Man Utd and Chelsea 'already lined up' for £51m striker battle as West Ham and Liverpool plot winger chase

We begin Tuesday's Premier League transfer rumour round-up with news from Italy on a potential battle between Manchester United and Chelsea. Both clubs have been linked with prospective moves for Bologna forward Jonathan Zirkzee, and according to Corriere dello Sport, neither club are likely to lose interest any time soon.

In fact, it is suggested that the Dutchman's frequent goal-scoring feats are 'agitating' various intermediaries, with the likes of United, Chelsea, AC Milan, Juventus, AS Roma, and Barcelona, ‘already lined up’ to bid on him in the coming months. It has been claimed that a bid of around £51.3 million could be enough to tempt Bologna into a sale.

The 3AM Verdict: Both United and Chelsea could use attacking reinforcements over the summer, but for either to lure Zirkzee to England, they are going to have to fend off a formidable array of competition. At £51 million or so he would present a more affordable option to many of the other top tier strikers out there, however, and at 22, he still has plenty of potential left to realise. This could be a race worth winning.

Romano touts Neto exit

Elsewhere, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Wolves could struggle to retain the services of talismanic winger Pedro Neto this summer. The attacker has been linked with the likes of Arsenal in recent times, and the respected Italian journalist has suggested that a high profile exit could be on the cards - despite Wanderers manager Gary O'Neil's attempts to quash any such speculation.

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano said: 'Despite what Wolves manager Gary O’Neil said, I think it’s going to be very difficult to keep Pedro Neto at Wolves next summer, this is my feeling. He’s appreciated by many clubs, he could stay in Premier League but move to top, top club in the summer.'

The 3AM Verdict: No great shocks here, in fairness. Of course Wolves would like to hang on to Neto for as long as possible, but with the likes of Arsenal circling, and with Financial Fair Play regulations likely to be a considerable factor at the end of the current campaign, they may well be forced into a sale, whether they like it or not.

West Ham join Raphinha race

And finally, Spanish outlet Fichajes report that West Ham have joined the race to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha. The Brazilian could be deemed surplus to requirements in Catalonia at the end of the season, and a move back to the Premier League has been heavily touted in recent weeks.

Alongside the Hammers, the former Leeds United wide man has been linked with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea, although it is unclear whether David Moyes' men possess the financial might to beat any of those clubs in a race for his signature.

The 3AM Verdict: Raphinha would, of course, represent a fine signing for any of the clubs mentioned above. The former Leeds United star was hugely impressive during his previous stint in England, and while his time in Spain may not have yielded exactly the kind of results that he might have wanted, he has still proven that he is a player capable of mixing it at the very top level.