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Our verdict on the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Welcome to Friday’s round-up of the freshest Premier League transfer rumours that we’ve caught doing the rounds over the past 24 hours – and we have something of a theme running through today’s digest.

All of today’s transfer stories concern players who currently ply their trade in London but who could be heading for pastures new in the near future, and first up for consideration is a report from Caught Offside which claims that Real Madrid have set their sights on Tottenham Hotspur right-back Pedro Porro.

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The former Sporting man isn’t Real’s first choice, by any means, because what they really want is to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free when his contract expires at the end of the season. But they see Porro as a “strong alternative” to the Liverpool man, and apparently Carlo Ancelotti is an admirer.

Apparently a fee of around €65m (£54.7m) would be required to get Spurs around the table in the first place, but the North London outfit are allegedly “fearful” of losing their man if he receives a tempting offer from Spain.

The 3AM Verdict: We’ve already seen Real Madrid linked with just about every elite right-back in Europe recently, and that’s why we wouldn’t get too worried if we were a Spurs fan – sure, Porro probably is on their long list of potential targets, but right now they’re just doing due diligence and there are another dozen or so players they could turn to before Porro becomes the number one target.

Gunner set for Spanish move

Spurs aren’t the only team in North London who could find themselves losing a player to La Liga in the near future – not if Football España have their facts straight, anyway. They reckon that both Barcelona and Atlético Madrid are chasing the signature of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who is set to leave the club as a free agent this coming summer.

Are Newcastle top four contenders? Watch The Premier League Panel to find out what our experts think.

The Ghanaian international is expected to make a decision on his future in the coming months, and the clubs in question will make a call of their own with the potential to sign the player for free proving to be “tempting.” Fitness may come into the equation, however, as Partey has had injury problems that he may need to get over.

The 3AM Verdict: There is very little detail in this article, which is often a sign that either the author has heard faint whispers but little more or that there simply isn’t anything concrete in it. We’re not sure which is the case here, but the two teams in question are a former club and a team who are basically always looking for anyone they can sign on a free to save some money.

Spanish side to double down on Stamford Bridge swoop

To round off our hat-trick of stories about Spanish sides swooping in for London-based players, news now from TeamTalk, who reckon that Atléti are also keen on signing Chelsea exile Ben Chilwell.

The two sides have a working relationship after negotiations over Conor Gallagher and João Félix during the summer and apparently Diego Simeon’s side team have a “strong interest” in the England left-back, who was left out of first-team training during at the start of the season and has been told to find a new club. He has since been reintegrated into the senior squad, but there is no suggestion that Enzo Maresca plans to make much use of him, and a transfer seems inevitable at some stage.

There’s no word on whether Chilwell would be open to a move to Madrid or as to how much Chelsea would charge for him – aside from a wry note that the Blues would get “nowhere near” the £50m or so they paid for him in the first place.

The 3AM Verdict: Apparently a new left-back is somewhere on Simeone’s list of priorities and this seems like a pretty easy move to pull off, although it may depend on Chilwell’s fitness levels and the amount that Chelsea want in return. Certainly a move that we can see happening, but the fine details could prove to be more complicated that you might expect.

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With Harry Kane reaching 100 caps for England, we look at the up-and-coming strikers who could replace him when the time comes.

There was never any real question that Harry Kane was still a great striker, even after a lacklustre performance at Euro 2024, and even after a three rather frustrating halves of Nations League football against the Republic of Ireland and Finland. Eventually, the chances came, the finishes were quite brilliant, and England’s latest centurion celebrated his hundredth cap with a brilliant brace to win the game at Wembley.

Now 31 years old, this summer was perhaps the first time that the former Tottenham Hotspur striker had showed any signs of slowing down. He certainly didn’t look too sluggish last season, his first with Bayern Munich, when he bagged 44 goals in 45 games and finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer – but still, those goals against the Finns will likely have been met with a sigh of relief at The FA headquarters, because when the day comes to replace him, it’s going to create a major problem.

