Man Utd 'in hunt' for Mbappe as Tottenham January loan recall ruled out

The latest round of Premier League action kicks off today at Molineux with Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur travelling to face Wolves in the early match.

Manchester United and Arsenal are both in action as well while Eddie Howe heads to old club Bournemouth for the evening kick off. Meanwhile, there are still plenty of transfer news headlines doing the rounds in the rumour mill.

Man Utd are said to be 'in the hunt' for Kylian Mbappe's signature, Man City are looking at a West Ham star as a potential long term replacement for Kevin De Bruyne and Spurs are not able to recall a player from his loan spell in January. Here are Saturday's biggest transfer news headlines:

Man Utd 'in hunt' for Mbappe

This one comes from Football Insider amid the news that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is edging closer to securing a minority 25% stake at Old Trafford in the first phase of a staged takeover of the club. It is therefor claimed that United, under their new ownership, could be in the strongest position to sign Mbappe when his PSG contract expires at the end of the current season.

Manchester City and Chelsea are both also credited with potentially considering a move but it is Real Madrid who remain the most likely destination for the French star.

The 3AM Verdict: New ownership and a statement signing is a tale as old as time and what a statement it would be if United could persuade the French superstar to make the move to Old Trafford. Big players have moved to United an flopped in the past but that almost certainly wouldn't be the case for Mbappe. All that being said, it does feel inevitable that he will be heading to Madrid at this point but never say never.

Man City 'looking' at West Ham ace as long term De Bruyne replacement

The Premier League champions are apparently preparing for life without Kevin De Bruyne although not for a while yet. The recruitment team at the Etihad will have their work cut out trying to replace the Belgian who has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the man they could target as his successor is West Ham United's Lucas Paquetta. That move could come as early as this January as they look to snap up the 26-year old, 42 times capped, Brazilian international.

The 3AM Verdict: Replacing a player like Kevin De Bruyne is near impossible but, at 32, it's certainly good forward thinking for City to look at bringing in his successor now and ingratiating that player into the squad. Paqueta would certainly be a good fit for City's style but West Ham surely won't be letting a player of his calibre go mid-season if they can help it. A summer switch would almost certainly be a cheaper option.

Tottenham 'consider' January loan recall that could hurt Leeds United

Finally, The Athletic have confirmed that Tottenham do not have the option to recall defender Joe Rodon form his loan spell at Leeds United in January. Bringing the Welshman back from Elland Road was mooted as a way for Spurs to ease their defensive options being reduced.

The 3AM Verdict: It would have been a quick and easy solution for sure but overall the news that it won't be an option is welcome for Leeds United supporters and probably the player himself. Leeds need to start making up ground on Leicester and Ipswich in the EFL Championship and losing a player of Rodon's influence mid-season would have been a hammer blow. Spurs will just have to dip into the transfer market for defensive reinforcements.