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Aston Villa race for £25m gem as 'agreement in principle' struck while Newcastle advance towards key signing Premier League transfer latest as Newcastle, Aston Villa and Arsenal chase new summer signings A new Premier League season is just around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most tricky to call campaigns in years, with no fewer than nine new managers at the helm of their respective clubs. Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea are among the high profile clubs to spin the head coach roulette wheel, and it will be fascinating to see how their gambles play out. Said new managers will be looking to get some additional players through the door, with just over two weeks of the summer transfer window left to go. Well over a billion pounds has already been spent in total by Premier League clubs as a whole, and things are set to ramp up further as they look to get their squads sorted before the September 1st deadline. Today’s rumours round-up begins at Arsenal, where the Gunners are on the hunt for a new centre-back. After pursuing Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa for a few weeks, the club were said to have grown frustrated with his rumoured £60m asking price, leading them to target Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarrel Quansah. A fresh report from Team Talk now suggests that the Konsa deal isn’t dead after all. They say that the Gunners are in fact “stepping up their efforts” to sign Konsa, who remains their “leading target”. It’s also claimed that Arsenal will now look to up their initial £40m bid to £50m, with potential add-ons increasing the value of their offer further. Konsa is said to be keen on the move, while the Gunners should feel comfortable taking their time over the deal with Quansah serving as a more realistic backup option. The 3AM Verdict: Arsenal are in a pretty strong position here. They should have the financial muscle to get the Konsa deal over the line, and Quansah is a great alternative if they can’t get their first pick. However, it could be argued that the latter is actually a better option, with a player of Konsa’s calibre much harder to drop once the injured William Saliba returns. Aston Villa could swoop for West Ham full-back Next up, we’re heading to the Midlands, where Aston Villa are gearing up for their Premier League opener away to Brighton a week on Sunday. The club look to have found a new left-back in Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid, and now appear to be chasing a new right-back to give Matty Cash some competition for his starting spot. Football Insider say that a deal worth up to £25m for West Ham United star Aaron Wan-Bissaka is moving closer, with the Villans tipped to beat competition from Everton to land the DR Congo international. It’s suggested that he will be a backup option for Cash, and also offer an option at centre-back if required. The 3AM Verdict: It’s a nice bit of business from Villa, but a bit of an odd decision from Wan-Bissaka. While he should get minutes throughout the season, including Champions League football, opting to be a backup player at Villa when he could be the star man at Everton is a bit of a head-scratcher. Despite being a player in his prime, the 28-year-old could be in for a frustrating season on the sidelines. Newcastle United chase new right-back Another right-back on the move looks to be Benfica’s Amar Dedic, who’s closing in on a switch to Newcastle United. That’s according to transfer guru Florian Plettenberg, who reports that the Magpies are in “advanced negotiations” to sign the Bosnia and Herzegovina international. It’s said that the player has already agreed terms on a five-year deal. Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle’s new manager following Eddie Howe’s exit, previously managed Dedic at RB Salzburg. Should the deal go through, he’ll come in to provide some much needed support on the right flank. Current starter Tino Livramento is currently injured, while his backup Kieran Trippier left the club at the end of last season. The 3AM Verdict: Newcastle have endured a summer of monumental change, and Jaissle having some familiarity in the form of a player who’s played under him before makes a lot of sense. Dedic is likely to cost £30m, which seems a fair price for a 23-year-old who’s played plenty of Champions League football already and has his best years ahead of him.