Man City ‘agree terms’ with £50m ace as West Ham launch raid for powerful centre-back

It’s Thursday, we have transfer rumours, and you know what that means! That’s right, you’re reading Thursday’s Premier League transfer rumours. No flies on you.

Today, we have talk of a potential deal for Manchester City, a Premier League return for a former Arsenal defender, a mass exodus at Stamford Bridge, and lots and lots of West Ham. What more could you possibly want?! Shall we delve in?

Man City agree Doku terms

First, to the Etihad, where Manchester City are said to have agreed personal terms with Rennes winger Jeremy Doku, but could still face obstacles in their bid to sign the Belgian. As per Get French Football News, the treble winners have somehow, against all the odds, managed to convince the 21-year-old that he would like to win countless trophies for the foreseeable future, and talks are now expected with his current employers over a deal that could be worth around £50 million.

City may, however, face competition from West Ham, who are understood to have submitted a verbal offer to Rennes ahead of a potential swoop of their own. If nothing else, they could probably promise him more game time. Whether that will be enough, however, remains to be seen.

The 3AM Verdict: God loves a trier. You have to admire West Ham’s gumption, but surely City will win this race if they truly want to. The need to replace Riyad Mahrez is fairly obvious, and if Doku is the target they have identified to do just that, then it could be curtains for the Hammers and their ambitions.

West Ham eye ex-Arsenal defender

Elsewhere, having seen their interest in Harry Maguire collapse/dissolve/vanish into thin air, West Ham are said to be considering a move for former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos as a potential alternative. According to Fabrizio Romano, discussions are underway between the Irons and the Greek’s current club Stuttgart, with the player himself seemingly open to the prospect of a return to England.

Writing on his official account, the transfer guru said: ‘Talks on, with Mavropanos keen on PL return, deal is being discussed.’

The 3AM Verdict: A little left field, but this could be a smart signing from West Ham. Mavropanos never really got a chance to reach his full potential in north London, but in the time since he has impressed in Germany, and could be exactly the kind of no-nonsense defender that David Moyes is crying out for. Price will be a factor, but missing out on Maguire may prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Chelsea set for exodus

And finally, after a genuinely mad summer of recruitment, it would appear that Chelsea have finally realised that they may need to offload a few players to justify their recent rampant spending. Appeasing FFP, it seems, is the name of the game.

As such, the Evening Standard report that Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Ian Maatsen, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Romelu Lukaku, and Hakim Ziyech could all be sold in an effort to balance the books, although Gallagher in particular remains keen to stay at Stamford Bridge despite lingering interest from both West Ham and Tottenham.

The 3AM Verdict: This was always going to happen, wasn’t it? Chelsea have bought wildly, and at a certain point, the balance of their finances was going to need some redressing. Of the six players named, the only one who feels as if they could be a genuine miss is Gallagher, and even then, that is more due to a lack of bodies in midfield than anything indispensable he offers Mauricio Pochettino’s team.