A player who Tottenham Hotspur sold last summer is now the subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, with one former Spurs academy coach particularly keen on signing the defender.
Over the last decade, only a handful of players have graduated through the Tottenham Hotspur academy to become key fixtures in the first team.
Japhet Tanganga was one of those, but injuries prevented him from having a sustained run in the side, with the youngster managing just 50 appearances for Spurs across four years before sealing a permanent move to Millwall last summer.
The 26-year-old has had an exceptional 2024-25 campaign, being voted the Lions’ player of the year, and it has been suggested that he could now return to the Premier League this summer.
Earlier this week, Football Insider claimed that Tanganga has a release clause of just £1.2m in his Millwall contract, with the clause applicable only for top-flight sides.
Three Premier League sides keen on signing former Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga
GiveMeSport back up the existence of such a clause and they say it is worth just under £2m, which makes him an attractive target for a few sides.
The outlet alleges that all three newly promoted clubs, Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland, have shown an interest in Tanganga ahead of their return to the Premier League.
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All three clubs are looking to bolster their defensive options and they see the former Spurs man as an ‘affordable option’.
The fact that he has top-flight experience and is homegrown adds to the appeal, as does his versatility, with the Englishman able to feature at centre-back or right-back.
Scott Parker is particularly keen on signing Tanganga
GiveMeSport say that out of the three newly promoted clubs, Burnley are particularly keen on securing the services of the Spurs academy graduate.
Scott Parker is a long-term admirer of Tanganga, having worked with him during his time as an academy coach at Hotspur Way.
The Burnley boss sees the defender as a ‘perfect fit’ for his system, given that he has demonstrated an ability to play in a back three as well as a back four.
As things stand, there is no clear frontrunner in the race for Tanganga, but all three clubs are now considering formal approaches.