Newcastle United secure major boost in £43m winger hunt as David Moyes makes bold Arsenal claim

Newcastle United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea may well have been handed a boost in their push to sign Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams.

The Spain international has become one of La Liga's most exciting wingers in recent seasons after scoring 18 goals and providing 18 assists in 112 appearances in all competitions for the Basque outfit. His form has also led to international recognition and Williams earned the first of 11 Spain caps when he came off the bench in a 2-1 defeat against Switzerland in September 2022.

Links with big money moves away from Bilbao have been a regular occurrence in recent months and that speculation is unlikely to be quelled by the news the La Liga outfit have already agreed a deal to sign Braga forward Alvaro Djalo during the summer transfer window.

The 3AM Verdict: Williams would be a shrewd addition for any top Premier League side and at the age of just 21 he still has plenty of time to develop and improve. A reported release clause of around £43m will only increase speculation over his future. Mourinho drops hint over dugout return.

Former Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has revealed he 'wants to work tomorrow' as he looks to return to management.

The Portuguese legend parted company with Roma in January after spending the last almost three years with the Serie A outfit. Although their league performances meant the Champions League remained out of reach, Roma did become the first winners of the Europa Conference League and then guided them to the Europa League Final 12 months later. With results failing to meet expectations during the current season, Mourinho left the Stadio Olimpico just under two months ago - and he is already eyeing a return to management.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Mourinho was asked if we will return to the touchline soon and replied: "I hope so. I want (to manage). Roma was great because we did two European finals in two years and that’s hard in a club that never did it. But now I have to wait for the right opportunity. I want to work tomorrow if possible, but I don’t want to make the wrong decision."

The 3AM Verdict: Like him or not, and many would say not, Mourinho is absolutely box office on the touchlines and his absence from the game makes it feel as if something is missing. Whether his return comes in the Premier League remains to be seen - but it would be good to see him back in the game at some point.

Moyes doubles down on claims over Arsenal star

David Moyes has claimed Declan Rice's performances since he joined Arsenal have proven he was right to suggest the England midfielder was worth around £150m.

The former Everton and Manchester United manager received the benefits of Rice's unquestionable talent when he helped West Ham United to their Europa Conference League Final win against Serie A club Fiorentina last season before he made a big money switch across London during the summer transfer window.

Rice has continued to shine at the Emirates Stadium and has been in fine form as Mikel Arteta's side have forced themselves to the front of the race for the Premier League title - and his displays for the Gunners have proven Moyes was correct to suggest an inflated fee should not have been out of the question when Rice left the London Stadium.

He said: ”I always said, and I think everyone laughed, that he should be £150m. I think other players have been sold for close to his price and I don't think they've touched Declan's level of performance. The other thing is Declan is English, an England international, and he's 25 now so he's still got another six or seven years of his best years still to come. So, I think in time maybe we'll look back and think it could have been more. But let's be fair, I think most people including the media, everybody, would have said it was a really good price for Declan at the time."

The 3AM Verdict: Moyes is right when he says people scoffed at him over his own valuation of Rice as the England midfielder proved to be integral during his time with the Hammers. Whether any footballer is actually worth £150m remains open to question - but there is no doubt whatsoever Rice is one of the Premier League's best midfielders and has proven his worth to Arsenal since joining them during the summer.