Man United 'in talks' to seal major next transfer deal as Nottingham Forest eye £35m striker
The latest Premier League transfer news as Man United, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest eye summer moves
The weekend has finally arrived: the final weekend before the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway. This time next week you’ll be gearing up to watch the primetime Saturday night blockbuster that is... Qatar vs Switzerland? Crikey. Good luck winning an argument with any non-football loving housemates to have that one on the big screen with a takeaway.
Meanwhile, the summer transfer window opens in less than two weeks, and a number of Premier League clubs have already been busy laying the groundwork to get some big deals done. We’re expecting it to be a frantic few weeks of player trading in England’s top tier and beyond, as managers look to get their squads in tip-top condition for next season.
We’ll kick this rumours round-up off on Tyneside, where Newcastle United are on the verge of signing a new goalkeeper. The Sun Sport report that the Magpies are closing in on a move for Reims stopper Ewen Jaouen, with a deal in the region of £24m said to have been agreed. He’s set to complete his move next week, becoming Newcastle’s first summer signing.
The 6ft 6in stopper is just 20-years-old, and currently plies his trade in Ligue 2 - the second tier of French football. Interestingly, although not unsurprisingly, the report suggests that he won’t be Newcastle’s new number one, and that they will push on to also sign a new first-choice stopper: this could be Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen, or Man City’s James Trafford.
The 3AM Verdict: Newcastle blowing £24m on a second-choice goalkeeper suggests they’re not messing about this summer, and are likely to spend some big money as they look to improve their undercooked squad. Jaouen is a rising star with bags of talent, but they’re sensible to also bring in a more established Premier League stopper who can instantly improve their starting XI.
Man United ‘hold talks’ with three different left-backs
Over to Old Trafford, where United are set for a busy summer themselves. They’ve already solved one half of their midfield revamp conundrum, and are now going all guns blazing to sign a new left-back, as they look to bring in some much needed competition for Luke Shaw. According to Team Talk, the club are keen to keep their options open, and are looking at three potential candidates.
Alongside Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, who will feel hard done by missing out on England’s controversial World Cup squad, the Red Devils are also said to have been in contact with Barcelona over Alejandro Balde’s availability, and with Eintracht Frankfurt to ascertain their stance on Germany international Nathaniel Brown.
The report notes that Hall is very much United’s first-choice option, but the Magpies are wary to let him leave, and are likely to demand over £60m to agree a deal. Balde, meanwhile, should be a more straightforward approach with Barcelona needing to sell, while Brown looks destined to join Bayern Munich instead.
The 3AM Verdict: United’s recruitment strategy is significantly better than it was a couple of seasons ago, as evidenced by the signings of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha last summer. They’re doing the right thing keeping their options open, and if Brown is unavailable, Balde could be a decent Hall alternative well worth signing.
Nottingham Forest eye £35m striker
We’ll bring things to a close in the East Midlands, where Nottingham Forest are gearing up for their fifth consecutive Premier League season in a row. Last season, the Tricky Trees were heavily reliant on star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White for their goals, and they’ll be looking to strengthen their attacking options over the summer months.
According to Italian outlet Tutto Juve, Forest are keeping tabs on Juventus striker Lois Openda. The Belgium international spent last season on loan in Turin from RB Leipzig and joined the club due to an obligation-to-buy clause in the deal, but the report suggests the Serie A giants are unconvinced by the 26-year-old and are looking to move him along immediately.
The report claims it’s unlikely that Juve will be able to recoup the fee of around £35m they’ve just shelled out to sign Openda, and that he’s most likely to head out on loan this season. As well as Forest, Frankfurt and Monaco are listed as potential destinations. However, Forest are the more likely of the three to be able to cover the player’s salary.
The 3AM Verdict: Forest went berserk in the transfer market last summer, with a scattergun approach that saw them spend around £200m spread between 13 new signings. A loan for Openda isn’t the wildest bit of business they could do, but with just two goals in 34 matches last season, Forest should be looking for a forward with a sharper eye for goal.