Newcastle submit 'ridiculous' offer for ex-Man City star as Liverpool target 'agrees terms' with Chelsea

Euro 2024 is now in full swing and with the Premier League transfer window also open for business, there’s plenty for fans to keep an eye on both internationally and domestically.

The 2023/24 season delivered a rollercoaster series of events at the top and bottom of the table, which has left clubs eyeing up big spending sprees this summer in order to bolster their squad. As the rumour mill continues to churn out exciting new links, we’ve cherrypicked some of the latest to focus on and we’ve thrown our take in for good measure as well.

Newcastle submit ‘ridiculous’ offer for winger

Newcastle United have wasted no time in getting stuck into the transfer action, having agreed terms to sign Lloyd Kelly as a free agent once his contract at Bournemouth expires at the end of this month. They have also triggered the performance-related criteria to make Lewis Hall’s time at St James’ Park permanent. As Newcastle look to splash some extra cash this summer, their main target is Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, who has been attracting attention from a number of clubs despite the Clarets’ relegation.

There are other names on the radar though, including former Manchester City star Ferran Torres, who Newcastle are hoping to sign from Barcelona. Mundo Deportivo reports that the Toon have already made a move for the Spaniard but their bid of €15 million (£12.6m) plus an extra €5 million (£4.2m) in add-ons has been described as ‘ridiculous’ behind the scenes at Camp Nou.

Torres joined Barca in January 2022 after the La Liga giants paid in excess of £55 million for his signature from Man City. The versatile winger contributed 11 goals and four assists in all competitions last season for Barcelona, despite not always starting.

The 3AM Verdict: Due to Torres’ lack of time in the starting lineup at Barca, the club could be open to selling him but offering almost £40 million less than what the Catalonians originally paid for him is naturally not going to go down well. With his lack of presence in the starting XI for Barcelona, Newcastle could still be in with a shot at signing him but it’s going to take a lot more money and potentially some sweet-talking after a borderline insulting offer for some who is 24, versatile and scoring goals in this market, where prices are constantly skyrocketing.

Liverpool target ‘agrees personal terms’ with rivals

Michael Olise has been on the radar of several clubs following his impressive performances with Crystal Palace. The winger contributed 10 goals and six assists in 19 appearances for the Eagles last season, despite being hit with two separate injury setbacks.

Liverpool have been monitoring Olise’s situation for a while now, particularly during the heavy Mohamed Salah exit links. However, just like last summer with Roméo Lavia and Moisés Caicedo, the Reds look set to be snubbed by Chelsea for one of their key targets.

According to TEAMtalk, Olise has ‘verbally agreed personal terms’ with the Blues, who are willing to pay ‘above the odds’ to bring him to Stamford Bridge. Like Liverpool, Chelsea have been keen on the 22-year-old for some time now and even made a move for him last summer, triggering his then £35 million release clause. Despite this, Olise penned a new deal with Palace, extending his stay until 2027 but it seems now that they have finally caught up with getting a deal discussed.

The 3AM Verdict: It will be quite the blow for Liverpool if another target snubs them for Chelsea on this transfer window, especially if Salah does opt to leave Anfield ahead of the new season. Contrasting reports continue to circulate and it remains to be seen where the Egyptian’s future lies, regardless of what happens with Salah though, having a young, goalscoring right-winger on the books to eventually replace him is something the Reds need to be prioritising. Olise isn’t the only option out there, but his signing could have been an interesting one, especially with the numbers he banked for Palace, whose overall goalscoring return was the joint-lowest of the top 10. Imagine what he could with Liverpool’s creativity around him.