Tottenham are expected to be one of the busier Premier League sides during the final few weeks of this summer transfer window, and technical director Johan Lange will have multiple plates spinning behind-the-scenes.
Lange is known to operate in secrecy when it comes to his transfer planning, with Spurs showing a tendency to agree out-of-nowhere deals since the Dane took over from ex-managing director Fabio Paratici.
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025 |
Average match rating |
---|---|
Son Heung-min |
7.00 |
James Maddison |
6.98 |
Pedro Porro |
6.95 |
Dominic Solanke |
6.84 |
Dejan Kulusevski |
6.83 |
via WhoScored |
The Lilywhites’ move for Wilson Odobert last summer took everyone by surprise, while their botched deal for Morgan Gibbs-White accelerated in similar fashion with very few leaks to the press – until the transfer was very close to being done.
Unfortunately for Lange, he ended up missing out on Gibbs-White in what was a very bizarre transfer saga.
After losing club legend Son Heung-min to the MLS, and now James Maddison for the majority of the season, it is absolutely imperative that Tottenham’s technical director brings in a fresh, proven attacking alternative before the deadline on September 1.
Maddison will undergo surgery on an ACL rupture, Spurs confirmed today, with the 28-year-old set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Tottenham called Man City over Jack Grealish in the last few days, according to Fabrizio Romano, but face stiff competition from Everton, who have now opened formal talks over a loan deal for the 29-year-old.
Elsewhere, Liverpool sensation Harvey Elliott has been mooted as a potential target for Spurs after his exceptional Euro Under-21 Championships with England.
However, Bundesliga sides like RB Leipzig are offering Elliott the chance to further his development abroad, with sides across Europe now clamoring to reinforce their squad as we reach the final phase of this window.
Daniel Levy is dealing with a major headache when it comes to their pursuit of an attacker, and that botched deal for Gibbs-White is now looking all the more significant after Maddison’s injury.
According to Alasdair Gold, the most reliable Spurs source you could ask for, Levy and Lange have other items on their transfer agenda too – namely signing another new centre-back.
The club triggered Kevin Danso’s obligation to buy clause from RC Lens earlier this summer, and already boast the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin among their crop of central defensive options.
Dragusin was recently handed Sergio Reguilon’s number 3 jersey, whilst Romero’s links to Atlético Madrid have practically died after Diego Simeone sealed a deal for David Hancko – so none of the quartet appear likely to be going anywhere this summer.
Tottenham ready to meet asking price for Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi
Regardless, Spurs are apparently in the market for another central defender, and they’re still contenders for Bournemouth star Illia Zabarnyi.
According to French newspaper L’Équipe, as translated by Sport Witness, the Ukranian’s switch to PSG is advanced, but Luis Enrique’s side are currently haggling over a few million.
PSG made a recent written offer to the Cherries for Zabarnyi – £52m whilst covering FIFA’s solidarity payment.
Bournemouth are prepared to accept this bid, if PSG include a further £3m in bonuses, which the Ligue 1 giants are currently refusing to do.
This has handed Levy an opportunity to hijack the deal, with L’Équipe reporting that Tottenham are ready to meet Bournemouth’s demands for Zabarnyi ‘immediately’ and are ‘pushing’ to sign the 22-year-old.
Spurs were actually in the mix for his former Bournemouth teammate, Dean Huijsen, before he chose a move to Real Madrid (Fabrizio Romano).
Now, Frank could win the race for another Bournemouth defender instead, but they’ll first have to convince Zabarnyi himself, who’s been chasing a move to Paris for quite some time.