Manchester United & Newcastle chasing proven midfield star as Leeds plan ‘imminent’ £17m bid

It’s once again time for 3 Added Minutes’ regular morning round-up and review of the biggest and spiciest new Premier League transfer rumours – and today, we’re kicking our daily digest off with a story which should interest fans of Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur alike.

All three teams are said to hold “interest” in a deal for former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, according to Caught Offside, with the midfielder “keen” to return to the Premier League after more than two years with Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

Apparently Neves’ representatives have already been in contact with some English sides – although the specific teams who have been on the phone are not revealed – and the 28-year-old could be available for a relatively budget-friendly €20m (£17.5m).

The stumbling block in the way of any deal would be his massive wages, which apparently stand at a colossal £410,000 per week, and the fact that both Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe are keeping tabs, too. Nevertheless, Ruben Amorim is apparently a fan while Newcastle “continue to monitor his situation.” Spurs, it should be said, are mentioned only in passing.

The 3AM Verdict: Any deal for Neves hinges on his willingness to take a fairly enormous pay cut, but there will be interest if he does decide to do so – whether these three specific teams would be among the frontrunners, we’re less certain, and there’s no detail in this article to back up the claims. One to keep an eye on, perhaps.

Leeds ‘ready to ignite’ £17m January deal

Let’s take in a story for the Leeds United fans among you now – TeamTalk build on recent rumours linking the Whites with a bid for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo García by claiming that they are “ready to ignite” their interest with a £17m bid for the Spanish striker in January.

According to the reporter’s sources, Real “are willing to sanction” a deal in the price range, either on a permanent basis or as a loan-to-buy, with the forward struggling for regular minutes despite an impressive showing in this summer’s Club World Cup, during which he scored four goals.

It’s noted that Leeds do face “stiff competition” for the 21-year-old García, with Aston Villa, Sunderland and Wolves interested while it’s further reported that Brighton & Hove Albion “have already opened talks” over a loan deal. Real Madrid will apparently “demand” that a buy-back clause is included in any transfer.

The 3AM Verdict: There’s a lot of detail in this article, which leads us to believe that it may be based on some fairly firm foundations, and it further corroborates several existing reports. It’s too early to say whether Leeds are favourites for García’s signature, however, and it’s clear that there will be a fairly extensive bidding war this winter.

Nottingham Forest & Crystal Palace among suitors for Ukrainian star

Let’s wrap up with a story from social media gossip-monger Ekrem Konur, now, who reckons that Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are among at least four teams interested in Trabzonspor defender Arseniy Batagov.

The 23-year-old Ukrainian – a centre-half who has represented his nation at age group level but has yet to earn a senior cap – is said to be “attracting interest” from the Premier League pair along with Serie A sides Bologna and Lazio.

Trabzonspor are supposedly “reluctant to sell” Batagov, but “could negotiate if a high offer arrives.” Sadly, it’s not made clear quite how high such an offer would have to be, nor is there any word on whether either Forest or Palace have made an approach as yet or are merely scouting the defender.

The 3AM Verdict: There’s far too little detail to go on here for us to know how much truth the story really contains, but Batagov is certainly developing a strong reputation in Turkey, where he is a regular starter. A name to bear in mind, perhaps, but it’s clearly early days if there is any genuine interest.