Man United 'open' to player sale that will record £46m loss as Liverpool 'push hard' for star's new contract
A closer look at some of the biggest Premier League transfer stories this weekend.
The international break is in full swing and plenty of Premier League players are enjoying their time with their respective countries. Domestic action will return next weekend though as each club looks to navigate this already exciting and tricky season in England’s top flight.
It may also only be September but rumours are already flying ahead of the January transfer window, so let’s take a look at who is being targeted by which clubs.
Newcastle eye Man United star
Out of favour winger Antony was linked with a Manchester United exit throughout the summer but a January sale could now be on the cards. According to CaughtOffside, the Red Devils are ‘open’ to selling the Brazilian if a fee in the region of £40 million is offered. This would see them record a significant £46 million loss on Antony, having bought him for £86 million in 2022, but his inconsistent form and lack of game time could open the door for his departure.
The report claims that Newcastle United are one of the clubs interested in signing Antony, as Eddie Howe is ‘considering’ a move for a player who he appreciates and believes would be a ‘valuable addition’ to the squad.
The 3AM Verdict: With every great money signing comes a great risk and it doesn’t always pay off. It looks like United are coming to terms with the fact Antony has not been the game-changing recruit many thought he would be. With just two Premier League goal contributions last season and one minute of action under his belt this campaign so far, it’s clear he has slipped far from a first option for Erik ten Hag. United may be headed for a significant loss on what they paid for him but the longer he stays an out of favour player, the more his price will decrease, so their best bet is to get what they can, while they can if he doesn’t feature in the club’s primary plans.
Liverpool will ‘push hard’ for new deal
After a relatively quiet 2024 on the transfer front, the main talking point for Liverpool remains their three players headed towards the end of their contracts. Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all now well into the last 12 months of their current terms and unless something changes, the trio will be headed for the exit as free agents next summer.
The likelihood of all three players leaving for free is slim and fortunately for Liverpool fans, talks seem to be getting underway to try and get new contracts locked in. According to Football Insider, Alexander-Arnold is the ‘most likely’ of the three to sign a new deal with the club and the Reds are ‘set to push hard’ to get terms finalised.
The right-back has been linked with Real Madrid in recent weeks but Liverpool view him as their ‘future captain’ when Van Dijk eventually leaves.
The 3AM Verdict: Losing any of the three players mentioned will be an enormous blow for Liverpool but losing Alexander-Arnold may be the one that will sting most. Both Salah and Van Dijk are approaching the latter stages of their careers at 32 and 33 years old respectively, and at this point, many have made peace with the fact their time will soon come to leave Anfield. However, Alexander-Arnold is a product of the club and has had the Liverpool captaincy in his sights for years now. The passionate, influential defender is on the trajectory to follow a similar path to Steven Gerrard, and losing him to another club, especially for free, at this stage in his career will be one of the biggest losses to Liverpool in recent years.