Tottenham Hotspur’s ambitious summer rebuild shows no signs of abating after a respected journalist revealed Roberto De Zerbi’s side had opened talks with Como over a deal for Martin Baturina as part of an outstanding triple midfield overhaul.
While Spurs may have avoided Premier League safety by a narrow margin last season, the north London side are determined to do all in their power to avoid a repeat and are looking to build a side under De Zerbi that is much more capable of challenging for the European places than fighting to avoid the drop.
A busy summer has already seen Tottenham add Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson (all free transfers) as well as Jan Paul van Hecke (£52m) to their rearguard, while focus is swiftly turning to midfield recruits.
Indeed, while Spurs are already deep in discussions with the agent of Mateus Fernandes and have shown a willingness to meet both his financial demands as well as West Ham’s £80m asking price, they are also locked in talks with Newcastle over a move to bring Italy star Sandro Tonali to N17.
Indeed, it was reported on Monday evening that Spurs had now struck an agreement with the player over a bumper six-year contract and were also now close to agreeing a fee with Newcastle, potentially worth as much as £90m.
In addition to that, one of Fabrizio Romano’s collaborators, Matteo Moretto, claims Spurs have also now made contact with Como to ask for information over a deal to sign Croatian playmaker Baturina.
Per Moretto, speaking on Romano’s YouTube channel, the Como star, like his teammate Nico Paz, is attracting widespread interest across Europe after a stellar season in Serie A under the guidance of Cesc Fabregas.
He claims that Baturina – who has also caught the eye at the World Cup finals with an excellent goal against England – has been the subject of enquiries from both Spurs and Aston Villa this summer as they look to find out exactly what a deal would cost.
However, a deal looks tough for either Premier League side to pull off, in the wake of both Como’s response, their valuation and the level of top European interest that is now emerging in the 23-year-old playmaker…
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Tottenham face tough task in landing Martin Baturina
Having qualified for the Champions League, Moretto has confirmed that Como have no desire to cash in on either Baturina or Paz, the latter of whom has returned to the club from Real Madrid after a complicated buy-back clause that saw the Spanish giants secure a major profit.
Indeed, it’s claimed that Fabregas’ side are heavily counting on both players and hope to dissuade Baturina’s admirers by placing a prohibitive €80m (£69m) price on his head.
Furthermore, with interest having also emerged from Bayern Munich, which could also threaten Tottenham’s chances, competition is certain to be tough if there are any signs that suggest Como could be willing to cash in.
That said, the Germans’ recent agreement to sign Ismael Saibari would suggest any plans they may have had for Baturina will now be put on hold.
Either way, speculation that De Zeri is keen to bring in Baturina could have serious repercussions for James Maddison, who missed close to a year with an ACL injury.
While he made his comeback towards the back end of the season with a series of cameo roles, his place would come under serious threat were a deal for Baturina to be finalised.
Should Spurs manage to land all of Baturina, Tonali and Fernandes – though it is worth stressing that the latter is still favoured to move to Manchester United instead – then deals for all three would set Spurs back a massive £239m (€278m, $316m), a big sign of the ambitions at Spurs and their desire to ensure they pull clear of that dreaded 17th place.