Welcome to Thursday’s round-up of all the biggest and freshest Premier League transfer rumours – and we kick off at the Emirates, where Arsenal’s problems may not end with the title race and Manchester City’s defeat of Spurs on Tuesday night.
That’s because Caught Offside reckon that several of Europe’s biggest clubs have got star centre-half William Saliba in their sights this summer. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are all alleged to be keen on the 23-year-old Frenchman, who has been a regular in Mikel Arteta’s title chasing team.
The article goes on to claim that Arsenal have no plans of letting him go, but that their resolve could be tested if any of those clubs offer €100m (£85.8m) or more. Bayern seem the least likely to get involved, as they’re prioritising an attempt to sign Ronald Araújo from Barcelona.
The 3AM Verdict: Arsenal still have three years on Saliba’s contract, so they definitely have the power in this situation. If a really ridiculous offer comes in, they can chuckle on their way to the bank – but realistically, we’re rather sceptical of Caught Offside’s claims here. No doubt those three sides admire Saliba (who doesn’t?) but they’ll surely know that signing him is a serious long-shot.
News now from Italy – via Sport Witness – where a couple of outlets have been reporting on the likelihood that Serbia international Lazar Samardžić leaves Udinese this summer. Apparently both West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion are in the market for the 22-year-old attacking midfielder, who can play on the left or through the middle.
They’re not alone in their interest, with Napoli and Juventus also considering a bid, and apparently all four teams have “requested information” about him. No transfer fee is mentioned for a player who has five goals and two assists in a side who have been battling relegation from Serie A this season, but he still has three years left on his contract, so Udinese don’t have to sell cheap.
The 3AM Verdict: Samardžić is a direct and creative playmaker who is always on the look out for a killer final ball, and although he’s fairly versatile, it looks like he’ll be a number ten in the long run. He’s also very nifty with the ball at his feet and know how to beat a man – in other words, he’s quite a lot of fun. It’s easier to see how he’d fit West Ham’s system than it is to picture him in Roberto de Zerbi’s system, and it does sound like there’s more buzz about the Hammers right now.
Premier League sides looking to scoop up Southampton man on a free
Southampton still have the small matter of the Championship play-offs to deal with, but they already know that one of their first-team regulars will be playing in the Premier League next season – at least according to TeamTalk, who claim that Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers are among the teams keen on signing striker Che Adams on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Adams never hit double figures in any of his four Premier League seasons with the Saints but he’s notched up 16 goals in the second tier so far – but his contract at St. Mary’s is running down and it seems as if he’ll be heading off on a Bosman. Leeds United are also interested, although presumably they’ll have a tough time getting hold of him if they don’t make it out of the Championship.
The 3AM Verdict: Nobody’s going to claim that Adams is a world class player, but he’s a reliable performer who’s had a couple of very decent seasons in the Premier League – in other words, he’s probably a pretty handy squad player for a mid-table side. And when he also comes free, it’s hard to argue that it’s a bad signing.
