Tottenham just £10m away from sealing major signing as Man United make bold striker transfer decision

The dominoes are starting to fall in the Premier League after the summer transfer window reopened, with Chelsea close to completing a blockbuster double-signing, and as we cast another eye around the latest rumours in the division we begin with the only team close to matching their net spend in the last few years: Manchester United.

The Red Devils have rationed enough toilet paper at Carrington to attempt to replace Rasmus Hojlund, and CaughtOffside report they’re interested in launching an audacious raid on Villa Park for Ollie Watkins, who has three years left on his contract. Last season the 29-year-old didn’t quite follow up on his outstanding 2023/24 Premier League where he scored 19 goals and assisted 15 in 37 games, but still hit double-figures in the league and netted in the Champions League.

Villa successfully warded off interest from Arsenal in January for their star striker but now facing potential PSR trouble, they could reportedly be prepared to part with Watkins for £60m. Watkins scored more than Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee combined in 2023/24 and Ruben Amorim desperately needs a certified finisher to replicate Viktor Gyokeres’ impact leading the line at Sporting.

With Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko both linked to Arsenal, Liam Delap and Jonathan David having signed for other clubs, and Bryan Mbeumo potentially out of reach, Watkins would be a godsend for Amorim as he struggles to ignite the faltering giants of English football.

The 3AM Verdict: Villa were widely believed to demand £80m for Watkins in winter but they need to raise serious funds this summer and the striker will turn thirty next campaign. The Red Devils are one of the few clubs who could tempt a player to leave a Premier League rival and give up European football for at least a season but even so, this would be a hammer blow for Aston Villa supporters.

Wolves prepare bid for 20-year-old Flamengo talent

Journalist Julio Miguel Neto expects Wolverhampton Wanderers to launch a bid for forward Wallace Yan following a hugely impressive Club World Cup for the 20-year-old.

Yan only played 35 minutes at the tournament but still found the time to score twice, including the final nail in Chelsea’s coffin during the group stage, and Flamengo appear keen to cash in on a player who’s made just a handful of senior appearances in his nascent career. Yan reportedly has a release clause of €50m (£43m) and is contracted to the Rio de Janeiro club until 2027 but Neto believes Flamengo will begin negotiations at €15m (£13m) and are unlikely to “play hardball” if the bidding reaches €18m (£15.5m)

Wolves have spent less than half of the almost-£100m windfall they received from sending Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri to Manchester and can afford to make a healthy loss this summer while still complying with PSR, so it could be a gamble they can afford to make.

The 3AM Verdict: Despite his breakout summer stateside, Yan could need to spend time on loan before he’s ready to take on the Premier League and £43m would be a huge amount for someone so untested. However, he could turn out to be a bargain if Wolves can negotiate Flamengo down closer to that that £13m floor.

Tottenham £10m away from first signing of the summer

Yesterday we brought you the news that Tottenham Hotspur have had a bid of £50m plus £5m in add-ons rejected for Mohammed Kudus, but they could be closer than it seems in their pursuit of the Ghanaian. According to TBR Football, West Ham will accept £65m for the attacker who scored eight and assisted nine in the 2023/24 Premier League season, despite the £84m release clause in his contract.

Tottenham’s only business this summer so far - at least in the player department - has been making Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso’s loan moves to north London permanent but having secured the huge financial boost of Champions League football next season, £65m seems eminently affordable for Daniel Levy.

Spurs’ attacking quartet in the Europa League featured Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke so there’s no question improvements are needed, and Kudus’ versatility and Premier League pedigree aged 24 would fit the bill perfectly.

The 3AM Verdict: We suspect that things are going more smoothly behind the scenes” was our view 24 hours ago after that initial bid was rejected, and we feel even more confident of that after this latest update. The stars seem to be aligning for Kudus to become Tottenham’s most expensive signing ever.