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That isn’t just because he’s an exceptional player, but because England seems to have stopped producing strikers, at least in any number. The best technical players and the biggest goal-scoring talents are now being funnelled towards wide positions in youth academies, and number nines are becoming a rare breed. The current crop may not be much help, either. Should Kane retire from international duty after the next World Cup, say, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney would be 30 already. Able to contribute, sure, but not long-term solutions, and it’s an optimist who expects Dominic Calvert-Lewin to stay fit enough for long enough.

So who can replace Kane when he goes? Who can we expect to lead the line at the next European Championships if the captain has hung his boots up by then at the age of 35? We’ve looked to the future to determine who will be the main man for years to come…

Dominic Solanke – Tottenham Hotspur

The obvious place to start, Solanke is 26 now and entering what should be his prime years off the back of a hugely impressive 21-goal season with Bournemouth. He’s a ‘genuine’ striker who has a long and storied history with the England age group sides – all of which makes it even more of an oddity that he has just one cap to his name, which was handed to him seven long years ago when he was still a teenager. The fact that he didn’t even make Gareth Southgate’s extended training squad ahead of Euro 2024 strongly suggests that he doesn’t have a huge fan base at St. George’s Park, but perhaps Lee Carsley would have called him up had he been fit. There’s also the fact that he only has one seriously strong top-flight season behind him, and perhaps he has more to prove than we might think. Still the clear favourite, surely.

Jaden Philogene-Bidace – Aston Villa

Of course, the various younger forwards who are only just starting their journeys at the highest level have even more to prove. Philogene-Bidace, who was re-signed by Aston Villa after impressing in the Championship with Hull City, is also a winger rather than a striker, but the sheer volume of wide forwards coming through the youth ranks across England suggests that trying to convert a less traditional striker into a number nine may be necessary, or at least an experiment worth trying at some stage. 12 goals in 32 games last season demonstrated at least some of the finishing instincts required, and he should have the technique and pace to be effective off the shoulder of the last man as well.

Dane Scarlett – Oxford United (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)

Speaking of which, it’s worth noting that England Under-21s won the European Championships under Carsley in 2023 without starting a ‘recognised’ striker, but the England Under-19s team that won their equivalent competition in 2022 did have a couple, including the highly-rated Scarlett. Now 20, he has yet to make his breakthrough at Spurs but has a formidable goal-scoring record at youth level (including 23 goals in 36 games across the various England sides). A loan spell in the second tier with Oxford United could tell us more about his prospects – it worked for Kane, anyway. Bournemouth’s Daniel Jebbison is another member of that Under-19 side to watch out for, and he’ll spend this season with Watford.

Tammy Abraham – AC Milan (on loan from AS Roma)

If we’re going to prematurely write Calvert-Lewin off, it may not be especially sensible to suggest the 26-year-old Abraham, who started his career in Serie A off like a train but has since found his progress derailed by injury problems. He only managed 12 matches last season and hasn’t been afforded the chance to replicate his 2021/22 campaign when he bagged 27 inside 53 matches. But the technique and talent is unquestionably still there. Perhaps his loan spell in Milan will help him get back to his best, and if that happens then has will surely be in contention for more caps.

Liam Delap – Ipswich Town

The Tractor Boys have put a lot of faith in Delap to help them lead the line in a relegation battle after spending up to £20m to sign him from Manchester City. Not necessarily a natural number nine but a forward who drops back and runs the channels, he still has a very solid goal-scoring record and bagged eight on loan at Hull last year. If he can get those numbers going northwards in what may well be a difficult season in Suffolk, then the 21-year-old could easily force himself into long-term discussions.

Cameron Archer – Southampton

While England’s Under-21s may have started without a striker when they won the Euros last year, they did have Archer coming off the bench. Able to play on the wing as well, Archer has good speed and movement but needs to up his volume of goals, for his sake as well as Southampton’s. A return of just four goals last year was forgivable given the mess that his Sheffield United side was in, but the 22-year-old will want to push for double figures to prove that he’s on the right track. Not that young strikers aren’t allowed a slow start. After all, it took Solanke a while to get up to speed at the senior level.

Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid

Of course, the answer could be right under our noses already – and under Carlo Ancelotti’s arched eyebrow. The boy wonder Bellingham was unexpectedly used as a false nine in Spain last season and started the season in scintillating goal-scoring form, demonstrating hitherto unrealised skill in the six yard box and a genuine aerial threat. His scoring rate slowed a little as the season went on but he still bagged 23 goals in 42 matches as he won the league and Champions League double. England may not need to look all that far for Kane’s replacement at all.

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The summer transfer window might be shut at the moment but scouting is ongoing and future stars are being monitored.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to Brazilian fullback Vanderson de Oliveira Campos, who currently plays in French top tier Ligue 1 for AS Monaco. The right-back was heavily linked to Manchester United in the summer transfer window, but in typical Erik ten Hag fashion, he settled on a player he had worked with at Ajax: Noussair Mazraoui.

While Mazraoui is certainly a talented player, Ten Hag has a habit of reuniting with familiar faces. Chelsea also made advances towards Vanderson, along with several other European clubs, which indicates how highly he’s rated across the industry.

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Vanderson is an old-school Brazilian fullback who combines both attack and defence. If you remember Cafu, that's the style he embodies. He has Cafu’s will and Dani Alves’ skill. Vanderson excels on both the attacking and defensive sides of the game. Like his predecessors, he can even operate as a right midfielder if required.

While Ange Postecoglou trusts Pedro Porro, every player needs competition, and athletes often thrive in competitive environments. Tottenham are currently short at right-back after selling Emerson Royal to AC Milan, so a move for Vanderson would be a logical move in the transfer market.

Djed Spence, who joined from Middlesbrough for £20 million in the summer of 2022, has yet to prove himself as Tottenham quality. The fact that the club didn’t include him in their Europa League squad this season signals a lack of confidence in him.

Tottenham either need competition for Pedro Porro or a player who can surpass him, and Vanderson could be the answer. His versatility, particularly his ability to play in right midfield, would be useful if Postecoglou wanted to deploy a three-at-the-back system while still maintaining an attacking presence.

Reports from the French media during the summer suggested Monaco were seeking between £25 million and £30 million for their Brazilian star. For a player of Vanderson’s quality, that fee seems quite modest and should not deter an ambitious Premier League club like Spurs.

Monaco have already signed his replacement, Jordan Teze, from Dutch champions PSV, indicating that they are prepared to sell Vanderson for the right offer. Though Manchester United moved on with the signing of Noussair Mazraoui, Chelsea are still monitoring the situation. It seems like Enzo Maresca is giving himself time to fully assess Malo Gusto, the backup to the perpetually injured club captain, Reece James.

If Gusto fails to meet expectations, Chelsea could turn their attention to Vanderson, given their aggressive reputation in the transfer market under the new ownership. Some sources suggest that Spurs have been hesitant due to the less than convincing efforts of their previous Brazillian full-back, Royal. However, those who follow Ligue 1 know Vanderson is an exceptional prospect.

Tottenham need to act quickly, as Vanderson is the kind of full-back who could immediately improve their squad and add pressure on the first team to elevate their performance. Emerson is a more conservative player, whereas Vanderson has a more expansive style, which would suit the type of football Postecoglou has implemented in north London. While Tottenham’s history with Brazilian players isn’t extensive, fans certainly appreciated what Lucas Moura achieved with the opportunities he was given.

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Our verdict on the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs and Everton.

Welcome back to 3 Added Minutes’ daily digest of the biggest and boldest Premier League transfer rumours currently doing the media rounds – and today we’re going to kick off at Old Trafford, with news that Manchester United have been doing some scouting in Spain.

It seems that Sevilla’s 21-year-old right winger Juanlu Sánchez has caught their eye, with Caught Offside reporting that they’re scouting him ahead of a possible move next summer. No doubt they will be further encouraged once they discover that his release clause is currently set at just €20m (£17m).

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Real Madrid are interested as well, but the article does note that transfer fiend Fabrizio Romano reckons that there is “nothing concrete” in the link as yet and that this is more a case of due diligence being done than an indication that Juanlu is at the top of either side’s shopping list.

