Premier League transfer news: Benzema to Arsenal, Umtiti to Manchester United and more, 28th December 2017

The transfer window opens in 3 days and the teams are getting fully busy to sign players that they think would improve their team. For us writers, things are perhaps more hectic as we have to keep tabs with almost everything.

In today’s instalment, we have bit of a party by the London teams, some more Manchester madness and a completed medical. Let's dive right in…

---

#5 Medical done

For almost the entirety of December, Everton have been linked with a multitude of players by a multitude of outlets, but to no avail. However, there might just be light at the end of the tunnel for Evertonians as the club is on the brink of signing the striker they have been chasing for quite a while now.

According to the Guardian, Besiktas have agreed to sell their star striker, Cenk Tosun, to Everton for a fee of £25 million. The Turkish hitman had been on the radar of Sam Allardyce and will finally join the club on the 1st of January—when the window opens.

It has been further reported that the player’s father had accompanied him to the club to complete a medical and negotiate personal terms. This comes as a great news for Everton fans as they had been looking for someone to replace Romelu Lukaku.

#4 Good news for Palmieri-linked clubs

Newcastle have been interested in him

One of the things that people will know about Newcastle—if they have been following this space for a while—is that they are on the lookout for someone to solve their left-back quagmire. Rafa Benitez had targeted Chelsea’s Kenedy and, according to some reports, is close to signing him.

But new reports have emerged that there might be someone else who could be running up and down the left-flank for the Magpies.

According to Tutto Mercato, Roma are signing a left-back as a replacement for the supposedly outgoing Emerson Palmieri. The Italian of Brazilian-descent has been on the radar of Rafa Benitez and Newcastle might try to bring him in now.

However, Liverpool and Juventus are also interested in him.

#3 A bit of Sunderland

Tavernier once played for Newcastle

The thing about transfer windows is that so many big-name players are linked with so many European giants that the rest of the clubs almost often feel left out. I mean, come on, they are also clubs plying their trade at top-level, so it is only fair when the rumours surrounding these clubs are enmeshed with the Goliaths.

Anyways, without digressing any further, Daily Mail are reporting that Sunderland may finally have a grip on a player that could make them a better team: James Tavernier of Glasgow Rangers.

If he does indeed move to the Stadium of Light, it won’t be the first time he will play in the Premier League as he has already had Premier League experience with Newcastle United. Tavernier is a great crosser of the ball and he will likely need a tall striker for the club to bring the best out of him.

#2 The party of the Londoners

Finally off to Arsenal?

Let’s start alphabetically here or else I will lose my grip on reality. Arsenal are interested in a player who has been linked with them in almost every window for the last 9 years: Karim Benzema. According to Don Balon, Wenger has made a £36 million bid to rope in the Frenchman from the Bernabeu.

That’s not the only bid that Arsenal have made in order to sign someone as their £35 million bid for Juventus defender Mehdi Benatia has been rejected by the Old Lady, say Calciomercato.

And now come Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit are going to go berserk in the window if the news outlets are to be believed. After being linked with Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, Chelsea have apparently been handed a transfer boost in the case of Bayern Munich’s Arturo Vidal as the Bavarians are unwilling to loan him to Inter, say Calciomercato.

The other player linked to Chelsea is Paris-Saint Germain’s Lucas Moura—reported by Buzz Sport—who is probably finding it hard to break into the starting XI after the arrival of Neymar and Mbappe.

Finally, Tottenham Hotspur.

And this one is also according to Calciomercato, who claim that Tottenham are one of the clubs that want to acquire the signature of Ajax starlet, David Neres. Arsenal and Manchester United are also linked with him.

Speaking of Manchester United…

#1 Manchester madness

Mourinho's answer to defensive woes?

Ha, finally, everything is right with the world as Manchester United are back on this report. After a gap of a day, they are back with a bang as Juventus, the Independent claim, have named their price for Argentine sensation, Paulo Dybala.

If their reports are to be believed, then any negotiations for Dybala will start at £140 million and should more than one club join the hunt for him, the price could go up to £200 million.

And then there is this report from Don Balon which claims that Barcelona are now worried after Liverpool snapped up Virgil van Dijk for £75 million. Apparently, they are now worried that the Red Devils’ focus has gone to perhaps the best player of Barcelona not named Lionel Messi: Samuel Umtiti.

Silly season, I tell you!