Aston Villa 'vying' for £51m World Cup winner as Liverpool and Everton battle for striker

We begin Thursday's Premier League transfer rumour round-up with news of Aston Villa and their apparent pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios. According to SportBILD, the 25-year-old has caught the eye of recruitment chiefs at Villa Park after establishing himself as a key figure for Xabi Alonso's unbeaten Bundesliga leaders.

Predominantly defensive in his work, the Argentine is understood to be valued at 'no less than £51.3 million', and is under contract until 2028, meaning that any prospective deal will most likely have to wait until the summer transfer window at least. It is suggested, however, that Villa could have something of an advantage in the race for his signature, having signed both Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby from Leverkusen in recent years - meaning that they already have positive contacts within in the German club.

The 3AM Verdict: Palacios is a wonderful player, and it speaks volumes as to the progress that Villa have made under Unai Emery that they are now consistently being linked with talents of his calibre. A World Cup winner in the prime of his career, if they were to pull this off it would be a fantastic coup.

Liverpool and Everton eye Beier

Elsewhere SportBILD also report that both Liverpool and Everton are keeping tabs on Hoffenheim striker Maximilian Beier ahead of the summer transfer window. The 21-year-old is said to be 'on the list' of both Merseyide clubs, and is also attracting interest from the likes of Burnley and Brentford.

Beier has scored seven goals in 18 Bundesliga outings so far this season, and represents Germany at U21 international level. It is understood that his current contract, which runs until 2027, has a release clause of around £27.8 million written into it.

The 3AM Verdict: It is rare that Liverpool and Everton are named in the same transfer report these days, suggesting that either the Reds are aiming their sights too low, or the Blues are aiming theirs too high. Beier is an impressive talent with plenty of potential, but at the present moment in time, it is unclear whether he has what it takes to lead the line for one of the best club sides in world football. Only time will tell on this one...

Luton plot Dolan swoop

And finally, according to journalist Ryan Taylor of The Mirror, Luton Town could look to make a late swoop January swoop for Blackburn Rovers forward Tyrhys Dolan. The 22-year-old is entering the final months of his contract at Ewood Park, and it is understood that talks over a potential extension have stalled in recent times.

Rovers do hold the option to enforce a one-year extension to his current deal regardless of the breakdown in negotiations, but it remains to be seen whether they will exercise it or not, and Luton could look to capitalise on the uncertainty by making a last ditch bid to lure the player to Kenilworth Road this month.

The 3AM Verdict: On the one hand, Dolan has shown repeatedly that he is a young player with plenty of potential in recent seasons, but on the other, his return of two goals and two assists in 18 Championship outings this term doesn't exactly scream 'Premier League calibre forward'. Of course, if Luton see enough in him to justify a raid then best of luck to them, but there are certainly reasons to be a touch sceptical.