The 3AM Verdict: Manchester United’s need for a right winger hasn’t been discussed much but assuming Antony leaves at some stage, they are very reliant on both Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho to prove themselves long-term solutions, so this could be a position of need next year. Whether signing another youngster is the answer is less clear, admittedly. Juanlu can also play wing-back however, is quick, a fine dribbler and does a lot of good work off the ball.

Red Devils & Real battle for £75m man

Further news of an impending transfer showdown between Manchester United and Real Madrid now courtesy of GiveMeSport, who reckon that the European champions are set to enter the race to sign Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite next summer – in spite of the fact that the Toffees plan to hold firm on their £75m price tag.

Real are “not solely focused” on Branthwaite, however, and are also keeping tabs on Arsenal’s William Saliba and Benfica centre-back António Silva. The article notes that a cut-price deal could be possible if Everton’s financial situation demands it (or if they end up getting relegated, of course), but also reiterates the club’s determination to get top dollar for their most talented player.

The 3AM Verdict: It’s been quite the rise for Branthwaite over the past year or so, and a move to Madrid would be fitting based on last season’s form, but we think Real are at the point where they’re just drawing up a big list of the best defenders in Europe before making their eventual move, so we wouldn’t get too excited just yet. Everton fans can probably forget about hanging on to him past 2025, however.

London clubs enter wonderkid race

Just yesterday, we reported on news that practically every team in the Premier League was interested in Lecce and Denmark left-back Patrick Dorgu, who at 19 years of age is drawing comparisons with a young Gareth Bale and drawing rave reviews from right around the continent – and now Sport Witness bear news that two of the only clubs not mentioned yesterday are in fact among the favourites to win the race.

Citing sources in the Italian press, the report alleges that Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are in “pole position” to make a deal this summer, which originally would have cost around €30m (£25.4m) but will now likely be more given the widespread interest – an extra €10m could do the trick.

The 3AM Verdict: We’re pretty certain that Dorgu does have a long list of suitors but guessing at which teams are truly interested right now seems to be a big game of pin the tail on the donkey being played by the wider football media. Spurs have, at least, been linked with him before, but otherwise this is likely to be a bunfight which won’t be resolved until next summer.

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Our verdict on the latest Premier League transfer rumours including news from Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Welcome to Tuesday’s round-up of the biggest and boldest Premier League transfer rumours from the last 24 hours, and we’ll kick things off with a report of a potentially colossal transfer involving Arsenal.

Apparently three clubs – namely Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain – are tracking Gunners defender William Saliba, according to Caught Offside via some sources “close to the situation,” with all three elite sides showing “strong interest” in the Frenchman.

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Given that he’s under contract until 2027, Arsenal wouldn’t sell for anything less than “crazy money”, apparently, and the article speculates on a €120m (£101.3m) price tag, although it isn’t clear whether that’s a real figure that’s been bandied about or the author’s arbitrary best guess. The report goes on to claim that the story won’t be “going away any time soon.”

The 3AM Verdict: This isn’t the first time the same outlet has printed a story about some big teams looking at signing Saliba, which may indicate a degree of confidence in the story, although it’s clear that details are scant. Bayern seems highly unlikely as they rarely spend that kind of money, while Real usually don’t splash their cash on defenders, but there’s nothing inherently implausible about PSG dropping a few Qatari riyals on him at some point…

Next Gareth Bale on Man Utd & Spurs’ radar

Elsewhere, HITC reckon that both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are scouting a player that has apparently drawn comparisons with a young Gareth Bale – 19-year-old Denmark international left-back Patrick Dorgu, who plays for Lecce in Italy.

Manchester United want to add a player in that position thanks to ongoing injury concerns with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, while Spurs seemingly want to add competition for Destiny Udogie. Furthermore, the report claims that Dorgu turned down a move to Chelsea this summer because he didn’t want to be loaned out to Strasbourg as part of the switch. Quite a few of the other usual European suspects like Atlético Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are in the hunt too.

