With less than half the month remaining football clubs around the world are scrambling to get their dream deals over the line – and the rumour mill in the Premier League is beginning to reach boiling point.

Here we round-up the biggest stories that have caught our attention so far, including a stunning link involving Newcastle United and Brentford as they plan yet another swoop for an in-form star at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Over the summer, the Magpies splashed the cash to bring in striker Yoane Wissa for £55m on deadline day despite the Cameroonian international having only 12 months remaining on his deal. Now, according to Caught Offside, they’ve set their sights on another talent from the capital in German winger Kevin Schade.

The 24-year-old has scored in two of his last three appearances against the Magpies, with the most recent coming in a 3-1 victory over them in November.

He scored 11 league goals in total last season while contributing two assists, all while proving he could be a decent supporting player to the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Wissa. However, since they’ve departed he’s proven he can be the main act as well with an impressive six goals and three assists so far at the half-way point.

Is Kevin Schade likely to leave Brentford this month?

Based on the report from Caught Offside, Schade is valued at somewhere between 50 and 60 million euros, which equates to a maximum of just under £52m.

The Magpies aren’t the only club mentioned in the report, with Tottenham and Aston Villa both getting notable mentions as well.

The 3AM verdict: Schade is a fine footballer with a high ceiling, and he’s one that could potentially leave Brentford in the near future. However, he’ll be in no rush to leave given the club’s fine start to the season and if he keeps going at his current rate his value will likely rise.

He’d potentially be a good fit for someone of Newcastle’s calibre, but isn’t really playing in a position where the Magpies are short on options due to the presence of Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes, meaning he’d likely be shoehorned onto the right instead of someone like Anthony Elanga.

Tottenham and Aston Villa could benefit from a player of Schade’s quality as well. Both are slightly short on wide options and could thrive with the extra creativity that the German would offer. However, this feels more like a deal that could happen in the summer than any time soon as Brentford aim to secure their first ever European finish.

Aston Villa target Club Brugge star

Well-renowned Belgian transfer guru Sacha Tavolieri reports that Aston Villa have inquired about Raphael Onyedika’s situation at Club Brugge.

Onyedika is an established 24-year-old Nigerian international that has made over 160 appearances for Brugge since moving to Belgium in 2022. In that time he’s won a league title and a Belgium cup and has amassed great experience in the Champions League with 22 appearances in the competition. He faced Villa twice last season, suffering defeat on both occasions, but is thought to be a player that Unai Emery rates highly.

The 3AM verdict: Aston Villa have a shortage of midfielders following Boubacar Kamara’s recent injury which could keep him out for a number of months. They are also without Ross Barkley, who’s linked with a move away, and Amadou Onana at the moment.

Villa need another body in that area to give them the adequate squad depth required to remain fighting on all fronts after a tremendous run in the league and Europe recently.

It could be a deal that makes sense depending on the price tag, although it’s reported that a number of names are under consideration at this point with highly-rated Brazilian wonderkid Allan Andrade Elias from Palmeiras also being mentioned.