Aston Villa and Tottenham battle to land £76m blockbuster deal as Man Utd set for surprise offer

The January transfer window offers both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur the perfect opportunity to boost their European hopes after a winter of inconsistent results and injuries.

Aston Villa currently sit eighth and despite an encouraging start in Europe are currently struggling for consistency in the Premier League as they find themselves four points behind the Champions League places.

Whereas Tottenham, who narrowly missed out on a top four finish last season, find themselves in the bottom half of the table and on a run of just one victory in seven matches despite hammering champions Manchester City 4-0 at the end of October. Both sides have proven that at their best they have the calibre to compete in the Champions League, but have also waned at times due to the demands of European football.

The pair are both looking to turn their fortunes around in the second half of the campaign and have set their sights on a former World Cup finalist in France international Randal Kolo Muani.

The 26-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker is currently struggling for regular football in the French capital and has fallen down the pecking order for Luis Enrique’s side despite the sale of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid over the summer. Kolo Muani scored 26 goals in his final season for Eintract Frankfurt before making the blockbuster £76m move to the Park Des Princes in 2023, but has struggled to find top form and has so far scored just 11 goals for the Ligue 1 champions in 18 months.

Ben Jacobs understands that Kolo Muani is likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain in January, with the French champions open to a loan offer, which would ideally include a permanent obligation.

Jacobs adds that Aston Villa and Tottenham are the two frontrunners from England to get the deal done, but adds that Juventus, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig are also keeping tabs on the situation. Tottenham are confirmed to have discussed a potential move for Kolo Muani but as of yet have not made a formal approach.

3AM verdict: Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have both struggled for squad depth this season and are in need of a boost if they are to achieve their targets of qualifying for European football. Randal Kolo Muani’s ability to play both as a winger and a forward would offer both clubs versatility in attack and further pace and power in the final third. If he is available for loan, he would likely be a good option for both clubs.

Man Utd ace set for Champions League offer

Out-of-favour Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is considered a top January target for AC Milan as they look to boost their chances of European qualification after a lacklustre start in Serie A.

Mail Sport understands that Ruben Amorim’s former rival and ex-FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao is a huge admirer of the 60-time England international and is considering a loan move to bring him to the San Siro after injuries to Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao.

Rashford has struggled for form in the last 18 months and has scored just four times in the league this season. He has been absent in three of the last four Manchester United match day squads and has not featured in the Premier League since the start of December.

3AM verdict: Marcus Rashford has looked a shadow of the player that once regularly spearheaded Manchester United to Champions League qualification and it appears his days are numbered at Old Trafford due to his ongoing rift with Ruben Amorim.

However, while playing significantly less football, he has still outscored the likes of Rasmus Hoijlund and Joshua Zirkzee in attack this season, and has shown flickers of the quality he still possesses in games against Ipswich Town and Everton earlier in the Amorim era. For Rashford a loan move to the San Siro could be the perfect chance to reinvigorate his career, but for Manchester United anything other than a sale for a significant fee would be the wrong call until the team can sign an adequate replacement. If in Amorim’s shoes, I would keep Rashford until the end of the season until a replacement is brought in and then sell him in the summer, if he fails to rediscover his goal-scoring touch.