Football transfer rumours: Crystal Palace to pursue Pino or hijack Dibling move?

With only 10 days left in the transfer window, the rumour mill is in overdrive, churning out gossip faster than a manager can find an excuse for a poor performance. Eberechi Eze, a man beloved in south London, is having a bit of a moment. A few weeks ago, it looked as if he was heading to Tottenham. But then, Arsenal, with a dramatic swoop, hijacked the deal, leaving Tottenham at the altar with a bouquet of wilted ambitions.

Eze’s medical for his switch to the Emirates Stadium is reportedly imminent. For Arsenal, it is brilliant business, securing a player who can pull the strings in their push for a Premier League title under Mikel Arteta. For Palace, it’s a wake-up call. They have lost their prized possession and need a replacement. Palace are now scrambling through a frantic game of musical chairs, and they’ve just lost their most comfortable seat. Their first port of call? Yeremy Pino, the 22-year-old who registered four goals and 10 assists for Villarreal in all competitions last season. The player has a £67m release clause, but Palace will hope to pay less than that to secure his signature. Palace have reportedly made contact, trying to understand what it would take to lure him away from La Liga, but Villarreal are not keen on selling.

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But there is another name on their list. Palace are also reportedly considering Southampton’s Tyler Dibling. This is a classic transfer saga in the making, with Palace looking to gazump Everton, who have been chasing Dibling all summer but have never quite caught up with Southampton’s valuation. Now, Palace are ready to step in with a bid that could reach £45m including add-ons.

As for Tottenham, the sting of being jilted by Eze has left them with a serious problem. They are now desperately searching for a new attacker, and the rest of the world knows it, which puts them in a tricky spot. Every club with a player Tottenham want now has the upper hand, and the asking prices will most likely be inflated. The latest name on their radar is Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, a France Under-21s attacking midfielder who has had two standout seasons in Ligue 1. Will he be the one to heal their broken heart? Only time – and a hefty transfer fee – will tell.

Over at Aston Villa, they are playing a delicate game of financial Jenga, trying to stay within the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules. They have already had to sell the academy graduate Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle, a move that led to some cryptic social media messages from their captain and vice-captain. Despite this, Villa are pushing to sign the Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson. Unai Emery coached Jackson at Villarreal and the two reportedly have a strong relationship. Jackson has been pushed down the pecking order at Chelsea, despite signing a nine-year contract last season. He is valued at more than £60m by Chelsea and Villa have initially asked about a loan deal.

Finally, we head to Germany, where Gio Reyna’s time at Borussia Dortmund seems to be coming to an end. The American has had a bumpy ride, marked by injuries and a serious lack of playing time. He has started only 14 Bundesliga games since the 2021-22 season and it seems his long-awaited exit is finally nearing, with talks reportedly opened with Borussia Mönchengladbach. His contract expires next summer, and the feeling at Dortmund is a long-term extension does not make sense for anyone.

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