Tottenham in £120m striker claim as Man Utd ‘edge closer’ to deal and Liverpool make Mbappe call

It’s Wednesday, my dudes - or as the internet has lovingly christened the mid-point of the working week, ‘hump day’. From here, it’s supposed to be all downhill, but not in that awful sense where everything spirals and gets worse and worse until you eventually reach a critical nadir of hopelessness, in a good sense where you can take your foot off the accelerator and let sweet, sweet gravity do its thing as you coast serenely into the embrace of a weekend brimming with lie-ins and garden centres and pints. Or whatever else tickles your pickle.

Anyways, in the spirit of the day, we’re chucking more humps at you than the Black Eyed Peas riding a caravan of camels. Look it up, that’s actually the collective noun. We’ve got players taking the hump - it’s tenuous, yeah - all over the gaff, angling for moves and pestering their agents like moody toddlers as the summer transfer window rolls on and on and on, ad infinitum... until the end of August. Let’s have a gander...

Liverpool and Arsenal decide against Mbappe chase

Let’s start with the a potential transfer that, if it were to come off, would get hackles up all across the globe. Kylian Mbappe, after snubbing the option of a year-long contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain, is entering the final 12 months of his deal in the French capital, and as such could be allowed to leave this summer.

In the words of PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi himself: “We want him [Mbappe] to stay but he can’t leave for free.” Now, obviously, the biggest question over the 24-year-old’s future, if he were to depart, is where he would go next. Like the last Malteaser in a tin of Celebrations, everybody is interested, but only one will actually get him.

Real Madrid, of course, have been linked, but so too have the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool. According to Ben Jacobs, however, at the present moment in time, the chances of either making any kind of concrete move are slim. Speaking to Caught Offside, he said: “Liverpool and Arsenal have also been linked with Mbappe but neither are actively considering him.”

The 3AM Verdict:Of course, both Liverpool and Arsenal would love to have Mbappe at their respective clubs. Anybody in their right mind would. But the financial package it would take to bring him in, especially while PSG would still be entitled to a transfer fee ,would be absolutely astronomical, and with both prioritising other positions this summer, it feels incredibly unlikely that their interest will get beyond the speculative whisper stage. Would love to be proven wrong, though.

Levy to stand form on Kane

Back in 2006, Take That reached the top of the German charts with a little ditty called ‘Patience’. Seventeen years later (feel old yet?), and it would appear that the mantra of the song still rings loudly in the heart of the Bayern Munich board.

The Bundesliga champions could be left frustrated by Tottenham’s refusal to sell Harry Kane this summer, with Daniel Levy refusing to budge on his £120 million valuation of the player. According to Bild, however, that is but eine kleine problem for Bayern, who are willing to play the long game and wait until next summer to sign the striker on a free transfer. The outlet also adds that there is a willingness on Kane’s part to make the deal happen.

The 3AM Verdict: We said this the other day, but Levy is taking some big old risks here. Obviously losing Kane would be a hammer blow, especially for new manager Ange Postecoglou, but if Spurs allow him to leave next summer for nothing - and if he doesn’t win anything in the coming 12 months - it’s going to look like a huge financial misstep from the chairman. Whatever the outcome, you don’t envy Levy right now.

Man United edge closer to Onana deal

And finally, after a parting of ways with David de Gea that could best be described as ‘messy’, Manchester United are in the market for a new first choice goalkeeper this summer. Their first choice first choice, so to speak, is Inter’s Andre Onana, and there are positive rumblings coming out of Sky Sports at the moment, with suggestions that the Red Devils are ‘edging closer’ to an agreement.

United’s opening bid for the Cameroonian totalled around £38.5 million, but their Italian counterparts value the player at closer to £51 million, and had initially been unwilling to soften their stance in that regard. Talks are ongoing, however, and it is understood that there is growing optimism that a compromise can be found, while personal terms are not expected to be an issue.

The 3AM Verdict: Nice and simple this one; United need a goalkeeper and Onana is, for the most part, a very good goalkeeper. His shot-stopping prowess is impressive enough, but the key here will be his stellar ability with the ball at his feet - a trait that Erik ten Hag values very, very highly. The sooner this deal is wrapped up, the better for United.