Premier League quartet closing in on transfer targets

As the transfer window is nearing its last month, Premier League sides are scouring the globe in search of talent to boost their squads.

Everton are stepping up the chase for Nabil Bahoui, Hull City agree a fee for Andrew Robertson, QPR are hoping to land Mathieu Valbuena and Sunderland are closing in on Patrick van Aanholt.

The Toffees (13/2 top four chances) have not been very active this transfer window so far, with just a permanent deal for last season’s loanee Gareth Barry their one major signing. However, reports suggest Roberto Martinez is heavily interested in bringing in Sweden international winger (two caps) Bahoui from AIK.

Spaniard Martinez will face competition from French side Saint-Etienne to sign the 23-year-old, who has scored six times in 13 games so far this current season for his club, though.

Hull (7/2 for a top 10 finish), meanwhile, have had a £2m, plus add-ons, bid accepted by Dundee United for twice-capped Scotland left back Robertson, with the deal expected to be completed next week.

The 20-year-old was voted PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year last term, and will follow Ryan Gauld, who moved to Sporting Lisbon this summer, out of the club. Robertson was also previously linked with West Ham.

Elsewhere, down in London, QPR (4/1 to finish in the top 10) now hope to recruit players further up the pitch, after signing centre backs Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker.

Frenchman Valbuena, who represented his country in the World Cup in Brazil, has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool this summer, but Harry Redknapp hopes to take him to west London instead.

The diminutive attacker is available for a reasonable £5.5m, with the Hoops reportedly matching a bid of that amount that Dynamo Moscow made, but it seems Valbuena’s agent has somewhat played down interest in moving to Russia. “That’s bull****”, was the reply from Jean-Pierre Bernes when asked if his client was moving to Moscow.