Arsenal line up blockbuster double transfer signing as Newcastle 'hold talks' with £30m Bundesliga machine

We’re already over halfway through the early summer transfer window before the five-day hiatus as the Club World Cup kicks off, and the rumour mill is showing no sign of slowing down as this latest hit of news and gossip proves - starting with a new team entering the race for Morgan Rogers.

Chelsea had looked the favourites to land Rogers if Villa did decide to cash in amid PSR pressure, but Arsenal have reportedly added the 22-year-old to their shopping list as Andrea Berta looks to make a splash in his first transfer window since replacing Edu as director of football.

Adding a dynamic left-winger to replace or compete with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard (and take pressure off Bukayo Saka on the right), is a key target for the Gunners as they close in on signing Benjamin Sesko to lead the line.

Rodrygo, Nico Williams, Leroy Sane Jamie Gittens are all options, but The Times revealed Rogers is the latest name on that list for £90 million. Arsenal’s piecemeal net spend last summer means they have plenty of scope for a big move and Mikel Arteta reportedly values the versatility of Rogers who can play all across the forward line and enjoyed a prodigious coming-of-age season last campaign.

Meanwhile as Neto’s loan deal from Bournemouth expires, Fabrizio Romano believes Kepa Arrizabalaga is Arteta’s preferred choice to back up David Raya, with the former Chelsea man falling behind Andriy Lunin in the pecking order at Real Madrid.

The 3AM Verdict: Losing Rogers would be a hammerblow for Aston Villa but they may not have much choice and £90m would at least provide plenty of scope to rebuild. Rogers obviously isn’t a natural winger and Rodrygo or Premier League title bid">Gittens would be better fits, but with Martin Zubimendi’s arrival likely loosening the chains on Rice and Odegaard he’d still wreak plenty of havoc in the final third.

‘The Monster’ appears on Newcastle and Liverpool radars

No, we’re not talking about godzilla, but rather Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae. Kim earned one of the coolest nicknames in modern-day football as he starred in Napoli’s first title-winning season and completed a €50m (£44m) move to Bavaria in the same summer as Harry Kane, but the South Korean’s career has taken a markedly different turn in the following two seasons.

Thomas Tuchel blasted Kim after Bayern’s 2024 Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid - blaming him for both goals conceded and dropping him for the return fixture - and his second season has been worse than that campaign meaning the Bundesliga champions are looking to sell for a cut-price €35m (£30m)

Despite his foreboding nickname and imposing physique, Kim is actually a much more technical defender than aggressive one - a mould that Eddie Howe is targeting this summer - and Caught Offside report Newcastle are his keenest Premier League suitor having held talks with the 28-year-old. Liverpool and Chelsea are also interested though would likely use him more as a depth piece.

The 3AM Verdict: Kim would be a good alternative to top target Marc Guehi who Newcastle look set to miss out on, and he could be up to half the price of the England international too. There’s a reason for that - he’d not lived up to expectations in Munich even before his achilles tendon trouble - but Newcastle are bargain-hunting this window and Kim would be worth the gamble.

Jonathan David wants Man United - but is that love reciprocated by Ruben Amorim?

Out of contract this summer, Lille striker Jonathan David has made Manchester United his dream destination according to GiveMeSport, but it’s unclear if Ruben Amorim is as keen on the Canadian.

David was the joint-ninth-highest goalscorer of the Champions League and only five players above him had a better strike rate than seven goals in ten games - not that European pedigree will matter much at Old Trafford next season. He’s one of the best strikers in the world at contributing to build-up play too, though that’s not a massive requirement of frontmen in Amorim’s system as Viktor Gyokeres was instructed to stay forward and pounce on chances at Sporting to great effect.

David doesn’t have the same conversion in front of goal as some of the Red Devils’ top targets including Gyokeres - or even Rasmus Hojlund in his lone Serie A season - so that would be a concern especially as their senior forwards scored almost 10 goals below expected this season.

But though Manchester United can still punch above their finishing position in the transfer market and weaken two of their main rivals for 10th place next season, they simply do not have the magnetism right now to compete for the very best players in the world meaning they must compromise in some regards and David remains a top player. And with Amorim aiming to enter next season with Cunha and Mbeumo as their two number 10s, a pair that significantly outperform their xG, that would take some pressure off David too.

The 3AM Verdict: If it does transpire that Manchester United missed out on Viktor Gyokeres, Liam Delap, Sesko and Victor Osimhen, Jonathan David isn’t a bad fifth-choice to have. While his chance conversion leaves something to be desired, David’s strong work ethic has returned five seasons of year-on-year improvement in France and he’s well worth taking a chance on especially on a free transfer.