West Ham ready to battle Leicester City for £25m midfield gem as Liverpool eye bold goalkeeper swoop

Nothing is sacred, and nobody is safe – that’s the lesson we’re taking from the first story up on today’s digest of the biggest Premier League transfer rumours from around the world, which concerns Liverpool and the possibility that their legendary goalkeeper Alisson could be leaving the club.

Apparently, a stray report from Spain last week which suggested that Arne Slot was interested in signing Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who starred in Euro 2024 for Georgia, wasn’t as unlikely as it sounded at first – and Sport Witness have found further rumours in Iberia which suggest that Liverpool’s interest may be very real indeed.

Apparently Valencia are likely to demands a fee of at least €35m (£30.1m) for Mamardashvili, and Atlético Madrid are also in the mix. Newcastle United, who had been interested, have pulled out of the race. All of this could well mean that a proposed move to the Saudi Pro League is back on for Alisson, who seems to be rather less indispensable to Slot than he was to Jürgen Klopp.

The 3AM Verdict: We’re still taking this with a slight pinch of salt despite the mutterings over in Spain, simply because there has been little in the way of creditable reporting from the Saudi side – and without a big bid for the Pro League, this move is surely dead in the water for footballing and financial reasons. But it does corroborate what looked like unlikely claims from earlier in the summer, so maybe this is the real deal after all. Mamardashvili, for what it’s worth, is plainly superb, but very much not a natural sweeper-keeper, which makes him an interesting target for a manager like Slot who typically plays with an aggressive high line.

Hammers and Foxes join race for SPL star

One player who will almost certainly be on the move this summer is Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, who has already been the subject of repeated bids from Serie A side Atalanta and is now also being looked at by West Ham United and Leicester City – if Caught Offside have their facts straight, anyway.

Apparently the two sides have “strong interest” in the Dane, who is priced at £25m by his current club. Atalanta have failed to meet that but have been making moves, while the article also reckons that Chelsea could be interested, although they’re alleged to be interested in any footballer with a pulse these days.

The 3AM Verdict: For all that we jest about Chelsea’s habit of being linked with anyone and everyone, O’Riley does have a hint of the Conor Gallagher about him – a high-pressing, all action midfielder who scored 18 goals and bagged 13 assists in the SPL last season. Celtic will probably get to cash they want on this one, as the upside is so high if he can adjust to life in the Premier League. Or Serie A, of course…

Newcastle narrow down defensive options

Having failed to sign Tosin Adarabioyo earlier in the window, Newcastle have been working hard to figure out who to splash the cash on at centre-half – and with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles injured, signing a new defender before deadline day will certainly be essential for Eddie Howe.

TeamTalk have some updates for us, claiming that one apparent option – AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw, has been dismissed, while another, Internacional defender Vitão, has entered the frame. Apparently Thiaw’s injury history is a big concern, while the 24-year-old Brazilian has impressed with his ball-carrying skills and technical game. One player that remains firmly in their sights is Marc Guéhi, but with Liverpool circling too that may prove to be a tricky transfer to get over the line.

The 3AM Verdict: Crystal Palace’s Guéhi is the most expensive option available to Newcastle but also perhaps the best – and certainly he hasn’t had as many fitness issues as 22-year-old Thiaw, who Milan want around £35m for. We haven’t seen Vitão play, quite frankly, so let’s just call him a wildcard for now.