<
>

Transfer Rater: Ashley Young to Roma, Miguel Almiron to Newcastle

Things change in the blink of an eye in football. The Football Whispers Index takes the latest transfer rumours and gives them a score out of five; the higher the score, the more realistic and reliable the Whisper.

Here are today's top five emerging whispers. And keep an eye on Transfer Talk for all the latest gossip.

Chris Smalling to Everton

Everton are favourites to sign the Manchester United defender on a free transfer next summer, according to The Sun. The 28-year-old's current deal at Old Trafford expires at the end of June and, although he has held talks over an extension, the Toffees are monitoring the situation. Marco Silva spent £27m to add centre-back Yerry Mina from Barcelona in the summer and also signed Kurt Zouma on loan from Chelsea, but he is keen on further bolstering his defensive ranks.

Ashley Young to Roma

Young -- another long-serving United player whose contract will expire next summer -- has been linked with a surprise switch to Roma. The Red Devils have offered the 33-year-old a one-year extension but he is yet to sign and is free to start pre-contract negotiations with overseas clubs from January. Roma, who are sixth in Serie A, are keen to add to their squad as they attempt to secure Champions League football for next season, according to The Sun. Young has been a regular starter under Jose Mourinho, having started eight Premier League games so far this season.

Joel Matip to Fulham

New Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri has already identified targets for the January transfer window, with Liverpool defender Matip reportedly chief among them. Turkish outlet A Spor reports that Fulham and Fenerbahce are both keen to sign the Cameroon international, who has fallen behind Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez in the Anfield pecking order. Ranieri -- who replaced Slavisa Jokanovic on Wednesday -- believes the defender's experience could be key in their bid to avoid relegation. The Cottagers have the worst defence in the Premier League, having shipped 31 goals in 12 games.

Christian Pulisic to Chelsea

Pulisic's admission that he is open to a Premier League move in the future has led to renewed links with Liverpool, but The Guardian reports that the Blues are currently the frontrunners for his signature. The 20-year-old is under contract at Borussia Dortmund until 2020 but has struggled to find his best form of late, leading Lucien Favre to drop him for last weekend's win over Bayern Munich. Although Tottenham and Liverpool are credited with an interest, the report states that Chelsea have shown the most interest in Pulisic, who is set to feature for the USA against England at Wembley on Thursday night.

Miguel Almiron to Newcastle

The Magpies have expressed interest in signing Almiron, the Paraguayan playmaker who has lit up MLS with his displays for Atlanta United. The 24-year-old, also linked with Arsenal, scored 12 goals in 23 games during the 2018 campaign. Now, The Chronicle says that his agent, Daniel Campos, was in the stands at St James' Park for Newcastle's 2-1 win over Bournemouth last week. The Tyneside club have not yet begun talks over a potential deal but, per the report, want to be kept in the loop with Almiron expected to leave Atlanta in January.