Man City and West Ham ‘lead race’ for £32m Chelsea star as Man Utd plot winter raid

Tuesday’s Premier League transfer rumour round-up gets underway with a report from TEAMtalk, who state that Manchester City and West Ham ‘lead the race’ to sign Chelsea full-back Ian Maatsen in January. The 21-year-old impressed on loan at Burnley last season, but has struggled to hold down a regular first team spot during the early stages of the new campaign, and is out of contract at the end of the campaign.

The Blues previously accepted a bid of around £31.5 million from Burnley for the Dutchman, but a summer transfer failed to materialise amid suggestions that Maatsen wanted to stay and fight for his place at Stamford Bridge. With opportunities hard to come by, however, and with Barcelona also monitoring his situation alongside City and the Hammers, the player could be on the move in January.

The 3AM Verdict: Maatsen is far too talented to be wasting his time sat on the bench at Stamford Bridge. The Dutchman is already a top player, and still has plenty of potential left to unlock, but with chances hard to come by in West London, his best bet might be to seek first team football elsewhere.

Man United want Guehi

In other news, Manchester United are plotting a potential move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, according to Football Insider. The England international continues to shine at Selhurst Park, and is attracting interest from a number of high-profile Premier League sides heading into the January transfer window.

Liverpool, Newcastle, Arsenal and Tottenham are all said to be keeping tabs on the 23-year-old, but the Red Devils are particularly keen as they look to add strength in depth at the back following recent injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.

The 3AM Verdict: Whoever eventually signs Guehi - and it does feel like more of a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ - is going to be nabbing themselves a fine, fine player for seasons to come. The Crystal Palace centre-back possesses a maturity beyond his years, and undoubtedly has the raw tools to become one of the very best in his position in the Premier League.

Phillips in demand

And finally, several clubs are said to be chasing a potential deal for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The former Leeds United talisman has been left out in the cold at the Etihad, and looks destined for a move away from the treble winners sooner rather than later after failing to make an impact on the first team picture in the North West.

According to 90min, Bayern Munich have already contacted his representatives ahead of a potential transfer, but there is also considerable interest from the Premier League too, with the likes of West Ham, Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Tottenham also monitoring the England international. The 27-year-old, who is under contract until 2028, was told he could leave City during the summer transfer window, but took the decision to stay and fight for his place at the club instead.

The 3AM Verdict: The writing is on the wall for Phillips; his time at City has not worked out how either party would have hoped, and the sooner he can move on and reignite his career elsewhere, the better for all involved. If nothing else, however, the calibre of club chasing him would suggest that his reputation has not been tarnished too badly by his time in the shade, and wherever he ends up, he certainly has the talent needed to make a go of things.