Aston Villa emerge as serious contenders for Man City legend as Chelsea ‘push’ for 14-goal striker

It’s time for Friday morning’s round-up of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours – and we’re kicking today’s digest off with a story which has Aston Villa added to the long list of clubs in pursuit of a Manchester City star who’s set to leave the Etihad.

Sport Witness report that the Villans are “firmly in the mix” for the signature of Kevin de Bruyne, who looks like he’ll have no shortage of options as he looks for a new club once his City contract winds down in June.

Apparently, Villa have been “trying to convince him” on the benefits of a move to the midlands “for some time”, while both Napoli and Galatasaray are throwing their hats into a very crowded ring as well.

The Turkish team are “ready to go crazy” to land the Belgian legend, but the contest to sign De Bruyne “remains wide open” for now, with teams from all over Europe, the United States and Saudi Arabia interested now that Pep Guardiola has decided to move on.

The 3AM Verdict: It seems that we’re a little too early to start guessing which teams might be real contenders and which are just taking an optimistic stab at signing a brilliant player, but it’s interesting seeing more Premier League teams deciding that City may be a little hasty in letting De Bruyne go. Liverpool certainly seem keen to make a deal, and others, like Villa, will surely follow.

Chelsea ‘push’ for 14-goal forward

Down to Stamford Bridge now – French media outlet Foot Mercato reckons that Chelsea are making a “push” to sign Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha, who has bagged 14 league goals this season, making him one of France’s highest scorers.

Apparently, the 22-year-old is “very popular” with the transfer team at Chelsea, which is helpful given that he happens to play for a side currently owned by the same people. Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali would only need to negotiate with themselves, although one suspects that they’ll still overpay.

No word on how much he might actually cost on the open market in this report, but there is a note that Newcastle United are interested too, should Chelsea’s “monitoring” of Emegha amount to nothing. The Dutchman is also said to be keen to play in the Premier League, making it a smooth road for Chelsea should they wish to walk it.

The 3AM Verdict: The question is whether Emegha would be the only striker that Chelsea signed this summer, or whether he would be bought in addition to Nicolas Jackson and some other superstar signing. If the latter, we’d just hope he gets enough minutes… Either way, it’s clear that if Chelsea want the deal to get done, it’s a straightforward process for them.

Crystal Palace and Fulham in talks over La Liga midfielder

Let’s round things off for today with a story for Crystal Palace fans – according to GiveMeSport, Oliver Glasner’s side have “joined the race” to land Leganés midfielder Yvan Neyou this summer, with talks already taking place with the player over a free transfer.

The Cameroon international’s contract with the Spanish side winds down in June and while Valencia are said to be “leading the race” for his signature, Palace are now in the reckoning too, supposedly joining Fulham in taking an interest.

Neyou is set to leave Leganés even if they avoid relegation (which looks unlikely as it stands) and Palace apparently see him as a “useful addition” as they prepare for the possibility of players like Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton leaving this summer. No real information on Fulham’s interest in this report, just a note that Palace aren’t alone in wanting the 28-year-old Neyou to come to England.

The 3AM Verdict: There are a remarkable number of high-quality free agents on the market this summer, and Neyou has been pretty impressive this season despite his side’s struggles. A redoubtable defensive midfielder, he’d fit either Palace or Fulham’s double pivot neatly enough.