Tottenham have emerged as surprise candidates to complete the signing of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea this summer.
Deals between the Lilywhites and the Blues are hugely uncommon, but Daniel Levy could be about to buck that trend to secure the Senegalese striker.
Tottenham have recently made an approach to sign Jackson, who would surely cost them a significant fee if they can convince their London rivals to do business with them.
The N17 outfit are undergoing a rebuild under Thomas Frank, and it looks as though the 24-year-old could become the next new face to join the ranks.
This article includes exclusive comment from former Tottenham scout Bryan King.
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Richarlison and Dominic Solanke face exit threat
There have been question marks about whether Chelsea would even consider selling Jackson to Spurs, such is the relationship between the two clubs.
However, that didn’t deter Levy and Co. from pursuing Mohammed Kudus at West Ham, and it doesn’t appear to have hindered their hopes of a deal here either.
Given the depth that the Lilywhites already have at the club, they may have to move on one of their current options if they are to make a serious offer for Jackson.
Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that both Richarlison and Solanke could find themselves under threat, as Levy tries to raise funds for the Chelsea star.
“Spurs spent vast sums of money on Richarlison and Solanke, and that hasn’t paid off so far,” King said.
“If you’re going to bring in somebody like Jackson, then one of those two has definitely got to go. You’ve got to move one on, and you’ve got to try and get decent money.
“Spurs have got to stop sitting on the fence. They’ve either got to say these two are good enough for the new season, or they’ve got to split them up and get one out of the door to bring a new man in.
“I think Jackson could certainly play up front with Solanke. It’s got to be this class of player, if Tottenham want to improve on what they did last season.”
Richarlison should be the fall guy for Tottenham
Richarlison has already been close to a Tottenham exit this summer, and it makes sense for him to be the sacrifice if one is needed to get Jackson in.
The Brazilian has been linked with a move to Palmeiras, but nothing ultimately materialised when they showed an interest earlier in the summer.
The former Everton and Watford man simply hasn’t lived up to his expectations in the three years since his move to North London, and it feels as though the time has come for him to move on.
Solanke has also been largely disappointing so far, but with the ex-Bournemouth striker just one year into his stint as a Tottenham player, there will surely be hope that he could yet come good.