Tottenham are heading towards a busy final 36 hours of the summer transfer window as they look to get a couple of new faces in and move a number out
Tottenham's carefully planned and so far very successful summer transfer window is set to descend into a frantic finale as they look to get Roberto De Zerbi's squad into the best possible shape for the season ahead.
The big deal Spurs are trying to get over the line is bringing Everton's Iliman Ndiaye through the door before others can pounce with the Senegal international able to play on the right wing, occasionally on the left, and also through the middle as a number 10, which will further boost De Zerbi's attacking options after the arrival of Omar Marmoush and Savio, along with the return to action of Mohammed Kudus.
One of Spurs' main attacking targets, Cody Gakpo, appears to be on his way to Manchester City, which has left the path open for another player De Zerbi likes in the 26-year-old Frenchman.
However, the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea among others are said to be admirers of the attacker so Tottenham will be looking to push through any deal quickly to get him to Hotspur Way for his medical.
football.london understands that Spurs and Everton remain locked in talks over a deal for Ndiaye with the north London club trying to finalise an agreement and for the player to get the green light to undergo that medical.
Ndiaye was not registered by Everton as a homegrown player, however despite being born in France and representing Senegal internationally, he does fall within the Premier League rules to be homegrown which will be a huge help to Spurs with their squad list issues.
The rules state that "A Home Grown Player means a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)".
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Ndiaye came to England as a teenager and signed a professional deal with Boreham Wood as a 17-year-old before joining Sheffield United two years later. He left for Marseille in 2023 when he was 23 and the following year De Zerbi had just recently been appointed when the player was sold by the French side to Everton.
Any Spurs deal for Ndiaye is understood to be separate to a move for Richarlison who De Zerbi told football.london wants to leave the club along with Pape Matar Sarr and Kevin Danso.
"Richarlison, I don't know. He said too many times he wants to leave. Danso came to me two days ago and he said wants to leave and Pape Sarr, the same but he suffered a small injury but he is almost ready to train," the Italian said.
"I love these players, they are great guys, I have very good relationships, but if they want to leave, they have to bring the solution, the economic solution, to the club, and they can go, and we find other players."
Whether Richarlison ends up at Everton remains to be seen at this point with some initial suggestions of reluctance on his part despite his love for his old club. football.london understands that Spurs and Everton remain in talks over the Brazil international. Clubs in the Saudi Pro League and Brazilian side Flamengo have previously shown interest in the striker.
The Brazilian took to social media on Sunday with the message: "I am the villain in many stories that are poorly told."
De Zerbi said this summer that the Brazil international has changed his mind constantly over whether he wants to leave the club and left him out of his matchday squad for Saturday's defeat to Newcastle and did not use him off the bench in the Carabao Cup win against Charlton.
Sarr is on his way to Juventus on loan with an obligation for the Serie side to buy him, thought to be around £25.7m package in all, five years after Tottenham signed him from Metz, albeit with an initial loan back for a season.
Danso has had interest from Sunderland and Aston Villa among others, with a loan move from the former said to be rejected last week. His departure would require Tottenham to bring in a replacement, with Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo a homegrown defender the north London club have looked at over the years and could return to as a potential back-up.
As Danso is their only right-footed senior centre-back to compete with Jan Paul van Hecke, Tottenham need to bring in someone if they are to let the Austria international go. Summer arrival Marcos Senesi and Ben Davies are both left-footers to give captain Micky van de Ven something to think about.
Kota Takai is a right-sided centre-back but the 21-year-old Japan international is not ready yet and is set to head out on loan to Belgian side Sint-Truidense V.V (STVV) for the season. The Jupiler Pro League side have Japanese owners and a history of Japanese players coming through the club.
Spurs also have talented academy centre-backs Malachi Hardy, 18, and Jun'ai Byfield, 17, coming through the ranks.
There is plenty of interest in Archie Gray but if Tottenham were to allow the 20-year-old to depart for a season spent in his favoured role as a midfielder, then they would have to sign a right-back to replace Djed Spence, who left for Inter this summer. Gray is not keen on playing as a right-back and would rather develop as a central midfielder, as De Zerbi has also confirmed, but the versatile former Leeds man can cover the role and get minutes that way. De Zerbi said he was not planning to sign another right-back but the coming 36 hours might test that.
On the other flank, Brazilian Souza is heading to Porto on loan for the season to increase his experience of European football.
If Ndiaye were to be registered as a homegrown player then, with Sarr, Richarlison and Takai's departure there would be space for Tottenham to sign a foreign centre-back or right-back. De Zerbi could feasibly leave out Xavi Simons of the squad until January with his ACL injury but that would rule out any chance of the young Dutchman, one of the Italian's key players, getting back before then.
Spurs would be losing a homegrown player in Danso as well as Dane Scarlett, who has a year left on his contract with no option to extend it. football.london understands that various options are being looked at for the 22-year-old striker in the coming 36 hours.
Another homegrown player, albeit one on the U21s list, Mikey Moore, is heading to Germany with a medical scheduled with Koln on Monday afternoon ahead of a straight season-long loan without any option to buy the talented attacker.
Tottenham's U21s match against Birmingham City on Monday afternoon at Stevenage is expected to have plenty of scouts in attendance looking for late loan deals.
Tyrese Hall has interest from clubs in the Championship and League One as well as the Scottish Premiership. Callum Olusesi has plenty of interest with Italian side Fiorentina among those who have considered a move for the midfielder, with former Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici at the Serie A club.
The versatile Tye Hall impressed De Zerbi during the summer with his work among the first team and at this point is expected to remain at the club, while Mansfield Town have held talks to try to take George Abbott again after the 21-year-old's loan there last season was cut short by injury, which he is now back on the grass after.
Centre-back Alfie Dorrington has found himself outside the first team reckoning this summer and Spurs will be looking for a move for the 21-year-old, who made his Premier League debut for the club in 2024, in the coming 36 hours. Another defender, 20-year-old James Rowswell, made his Premier League debut last season at Anfield and could head out on loan.
More youngsters could depart from the academy in order to further their experience and there is still plenty to be done at Tottenham at first team level before the transfer window closes at 11pm on Tuesday evening.