The 3AM Verdict: There’s nothing implausible here – Dorgu is young, talented and very fast and we’d be amazed if he was still at Lecce next season, but as he’s only recently established himself as a starter in Serie A and in the Danish national team (he scored his first international goal in the Nations League this weekend) we don’t necessarily think the big clubs will be in a rush, and he will need some development time. Expect this deal to be made next summer rather than January if it does, although someone may force an early bidding war if Dorgu continues to perform. No fee is mentioned.

Chelsea planning £75m return

Chelsea will always have another big-money buy up their sleeve sooner or later, and TBR Football believe that they know who the target of their next splurge will be – according to their report, the Blues are drawing up a plan to bring Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi back to Stamford Bridge in 2025.

Guéhi, who came through the Chelsea academy and had a prospective move to Newcastle United break down this summer and who has also been linked with a move to Liverpool and Manchester City, has an asking price of £75m. Apparently the Blues are “keeping close tabs” on the England international.

The 3AM Verdict: Chelsea have let plenty of hugely talented players go and regretted it in the past, so this is hardly new territory for the club – and nor is splashing enormous amounts of money on a player. The problem with assessing Chelsea rumours is that just about anything is plausible these day, but we note a lack of detail in the article that makes us sceptical to a certain extent, especially with so many other clubs interested.

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The latest updates on those expected to miss the upcoming north London derby.

Arsenal remain undefeated in the Premier League so far this season but they were unable to continue their winning streak after dropping points to Brighton and Hove Albion. A controversial red card for Declan Rice marred the occasion and the Seagulls were able to deny Mikel Arteta’s side the full three points after João Pedro’s equaliser.

The Gunners are currently fourth in the table with seven points, two adrift of Manchester City and Liverpool in the two top spots. Arsenal’s next challenge after the international break will be the highly anticipated North London Derby, as they prepare to take on Tottenham Hotspur away from home.

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Fortunately, the decision to bring off Jurrien Timber against Brighton doesn’t look to spell any further bad news for the defender. Arteta played down concerns over a significant injury and he has since been called up to the Netherlands squad to face Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany in the Nations League. However, Arsenal will still be without some key players against Spurs — let’s take a look at the latest updates on Arteta’s current injury and absence list.

Declan Rice

After picking up two yellow cards against Brighton, Rice will be forced to sit out Arsenal’s upcoming clash. The midfielder was given his marching orders after a divisive sending off last time out and Arteta must opt for an alternative in his engine room when they take on Spurs.

Gabriel Jesus

A stroke of good news for the Gunners is that Gabriel Jesus is nearing his return and could be in contention for the North London Derby. Ahead of the Brighton clash, Arteta said: “He’s progressing really well. He had a muscle injury, and he’s doing quite a lot of the stuff already, so we expect him to be with us really soon.”

Based on the promising update, Jesus could well be ready to return following the international break, but only time will confirm his fitness levels.

Mikel Merino

Arsenal’s new signing is yet to get his first minutes in the bank after picking up a shoulder injury during training. Arteta recently confirmed that Mikel Merino looked to have suffered a ‘small fracture’ and that the club were waiting on further tests to reach more ‘conclusive answers’.

Since then, Sami Mokbel has expanded on the midfielder’s situation and reported that Merino will miss ‘close to two months’ with his fractured shoulder. The Spain international is not expected to return to action until mid-October at the earliest.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Takehiro Tomiyasu is out for a more extended period of time and right now, there is no return date in sight yet. After picking up a knee injury during training earlier in the summer, Arteta opted to leave him out of the pre-season squad as a precaution but new updates have confirmed it’s going to be a more long-term issue.

“At the moment, it is difficult to say [when he will return],” the boss said at the end of August. “It's a bit slow the process of the first phase of that injury. It's probably for the medical team to say more than that. He's not done any training yet.”

Kieran Tierney

Similar to Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney has been out for a long stretch of time after picking up a hamstring issue. Last month, Arteta revealed that the defender will remain out of contention for ‘a few weeks’.

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The latest injury news and potential return dates of several Newcastle United stars.

Newcastle United have made a solid start to the new Premier League season and will head into Sunday’s St James Park clash with Tottenham Hotspur looking to preserve an unbeaten record.

