Liverpool line up blockbuster Real Madrid transfer as Aston Villa eye huge £70m signing

Welcome to today’s round-up of the latest and most tantalising transfer rumours doing the rounds right now – and we start at Anfield, where Liverpool are reportedly planning for the departure of Mohamed Salah by taking a look at Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Rodrygo.

TeamTalk have brought this one to our attention - even though we actually suggested it some time ago - citing Spanish press reports that Rodrygo might want to force his way out should Real go through with the anticipated summer signing of Kylian Mbappé – and while no numbers are mentioned in the report, it certainly makes sense that Jürgen Klopp could see the Brazilian as a like-for-like replacement for Salah should he finally leave for the riches of the Saudi Pro League.

Complicating matters is the fact that Rodrygo is allegedly close to signing a three-year extension to his contract which would see him committed to Real until 2028 – not that long-term contracts have ever been much of a barrier to big-money transfers in the past, of course.

The 3AM Verdict: This is one of those deals that would make sense for Liverpool and the player, but perhaps not for Real Madrid, who are unlikely to be keen to see a very fine player leave even if they do seal the transfer of Mbappé. He’d certainly be one hell of a depth option. There’s a lot of ifs and maybes on this one, but it seems logical enough that we’re watching this space.

Aston Villa scouting Sporting star

Unai Emery is apparently rekindling Aston Villa’s long-standing interest in Sporting Lisbon winger Pedro Gonçalves, who racked up a whopping 20 goals and 15 assists in Portugal last year. Villa were looking into a move last season, but it never materialised with the twice-capped Portuguese international committing to his current club with a contract that runs until 2027.

Sport Witness, however, have found some reports in Portugal that Villa haven’t been dissuaded from sending scouts for another look. He has a release clause of €80m (£70m), which is quite a lot, but whether that would need to be triggered in full to make a deal happen isn’t clear.

The 3AM Verdict: Gonçalves hasn’t been in quite the same form this season, with four goal contributions so far as his side experiment with playing him as a wing-back – but his work last year was so impressive that it makes sense that Emery wants to take a close look. He generally plays on the right wing, one of Villa’s less settled positions, too. Whether he’s worth anything like £70m or was simply a flash in the pan will become a little clearer as the season progresses.

West Ham in the market for budget centre-back

West Ham United have been linked with just about every centre-half under the sun since the summer, and Football Insider bring word that they’ve added yet another name to their rather lengthy shortlist – Uruguay international Sebastián Cáceres.

The 24-year-old plays for Liga MX side América and has established himself as a regular in Marcelo Bielsa’s international side, and the Hammers are no doubt excited by the fact that he could well be available for as little as £6m in January given that his contract is expiring at the end of the season. The bad news is that West Ham are apparently not alone in keeping tabs on Cáceres – Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Fulham are all in the market too.

The 3AM Verdict: A smart defender who’s comfortable on the ball and a good passer with decent judgement in the tackle, Cáceres is building quite a reputation for himself. He can’t be called world class and isn’t the biggest centre-back in the world, standing a good inch below six feet tall, but he’s got plenty of quality. It’s hard to imagine him as a starter for a side like United, but West Ham could easily be around his level and £6m isn’t much money by modern standards. Definitely worth a punt for a team outside the top four.