Newcastle United plot bold £68m transfer raid as West Ham 'one step closer' to next January swoop

We begin Tuesday's Premier League transfer rumour round-up with news of Newcastle United and their pursuit of Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande. The towering centre-back has emerged as a key target for a number of Europe's biggest clubs following an impressive spell in Portugal, and according to A Bola, the Magpies could be willing to step up their chase for the 20-year-old.

It is understood that Newcastle have sent scouts to watch Diomande as he competes in the African Cup of Nations for the Ivory Coast, with view to a future bid for the precocious talent. At the time of writing, the player is said to have a release clause of around £68 million written into his contract, and while it is unlikely that he will leave Sporting in January, the prospect of a summer transfer is very real.

The 3AM Verdict: What a statement of intent this would be from Newcastle. Diomande is one of the most exciting young defenders in world football, and his physicality, maturity, and composure are far beyond that of an average 20-year-old. Competition is likely to be fierce, but if the Magpies can lure the Ivorian to Tyneside, they could be securing themselves a world class talent for years to come.

Sarr in demand

Elsewhere, Chelsea defender Malang Sarr is said to have become a 'new priority' for Belgian outfit Anderlecht, according to, Het Nieuwsblad. The 25-year-old is out of favour at Stamford Bridge, and has yet to feature for Mauricio Pochettino's side this season.

As such, there is a belief that he could be allowed to leave Chelsea in the closing stages of the transfer window, with Anderlecht eager to take him back to continental Europe. It remains to be seen whether a loan deal will be engineered, however, with suggestions that any such agreement could be 'very complicated', despite the player's apparent openness to it.

The 3AM Verdict: This is a prospective deal that you would hope can be pushed through in the coming days, mainly because Sarr himself is in desperate need of a fresh start. It is evident that the Frenchman is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, and the sooner he can find an escape route back to regular senior action, the better.

West Ham close in on Jota

And finally, West Ham are understood to be 'one step closer' to completing a swoop for Portuguese winger Jota. According to Foot Mercato reporter Santi Aouna, the Hammers have reached an agreement with the 24-year-old, who is currently enduring a miserable stint with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad.

Having signed from Celtic over the summer, the wide man has been restricted to just 517 minutes of first team action, and a move back to Europe has been touted for some time already. As things stand, no official agreement has been reached between West Ham and Al-Ittihad, but it is suggested that ‘positive talks are taking place’.

The 3AM Verdict: Prior to his move to Saudi Arabia, Jota was being heavily linked with a Premier League move, and there is no reason to believe that, even after six months on the scrap heap, he couldn't be a very useful addition for the Hammers. Attacking reinforcements have been needed at the London Stadium, and while an out-and-out striker would surely have been many supporters' priority this winter, a player of Jota's talent will never come in wrong.