Of course, that only consists of two games, and the Magpies have been far from convincing in both fixtures as they battled to a 1-0 home win against Southampton before labouring to a somewhat fortunate 1-1 draw at Bournemouth last weekend. But putting a positive spin on things, Eddie Howe’s side are still picking up points when they have been far from their best during the opening weeks of the campaign.

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In Howe’s defence, he is still going into battle without several key players as the likes of England striker Callum Wilson, highly-rated midfielder Lewis Miley and defensive duo Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles continue their comeback from injuries that disrupted the end of last season. But when could the Magpies welcome back their injured players? We take a look ahead of Sunday’s home game with Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Sven Botman

The Dutch defender saw his involvement in last season brought to a premature end by a serious knee injury after aggravating a previous injury in an FA Cup defeat against Manchester City. The former Lille centre-back underwent surgery in March and was initially ruled out for a period between six and nine months, meaning Magpies supporters may have to wait until the new year to see Botman back in action once again Potential return date: January 2025

Jamaal Lascelles

In what felt like a cruel twist of fate for the Magpies, Botman’s replacement, club captain Jamaal Lascelles, suffered a similar injury to the Dutchman just weeks after speaking into the side in his place. The former Nottingham Forest defender endured a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury and also underwent surgery in March. A similar return date can be placed upon the long-serving defender Potential return date: January 2025

Lewis Miley

The Magpies academy product was one of the breakout stories of last season as he took full advantage of a seemingly never-ending injury crisis to force his way into Eddie Howe’s side. After producing impressive displays against the likes of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Fulham, Miley followed a number of his senior team-mates into the treatment room after suffering a back injury that ended his first full season in the first-team setup. However, there was a further blow for the England youth international when he suffered an ankle injury during the summer and that is set to keep him on the sidelines for another couple of months Potential return date: October 2024

Callum Wilson

Injuries hampered Wilson’s attempts to help Newcastle build on what was an overwhelmingly successful season last time out. After becoming the Magpies top goalscorer during the previous season as they secured a top four finish, Wilson’s impact last season was limited by a series of injuries. There were high hopes the England striker could return ahead of the current campaign and provide competition for Alexander Isak - but he is now expected to remain on the sidelines for at least another fortnight as he works his way back from a lower back injury Potential return date: Mid-September 2024

Martin Dubravka

The Slovakia international was ruled out of last Sunday’s long trip to Bournemouth after suffering a concussion in training and that meant veteran stopper John Ruddy stepped up to bench duty on the south coast. Concussion protocols mean Dubravka will remain on the sidelines for another week and could return to the squad for the trip to Wolves after the international break - although speculation linking the long-serving keeper with a move away from St James Park means he could be plying his trade elsewhere by then Potential return date: Mid-September 2024

Fabian Schar

This one is not an injury but Schar will remain on the sidelines for Sunday’s home clash with Spurs as he continues to serve a suspension for the controversial red card he was shown during the opening day win over Southampton. Schar will be back in action when the Magpies visit Wolves next month Return date: Mid-September 2024

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The injury and latest return dates ahead of Spurs’ upcoming Premier League clash with Newcastle United

Tottenham found the winning formula against Everton last weekend, thrashing a beleaguered Everton side 4-0, which will give them a lot of confidence heading into the tricky game against Newcastle United this weekend. Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou knows that his team can't afford to slip up like they did against Leicester if they are to challenge for the league title or at least fight for a spot in the top four.

Last season, Spurs started the campaign on fire before injuries and poor form among key players caused them to finish fifth, missing out on prestigious Champions League football. Newcastle are also expected to be in the mix, so this will be a clash between two teams vying for a top spot as the season progresses.

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With that in mind, here are the injured Spurs players and those likely to miss the game at St James' Park this weekend:

Dominic Solanke - Arsenal at home

Solanke suffered an ankle injury on his debut, and although his manager has said the injury isn't serious, he is still likely to miss this game. Spurs have Son Heung-min and Richarlison, who can play centrally, so don't expect Postecoglou to risk him. Postecoglou said last week: "Not everyone's story is a fairytale—he has an injury, nothing serious, but he will miss the game against Everton."

