Aston Villa emerge as shock contenders for £98m striker as Fulham ready bold midfielder raid

We begin Friday’s Premier League transfer rumour roundup with an update on Fulham’s pursuit of Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay. The Scotland international has been touted for an exit from Old Trafford for quite some time now, and has emerged as a serious target for the Cottagers in recent days.

According to The Guardian, Marco Silva’s side have upped their offer to £20 million for the 27-year-old, with United tempted to sell but ideally looking for around £25 to 30 million for their academy graduate. From Turkey, there is also interest from giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, although it remains to be seen whether either will trouble the Red Devils with a serious bid.

The 3AM Verdict: Selling McTominay may prove to be risky for United. Without him, Erik ten Hag only really has Mason Mount to challenge Bruno Fernandes for a starting berth in that advanced midfield role, and the Scot has proven himself to be an able and willing worker, hitting double figures in goals last season. That being said, if the Red Devils need to sell to buy, then Fulham could nab themselves a really handy player for a relatively decent fee. One to watch, for sure.

Villa want Lukaku

Elsewhere, Italian outlet Il Mattino, as relayed by CalcioNapoli24, report that Aston Villa and Chelsea have reached a ‘total agreement’ over a fee for outcast striker Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge having spent last season on loan in Italy, and the Villans are eager to offer him a permanent route out of West London.

But while Chelsea are pushing for the player to agree on personal terms with their top flight rivals, it is understood that Lukaku is resolutely refusing to do so. Instead, he would rather move back to Serie A, with Napoli touted as a potential destination. The issue in that regard is that Antonio Conte’s men cannot move for the forward until Victor Osimhen has left the club, but at the present moment in time, he has no concrete suitors. As such, Chelsea are losing patience with the situation, and would rather Lukaku, a poorly judged £98m transfer flop, complete a move to Villa instead.

The 3AM Verdict: This is a tangled mess, and one that is complicated by Lukaku’s insistence on returning to Italy. If Villa can convince him then they would be bringing in a wonderfully experienced top tier striker ahead of their foray into the Champions League, but as things stand, that may prove to be a very difficult task.

West Ham close in on Fullkrug

And finally, West Ham are close to agreeing a fee with Borussia Dortmund for striker Niclas Fullkrug, according to The Mirror. The Germany international is understood to be firmly on the Hammers’ radar, with a bid of around £17 million having already been turned down by the Bundesliga giants.

Despite that, there is lingering optimism around the London Stadium that an agreement can be ironed out. West Ham face competition from Stuttgart for the 31-year-old, and consequently may have to act swiftly to lure him to the Premier League.

The 3AM Verdict: Fullkrug would be a great signing for the Hammers. A proper, physical centre forward with a decent goal return, if the German can be brought in for a sensible fee, then West Ham should absolutely go for it.