Liverpool could land target for cut price, Newcastle ‘close’ to £60m deal, Chelsea ace ‘would love’ move

Just as we’ve about recovered from the chaotic summer transfer window, all new links have emerged ahead of January and it’s already shaping up to be an exciting few months.

The Premier League is already looking competitive this season, and during the summer, clubs were scrambling to keep up with their respective rivals’ transfer business. There’s still time before any official moves can be made but there’s plenty of talk on the rumour mill to digest already, so let’s take a look at some of the latest headlines.

Liverpool could sign full-back for cut price

Liverpool had such a chaotic transfer window that they were unable to focus on anything but bringing in new midfielders. Jurgen Klopp had reportedly wanted to consider defensive options but after five players left the engine room, the sole priority was to plug the gaps left by the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

However, the January transfer talk has already started and the Reds could be already be in for a new defender. According to Football Insider, Liverpool are ‘ready to swoop’ for Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly, who could be available for a cut price fee in January, as he has already entered the final 12 months of his current contract.

An asking price has not been revealed in the report, but the Cherries signed Kelly for £13 million in 2019, and he is now valued at around the £15 million mark by Transfermarkt.

The 3AM Verdict: This seems like a no-brainer for Liverpool. Not only does it sound like they could be paying a very small fee for a 24-year-old defender, but Kelly is very versatile and can play centrally as well as on the left. Klopp’s defence is rather limited and if Joël Matip leaves for free next summer, the Reds will need to do some serious recruitment but they can’t afford another scramble like this window. If they can agree a deal in January, they will be getting a solid player ahead of time and for a bargain price too.

Newcastle ready to offer £60m player deal

Newcastle are on the verge of tabling their biggest ever contract offer. Sticking with Football Insider, the outlet has also reported the Magpies are ‘close to a breakthrough in negotiations with Bruno Guimarães’ over a new deal which would be worth up to £60 million in total. This would see the 2022 signing become the highest-paid player in Newcastle’s history.

Guimarães’ current contract runs until 2026 and the new terms would involve an extra two years added on to tie him down.

The 3AM Verdict:Newcastle have the means to pay this sort of money for their key players, so why not? Guimarães joined last year and since then he’s quickly established himself as a key player under Eddie Howe. His Transfermarkt value has also skyrocketed by almost £20 million since being at the club and other clubs will undoubtedly be eyeing him up ahead of the next two windows. Guimarães has already said he wants to ‘become a legend’ at Newcastle, and that sort of commitment it becoming harder to come by, so it deserves to be rewarded, if he sticks to his word.

Chelsea star ‘would love’ permanent move away

Kepa Arrizabalaga is currently out on loan with Real Madrid and he very much has his sights set on a permanent move coming to fruition. The Chelsea goalkeeper spoke to El Larguero (via El Bernabeu Digital) regarding his loan move to Real Madrid and his plans moving forwards, and admitted that he ‘would love’ to make his deal full-time with the La Liga side, having seemingly taken to life there like a duck to water.

Kepa signed for Madrid as they quickly moved for a temporary replacement for the injured Thibaut Courtois this season. But should he impress during his loan move, the two could be competing against each other next season if Los Blancos decide they want to keep Kepa on the books.

The 3AM Verdict: During Chelsea’s busy summer, they signed two new goalkeepers, including first choice Robert Sánchez. The Blues now have three shot-stoppers on the roster, including the injured Marcus Bettinelli, and amid their recent exodus, a club in transition like Chelsea would not have allowed a player to leave on loan if he was needed. Kepa’s future has been a grey area topic for a while now and maybe now is the right time for both parties to call it a day in a healthy manner. Plus, Kepa’s contract is due to expire next summer anyway, so whether it’s a move to Real Madrid or somewhere else, all signs are currently pointing to Chelsea letting him go.