Liverpool eye up Serie A superstar as Chelsea discover £20m 'next Drogba'

Welcome to your daily dose of all the biggest and boldest new Premier League transfer rumours – and we’ll kick it all of today with a tale from TeamTalk, who claim that Liverpool are considering a bid for one of Europe’s finest wide forwards.

According to their article, the Reds are “keeping tabs” on Napoli and Georgia star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is currently engaged in a contract stand-off with his club. With his current deal due to end in 2027, the left winger and his current employers apparently remain million apart in terms of how much he should be paid going forward.

That could put Liverpool (and sides like Paris Saint-Germain) on alert, but before any supporters get too excited, there are some caveats here – firstly, TeamTalk reckon that Liverpool are more focussed on other targets, including Leroy Sané and Karim Adeyemi, and secondly there are claims in Italy that a deal is still expected to be agreed for Kvaratskhelia to stay put.

The 3AM Verdict: We’re siding with the caveats on this one, sadly, and will add another of our own – there are widespread reports that Liverpool are negotiating a new deal for Luís Diaz and with Federico Chiesa and Cody Gakpo also on the books, there’s little value in splashing the cash on another left winger when the potential problem positions are elsewhere. It would be fun if it happened, mind you.

Chelsea find ‘next Drogba’

If there’s one phrase all but guaranteed to get Chelsea fans excited, it’s “the next Didier Drogba” – and that’s precisely how Caught Offside describe Christantus Uche, a 21-year-old Nigerian currently plying his trade with Getafe in Spain, and who is now being scouted by the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Apparently the club are “keen” to make a move in January, although he would now likely cost €25m (£20.8m) thanks to his impressive performances since joining from Ceuta over the summer. There’s just one slight caveat to the Drogba comparison – Uche is really a midfielder, not a striker, and has only got one career senior goal to his name. Getafe have, at least, occasionally used him up front to make the most of his height.

The 3AM Verdict: Chelsea love a young rising star, so they may well be interested in Uche, but the notion that he resembles Drogba is pretty laughable as it stands, and seems to be a case of journalists elsewhere borrowing details from the original source of the story (a Spanish rumours website) without checking the details too much. Sufficed to say that Uche can play up front and may even end up there, but he’s a technical player who dribbles the ball well from deep areas rather than a natural number nine.

Arsenal size up Aston Villa starlet

Finally, another story from TeamTalk, who reckon that Arsenal are also looking at adding a youngster to their ranks – but this time, they want to snatch them from a Premier League rival.

The player in question is 20-year-old Aston Villa goalkeeper Oliwier Zych, a highly-rated young prospect who is in the final year of his contract with Unai Emery’s side. Arsenal would have to pay compensation for Zych due to his age if they did sign him, but after an impressive loan spell in his native Poland that may not stop them. Brighton & Hove Albion are also alleged to be interested in the “towering” goalkeeper.

The 3AM Verdict: Also an Under-21 international, Zych stands at 6’4” and has generated good reviews after keeping six clean sheets in 26 Ekstraklasa matches with Puszcza Niepołomice. He’s very much one for the future, mind you, despite TeamTalk’s article somewhat fancifully suggesting that Arsenal wouldn’t try to keep current back-up Neto permanently if Zych signed. The young Pole also, for those who may find such things amusing, has a claim to having the blurriest portrait photo of any player on Wikipedia.