Not content with spending the thick end of £350m in the current transfer window, Chelsea are ready to hose tens of millions more – cough – in the direction of Brentford’s Community Stadium if it means they can get Ivan Toney in return. The England striker is currently suspended from all football activities until January, a ban that apparently won’t preclude him from signing a contract with a different club. The Independent reports that Brentford will hold out for as much as £80m for a star player they’ve barely missed since he began his prolonged spell on the FA’s Naughty Step.
Left out of the Tottenham squad that got knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Fulham, Eric Dier could be on the verge of a reunion with his former skipper Harry Kane at Bayern Munich. Spurs have offered the defender to the German champions, while Borussia Dortmund are also believed to be keen on securing his services. Dier has also been offered to Fulham in part exchange for their central defender Tosin Adarabioyo. In other “unwanted Tottenham defender” news, Japhet Tanganga could be on his way to Italy to play for Torino, while Djed Spence’s loan move to Leeds is expected to be signed, sealed and delivered any second now.
Brought in by Wolves on a five-year deal for a club-record £38m from Sporting last summer, Matheus Nunes got his season off to a fairly inauspicious start. The midfielder got himself sent off against Brighton on the back of two daft yellow cards, before spitting the dummy and going on strike when his employers rejected a £47m bid for his services from Manchester City. The 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder may be forced into a grovelling apology after his manager, Gary O’Neil, said he fully expects him to still be at the club when the transfer window closes. Wolves want £60m for Nunes, while City are believed to be ready to walk away from the deal unless that valuation is lowered.
“The next few days will be key of course and conversations will take place that will be private between me and Matheus and I’m sure the situation will be resolved,” said O’Neil, after his side’s 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Blackpool. The out-of-favour winger Daniel Podence looks certain to leave Wolves in the next couple of days and has been linked with Celtic and Real Betis. Meanwhile in the Molineux arrivals hall, club staff are preparing to welcome the Girona and Uruguay centre-back Santiago Bueno. Wolves are also interested in signing the teenage winger Enso González from Club Libertad in Paraguay.
Rob Holding is wanted by both Luton and Real Mallorca, while the Sheffield United right-back George Baldock could be off to Greece to ply his trade with AEK Athens. Holding’s Arsenal teammate Nuno Tavares is on the verge of signing a loan deal with Nottingham Forest, who are also trying to wrap up a £14m deal to bring the Corinthians defender Murillo to the City Ground. Tottenham remain in the box-seat to sign Brennan Johnson from Forest, although Chelsea are also rumoured to be monitoring those particular proceedings with interest.
Despite their eagerness to bring Marc Cucurella in from Chelsea to provide cover for the injured Luke Shaw, Manchester United have also enquired about the possibility of signing Argentinian defender Nicolás Tagliafico on loan from Lyon. And finally, Fulham hope to sign Alex Iwobi from Everton and have agreed a deal to bring in the Argentinian winger Lucas Ocampos from Sevilla.
