’s obsession with... players so young they could still sit on one of those pay-to-use rides behind the supermarket checkout? To put it simply: Chelsea do not need Nwaneri. They’ve already got Estevao and Pedro Neto who play in that position.
Could it be that the club are thinking of signing Nwaneri with a view to flipping him for a profit in years to come? Quite possibly. But Chelsea need players who can do a job on the pitch now, not ones who can boost the coffers a few years down the line. Also, there are far more pressing areas in their squad they need to strengthen this summer.
Tottenham could deal West Ham savage blow
Let’s bring things to a close in north London, where Tottenham continue their battle to avoid relegation. If they stay up and West Ham go down, Football Insider report that Spurs are ready to rub salt in the Hammers’ wounds, and launch a bold transfer raid for their star left-winger Crysencio Summerville.
It’s noted that Tottenham were keen on signing the 24-year-old back in January, but didn’t get anywhere with their attempts to do a deal. Should the Hammers plunge into the Championship, Spurs could apparently reignite their interest and bag a quality player who will be eager to remain playing top flight football next season.
The 3AM Verdict: Getting relegated from the Premier League is, to state the obvious, brutal. But not only because you have to play Lincoln City rather the Manchester City - chances are, you’ll lose all your best players and most likely never get them back. If West Ham go down, they’ll have a major rebuild job on their hands, and losing Summerville seems inevitable.