Nottingham Forest could rival Man Utd for lethal PL striker amid intriguing Everton transfer decision
The latest Premier League transfer news involving Arsenal, Man United, Nottingham Forest, Everton and more
We’re just two months away from the start of the January transfer window, and recruitment teams across the Premier League are working frantically behind the scenes to see what business they can do in the new year. Chelsea need a new midfielder, Manchester United are after a left-back, and Everton desperately need another striker.
January is a notoriously difficult time to buy players, with clubs often unwilling to let their top talent go with half the season still to play. That won’t stop buying clubs having a go, however, and you can bet your bottom dollar that player agents and entourages across the country will already be making contact with potential suitors to lay the groundwork for a move.
Today’s rumours round-up begins in the Bundesliga, where Bayern Munich wonderkid Lennart Karl is said to be gaining some significant interest from a cluster of Premier League clubs. Fresh reports from the German press, via Sport Witness, suggest that Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal are all keen on signing the 18-year-old gem, who has made a decent start to the season with a series of cameo appearances and starts for Bayern.
The report says that all three clubs are “monitoring” the player closely, but suggest that the Bundesliga champions have little interest in selling one of German football’s most promising young stars. There is no suggestion of how much Karl could cost an interested party, or whether he would consider a move to England at this stage of his career.
The 3AM Verdict: Karl looks to be a highly exciting young talent, and racked up some impressive goal and assist numbers for Bayern last season. That said, we’ve seen this all before with the likes of Timo Werner, Christopher Nkunku and Florian Wirtz in the Bundesliga, only for them to flop in the Premier League. Those interested should hold off spending big money on him, for now.
Everton poised to make Balogun decision
Over at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton are gearing up to play Newcastle United away for the second time in just a few days, following their midweek Carabao Cup triumph at St. James’ Park. According to Football Insider, Everton are “holding back” on moving for Falorin Balogun in January, after failing to sign the Monaco star on Deadline Day last summer.
The move collapsed after the USA star got cold feet over the deal, but the report suggests the player is still set on heading to the Premier League. Everton are said to remain disgruntled with how the £40m move collapsed, leaving them with just Thierno Barry as their striker and will instead look at other options - even if Balogun has a change of heart.
The 3AM Verdict: Everton had a dire Deadline Day back in the summer, and being messed around by Balogun isn’t an experience they’ll want to repeat. Top quality strikers are hard to come by in the winter window, but the Toffees’ recruitment team should be more than capable of getting a decent option in, even if he only serves as backup for Barry until the summer.
Nottingham Forest could swoop for Mateta
We’ll round things off at the City Ground, where Nottingham Forest are said to be on the hunt for a new striker. Team Talk say that Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta is on their radar, amid rival interest from Man United. The player is said to be ready to snub big money interest from the Saudi Premier League, as he’s keen to continue playing at an elite level.
Despite spending big money to sign Liam Delap from Chelsea last summer, Forest are believed to want to expand their attacking options further, and are actively exploring a move for the France international ahead of the January window. Mateta has played limited minutes for Palace this season, amid continued speculation that he’s angling for an exit.
The 3AM Verdict: Palace need to cut their losses and move on from Mateta, who’s clearly seeking a new challenge elsewhere. Given that his contract is set to expire next summer, the Eagles are almost certain to cash in. We have a feeling he might end up at United instead of Forest, however, with the alure of the big-name club likely to swing it even if they are very much on their knees as things stand.