Newcastle United battle Arsenal for top class defender as Spurs look to hijack bargain £13m deal

We kick Thursday's Premier League transfer rumour round-up off with news of a three-way tussle for promising attacker Samuel Illing-Junior. The 20-year-old is currently on the books at Juventus, but has struggled for game time this season, and could seek greater first team opportunities elsewhere in the near future.

As such, Everton and Villa have been alerted to his potential availability, with Gazzetta dello Sport suggesting that both are considering moves for the Englishman. They could face competition from Tottenham, however, with The Independent claiming that Spurs may look to hijack any prospective £13 million deal.

The 3AM Verdict: Illing-Junior has shown flashes of promise over in Italy, but it is clear that he is reaching a point in his career where he needs to be playing senior football on a regular basis. Any one of Spurs, Villa, or Everton would be lucky to have him, and the prospect of him plying his trade in the Premier League is an exciting one.

Newcastle eye Diomande

Elsewhere, Newcastle United are understood to be scouting Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande. The Ivorian is proving to be a popular target for Premier League clubs at the present moment in time, with suggestions that both Arsenal and Chelsea are also keeping tabs on him.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, however, the Magpies had representatives in attendance at Sunday's Lisbon derby between Sporting and Benfica, with a 'report' compiled on the precocious 19-year-old. The update goes on to state that Diomande has been garnering attention from Italy and German, but his ‘most likely’ destination remains the Premier League.

The 3AM Verdict: Newcastle certainly need more bodies at the heart of defence, and if they are to go out and buy reinforcements in the near future, why not make it one of the most promising young talents in continental football? Diomande is already an Ivory Coast international, as well as a regular for Sporting CP, and if he continues on his current trajectory then he could become a genuine world class talent.

Brighton in Barco race

And finally, TyC Sports report that Brighton are still very much in the race to sign Boca Juniors youngster Valentin Barco. The full-back has emerged as a target for the likes of Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in recent weeks, and the understanding is that he will be on the move to one of Europe's elite divisions sooner rather than later.

But despite the illustrious nature of the chasing pack, TyC claim that not only are the Seagulls still in contention for his signature, but that they are still the only side to have made a concrete approach for Barco at this stage.

The 3AM Verdict: Barco could grow into a very, very special talent. Ordinarily, he is exactly the sort of player that Brighton snap up before anybody else, but it is testament to his burgeoning ability that several of Europe's top sides are right there alongside the Seagulls on this occasion. A deal would be a long shot, but what a coup it could prove to be if they can pull it off.