Chelsea eye bold raid for rock-solid £37m defender as West Ham chase ex-Man Utd flop

Chelsea are reportedly monitoring Barcelona and France defender Jules Kounde ahead of a possible summer move.

HITC have claimed the Blues watched £47m Kounde and fellow transfer target Victor Osimhen in action when Barcelona claimed a 1-1 draw against Napoli in a Champions League round of 16 game last month. Chelsea are said to be keen to add to their defensive ranks this summer as they prepare for the departure of veteran centre-back Thiago Silva, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Kounde still has three years remaining on his current deal with the La Liga giants but Chelsea could look to take advantage of Barca's financial situation by tempting them with a sizable offer for the 25-year-old defender.

The 3AM Verdict: "The Blues will be in need of someone to lead their defence over the coming seasons as Thiago Silva continues to be linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. Kounde has been impressive during his time with both Sevilla and Barcelona and would be a decent addition to the Blues squad."

Release clause could block Barca bid for Brighton man

Barcelona are reportedly ready to make a move for Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi as they look to replace current head coach Xavi.

The Barcelona legend has already revealed he will step down from his role with the Catalan giants at the end of the season after a three-year managerial reign at the club where he won eight La Liga titles, three Copa del Reys and four Champions League titles during a highly successful playing career.

All eyes are now on who will succeed Xaxi at Barcelona and the La Liga club's board are believed to be considering moves for Brighton boss De Zerbi and former Germany manager Hansi Flick. However, a report in Spanish outlet Diario Sport has revealed Barcelona's financial situation could mean they are unable to meet a £12.8m release clause in De Zerbi's Brighton contract.

The 3AM Verdict: De Zerbi looks well on his way to becoming one of the most in-demand managers in European football and that can be no surprise given the impact he has made since he succeeded Graham Potter at Brighton. The Seagulls have done everything they can to protect their manager from approaches - and surely any move would be down to the Italian to force if he did wish to depart.

Premier League quartet consider move for Palace legend

Former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha is reportedly the subject of four Premier League clubs.

The 31-year-old forward brought an end to a lengthy spell at Selhurst Park when he made a free transfer move to Turkish giants Galatasaray last summer. The 31-times capped Ivory Coast international has helped his side challenge arch rivals Fenerbahce for the Super Lig title - although their attempts to land the Turkish Cup were ended by a shock home defeat against Karagumruk last month.

Zaha still has over two years remaining on his current deal but Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur has claimed Fulham, Everton, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are monitoring his situation and could make a summer move to bring the winger back to England.

The 3AM Verdict: Zaha produced heroics on a regular basis at Crystal Palace and will rightly go down as a Selhurst Park legend. However, his time in Turkey has been described as underwhelming by some, despite the winger scoring ten goals and providing five assists in 35 appearances in all competitions. It would be no surprise to see some Premier League clubs at least investigating whether a possible return to England could be in store.