Destiny Udogie - Newcastle away

Udogie was replaced in the second half against Everton, and although the injury hasn't been specified, he was seen limping and is now a doubt for the game. However, there is a good chance he could be ready by this weekend.

Rodrigo Bentancur - Arsenal at home

Bentancur suffered a nasty head injury at Leicester that appeared to be a concussion. He won't be ready for this weekend’s trip, as Spurs are taking precautions to ensure his full recovery. He should be back after the international break.

Mickey Van de Ven - Newcastle away

Van de Ven appeared to have picked up a knee injury, but according to the manager, he’s fine. Postecoglou said, "It's all fine—we've checked him, and he should be good to go."

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Spurs are still looking for a central midfielder by the end of the transfer window - has the perfect player just become available?

Tottenham Hotspur may have cracked one of the biggest problems they had heading into the summer transfer window – the lack of a first-rate striker – but with a little over a fortnight of the transfer window left to go there is still work to be done, and in particular Ange Postecoglou has made absolutely no secret of his desire to sign a new central midfielder by the end of August. Fortunately, one player who might just fit the bill has now started agitating for a move.

Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Manu Koné has been steadily growing his reputation in the Bundesliga since signing from Toulouse in 2021 and has now, according to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, asked his club for a move. The club, meanwhile, seem happy to allow him to take his next step providing someone gives them a deal worth around €25m (£21.4m).

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Which sounds like a very reasonable price for a 23-year-old with a lot going for him and who was one of the standout performers in France’s run to the final of the men’s Olympic tournament, and should be well within the financial reach of a club like Spurs, who according to HITC are one of at least four Premier League clubs to which Koné has been offered in recent days as a result of his desire to leave.

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He also looks like he fits Postecoglou’s requirements down to a tee. He’s a pressing machine with the stamina, strength and reading of the game to put fires out across the midfield and a capable technician who is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet. If Spurs want to push for a midfield that can press high and hard and get the ball upfield quickly once it’s been won back, Koné seems to fill the bill.

The 6’1” midfielder, who has yet to feature for the senior French national side but has represented his country right through the age groups, doesn’t have the kind of express pace that would be useful given his hard-running game both on and off the ball, but aside from that he has the physical profile and skills to be a hugely effective ball-winning midfielder, and the stats back up what he’s capable of.

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In the Bundesliga last year he forced 8.1 turnovers per match, a very high watermark, and managed to fix one of his biggest issues as well – in previous seasons, his judgement in the tackle was a little questionable and he committed far too many fouls, racking up an enormous 22 yellow cards in his first two seasons in the Bundesliga. Last year, that was down to just four, and he seems to have developed the kind of discipline and understanding of when to lunge in and when to hold off required to be a first-rate defensive midfielder.

But he’s got plenty in his legs on the ball, too, and he generates a lot of yards dribbling through the midfield and surging at the opposing defence. That running creates a healthy number of chances, too, and while his passing range and accuracy is respectable rather than exceptional, he still creates plenty of shooting opportunities for his team-mates.

The table above shows how Koné compares with his potential future team-mates as both creator and destroyer, using data from last season’s domestic league games. Yves Bissouma is the only current regular starter at Spurs who can outwork him on the defensive side of the ball, but Koné has the edge over all of his prospective peers when it comes to creativity and ball-carrying skills.

None of which actually brings Spurs closer to Koné’s signature. Liverpool and Manchester United have been tentatively linked in the past, and while United seem focussed on a deal for Manuel Ugarte, Liverpool missing out on Martín Zubimendi could see them come into the picture as well, and AC Milan have been linked with a bid as well – although as it stands, the sourcing for specific teams and their levels of interest is poor and there is little clarity as to his preferences or whether any teams have made an offer.

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What we do know is that Florian Plettenberg’s report suggested that he wants to join a “very ambitioned club” (sic) and ideally in the Champions League, and that latter clause could easily give other sides an edge in the race – but Spurs are in the room and could easily be the team making the best pitch.

