Man United could snatch £40m-rated Everton striker target as Tottenham reignite rival PL star chase
Premier League transfer update as Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham eye January deals
Gameweek 9 of the Premier League is almost done and dusted, with only Newcastle United’s clash against Everton left to go. It’s been an exhilarating two days of top tier action in England, with the title race, relegation battle and scrap for Europe all taking twists and turns as the season leaves its first quarter behind in the rear-view mirror.
Arsenal took a huge step towards retaining their Premier League title on Sunday afternoon, as Kai Havertz’s goal saw the Gunners earn a 1-0 win away to Liverpool. Other highlights of the weekend included Brighton’s narrow 1-0 win at Man City, Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat of Man United, and Coventry City’s impressive 3-1 victory against Sunderland.
Today’s rumours round-up begins at Anfield, where Liverpool will still be reeling from a defeat to Arsenal that saw Andoni Iraola’s side take 17 shots but not land a single one on target. According to Caught Offside, the Reds are continuing to sweat over how to replace club icon Virgil van Dijk, whose contract expires at the end of the current campaign.
The 35-year-old is now into his tenth season at Anfield, and there is a growing feeling that he will leave the club to pursue one final challenge come the summer. The report claims that the Reds are already looking to identify replacements, with Nottingham Forest’s Murillo and Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck emerging as potential candidates. The latter is said to be available for around £58m.
The 3AM Verdict: It’s hard to imagine Liverpool without their unbelievably consistent Dutch defender at the back, but it looks like his time at Anfield is coming to an end. Schlotterbeck could an ideal successor, given his leadership abilities and stellar reputation in Germany. Given how much Liverpool have spent on individual fees in recent seasons, his asking price shouldn’t cause too much concern either.
Spurs ‘still keen’ on Nottingham Forest talisman
Over in north London, spirits are high at Tottenham, who secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Crystal Palace to move eighth in the Premier League table - just four points away from the top four. Spurs spent big and spent well over the summer, and Football Insider now claim that they could look to reignite their interest in Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White come January.
The England international is a long-term transfer target for Spurs, after they came close to signing him back in 2025. As Tottenham look to add further attacking, Premier League-proven quality in the new year, it’s said that Forest’s struggles in the league so far this season could see Gibbs-White push for a mid-season exit.
The 3AM Verdict: Gibbs-White is one of those players who you’d tune into a game just to watch him in action. Cruelly overlooked for England’s 2026 World Cup squad, the 26-year-old will be keen to boost his profile further, and a move to a Spurs side who now look to finally be moving forwards again could be an ideal destination.
Man United could snatch Toffees target
Last up, it’s across to Old Trafford, where Michael Carrick’s Man United will having another soul-searching Monday morning after their 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge. The Red Devils were once again poor in front of goal against the Blues, and are likely to look for a new striker come January.
Team Talk suggest that the Red Devils have been sounded out by Monaco striker Folarin Balogun’s entourage, with an eye to sealing a January deal. He almost joined Everton for £40m on Deadline Day last summer, only for the forward to get cold feet. Balogun is now said to be “under consideration” by United, who have also been linked with Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The 3AM Verdict: Balogun looks certain to leave Monaco in January, after being all but frozen out of their first team. He’s a fine striker and netted 19 times in all competitions for his club last season, but we’d be more inclined to move for the safer bet in Mateta who has reached similar numbers in a much trickier league consistently over the past three seasons.