Tottenham could look to capitalise on Marcus Rashford falling out of favour at Manchester United.
Rashford spent the second half of last season on loan with Aston Villa after Ruben Amorim made it clear that the 27-year-old was no longer in his plans at Old Trafford.
The Englishman showed flashes of regaining his top form, but financial issues have meant that Aston Villa have stalled talks over a permanent deal.
It has left the player in limbo, with Tottenham emerging as one of the clubs that could look to swoop in following a major wage reveal.
Rashford willing to take pay cut amid Tottenham transfer news
One potential stumbling block for Tottenham in their pursuit of Rashford is that Daniel Levy would not be willing to match the forward’s current wages, which are widely reported to be over £300,000-a-week.
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However, Rashford is willing to take a pay cut to greenlight a move away this summer, according to CaughtOffside (16 June).
Levy is unlikely to consider anything less than at least a 50 per cent decrease, as captain Son Heung-min is widely reported to be earning just below £200,000-a-week.
However, ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively with Tottenham News – is not convinced by Rashford, and has warned the Lilywhites against a move.
“This is another forward that Tottenham are linked with,” King said.
“They could end up having too many players in that area, and if I were one of those players, I’d be wanting to know if I’m going to be playing regularly next season.
“If Rashford is worth signing, why aren’t Villa doing everything they can to sign him. United don’t want him, there’s been talk about him going here, there and everywhere.
“He will need to accept a wage reduction, get himself fit, and get playing. However, this might be a player that Tottenham are better off avoiding.”
Rashford deal too risky for Tottenham
Missing out on a player of the calibre of Rashford could present Spurs with a classic ‘what if’ feeling should the United outcast regain his best form and go on to terrorise the Premier League elsewhere.
However, the probability of that happening is fairly slim, whereas the flip side is far more daunting to deal with.
Tottenham could dedicate a healthy portion of their transfer budget to a player who has been on a downswing, and should Thomas Frank fail to get the best out of him, could be left in the same position as United are now.
His arrival and stature could also hamper the growth of players like Mathys Tel, who was recently signed on a permanent deal in the same position, making avoiding the deal altogether a wiser option.