Koné is a high-class player who is good at the very things Postecoglou wants his midfielders to be able to do, and in the areas he’s a little weaker, such as his passing, he remains perfectly capable – and at 23, he has room to develop further still. If Spurs, or indeed any other Premier League side, have the chance to sign him for a little over £21m, then that looks pretty close to a no-brainer given how much he could be worth in the future.

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Our verdict on the latest Premier League transfer rumours - featuring news from Manchester United, Spurs and Ipswich.

Welcome to Thursday’s round-up of the biggest and boldest Premier League transfer rumours – and today, we get to start by issuing our verdict on what would prove to be a pretty huge story concerning Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford.

According to Caught Offside, Rashford is now on the radar of the free-spending Saudi Pro League, which unnamed clubs contemplating a startling €100m (£86m) move for the forward, who struggled last season and lost his place in the England side as a result.

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Apparently, Rashford is a “top target” and the article speculates that the Saudis may “break the bank” and offer the 26-year-old a record contract. It’s worth noting the sources, here – they cite Spanish outlet Fichajes as the place the rumour originated while also bringing in a claim from The Sun that United are “willing to listen to all offers” for Rashford.

The 3AM Verdict: Let’s start with the sources. Fichajes have an exceptionally bad track record with accuracy, and we’d take anything they print with an entire sack of salt. The Sun, bluntly put, aren’t all that much better, although we don’t necessarily dismiss the idea that United would listen to an offer if it arrived. Given his form last season, they’d probably be quite right to take the £86m but to us, this feels like a story which is only worth ignoring unless it gets rather more substantiation than it has now.

Spurs turn to Mourinho as they make next moves

Over to Tottenham Hotspur now – TeamTalk claim that Ange Postecoglou’s side are eyeing up a bid for AS Monaco right-back Vanderson, apparently the culmination of some “long-standing interest” in the 23-year-old Brazilian, who has two caps for his country. Monaco, it seems, want a fee of around €40m (£34.3m) and apparently talks have already begun between Spurs and the player.

Watch The Premier League Panel on Shots! TV now as our experts look ahead to the title race.

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In order to help generate the funds and squad space required to sign Vanderson, the report also claims that Spurs have gone back into business with former manager José Mourinho, who is now angrily berating referees at Fenerbahçe – he wants to sign Sergio Reguilón, it seems, and the Turkish club are “preparing an offer.”

The 3AM Verdict: The article’s insinuation that the two deals are linked seems a little far-fetched, but that’s no reason to dismiss either report out of hand – neither seems especially unlikely, not that we’ve heard too much about the “long-standing interest” in Vanderson before. He’s an excellent all-round right-back but with Pedro Porro and Archie Gray on the books it’s maybe a slight eyebrow-raiser. The Reguilón part of the report is entirely plausible on all levels, and wouldn’t surprise us one bit.

Ipswich hijack Brentford bid

Finally, news from over in Suffolk, where it looks like Ipswich Town are making some rather spicy moves in the transfer market – if Sport Witness have lined their facts up right, anyway. Primarily citing Italian journalist Gianlucia Di Marzio, they claim that the Tractor Boys are set to snap up Napoli midfielder Jens Cajuste, just two days after he was in Brentford having a medical.

The Sweden international had been set to sign for Brentford but the deal fell through at the eleventh hour, with Di Marzio apparently claiming that he failed that medical – but that hasn’t deterred Ipswich, who are making a surprise push to sign him on loan. Unlike Brentford’s deal, there would be no obligation to buy clause, which would at least protect them from any fitness problems.

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The 3AM Verdict: On Monday, we concluded that Brentford’s successes in the transfer market should earn them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the signing of Cajuste, because while he had a rough time in Naples the underlying stats suggested he wasn’t quite as bad as he’d looked – but now that we know there are fitness issues too, it definitely adds an extra layer of concern. Nevertheless, as a simple loan, this would be a pretty low risk, high reward move by Ipswich, and the sourcing for this one looks good. We’re expecting this to have legs, and hopefully ones that work.