Welcome to Wednesday’s round-up of the biggest and boldest Premier League transfer rumours that we’ve caught doing the rounds over the past 24 hours – and we’ll start our spin around the rumour mill at Old Trafford, where a report suggests that Manchester United are lining up a remarkable bid for a new midfielder.
TeamTalk claim that the Red Devils are considering a bid for Crystal Palace and England midfielder Adam Wharton in 2025 amid uncertainty over the long-term future of players such as Casemiro and Christian Eriksen. This claim follows on the back of reports that Bayern Munich were considering a bid this past summer, while Liverpool and Manchester City could be interested too.
No fee is mentioned in the report, and Wharton isn’t the only midfielder that has caught Erik ten Hag’s eye – it seems that Middlesbrough and England Under-21 player Hayden Hackney is also on the shortlist, with his “good progress” under Michael Carrick drawing favourable reviews.
The 3AM Verdict: If Wharton continues to progress as he has so far, then the biggest clubs will be snapping at his heels before too long but we’ll sound a note of caution here – the original source for the story seems to be Spanish outlet Fichajes, which has a pretty patchy track record when it comes to accuracy. Hackney, meanwhile, is a gifted playmaking midfielder with a lovely passing range, but Manchester United would be quite the leap at this stage in the 22-year-old’s career.
There’s been growing buzz around Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra’s name in the last year or so, and Caught Offside reckon that both Arsenal and Aston Villa are interested in securing the 21-year-old’s services, with the Gunners favourites to make a move as they step up their interest.
Apparently Guerra, who has seven caps for the Spanish Under-21 side and was a first-team regular at the Mestalla last season, could be sold for as little as €30m (£25.3m) in the near future as Valencia look to make a quick buck. The player himself prefers a move to Arsenal given the choice, apparently, largely because he wants to work with Mikel Arteta.
