Premier League rivals Bournemouth are attempting to do everything they can to deter Tottenham from signing Eli Junior Kroupi this summer, according to reports.
Tottenham narrowly missed out on relegation to the Championship last season as Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor were both sacked in a disastrous campaign for the club.
It took a 1-0 win over Everton on the final day of the season to give them a two-point cushion over London rivals West Ham, who were relegated to the Championship.
Tottenham’s owners are now determined to avoid a similar scenario next season with ENIC already bringing in six new faces this summer.
Andry Robertson, Martin Dubravka and Marcos Senesi all arrived on free transfers, while they spent £237m on the signings of Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Tottenham are now looking to improve their attack with Manchester City’s Savinho and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo understood to be two of their top targets for the wide positions, while Bournemouth’s Kroupi is their pick of the forwards.
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But Spurs will not have it easy as they look to get a deal for Kroupi – who is valued at £85m by Bournemouth – over the line with the Cherries set to do everything in their power to stop a transfer.
Journalist Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider: “Kroupi is somebody that they’re (Spurs) definitely interested in, whether they can pull it off or not, it’s going to be very difficult, there’s no doubt about that.
“Bournemouth are doing everything they can to keep hold of the player. They’ve put a huge price tag on his head as well.”
Orgullo Biri has revealed that Tottenham are one of the clubs attempting to hijack a deal for Sevilla striker Rubén Vargas with the La Liga side setting an asking price of €15m (£13m) for the Switzerland international.
The report adds: ‘West Ham has been the most persistent club in recent hours, considering submitting a formal offer to bring the two sides closer. However, Tottenham and Brighton continue to monitor the market and could intervene if negotiations progress towards figures closer to the player’s market value.’
Waddle impressed by Tottenham business this summer
Former Tottenham winger Chris Waddle is pleased to see Spurs signing some proven Premier League talent to improve their squad ahead of next season.
On whether he has been impressed by the spending at Tottenham so far this summer, Waddle told 10bet: “Yeah, it’s nice to see them competing in the market and buying proven players who are still at a good age where they hold resale value—which we know is Tottenham’s policy. They’re buying players who are already proven in the Premier League and have done well for their respective clubs.
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“It’s not like when they bought Lucas Bergvall or Archie Gray, where you weren’t completely sure because they were young or inexperienced and might take two or three years to settle. These current signings have played in the league, they know what it’s about, and they’ve held their own quite comfortably.
“That’s what Tottenham have been lacking: players with genuine Premier League experience. Having players who know what to expect every week when they’re playing Liverpool, Manchester United, or Arsenal can only do them good. Buying proven top-flight talent is definitely the way forward for them.”
When asked if they should aim for European qualification next season, Waddle added: “Yeah, I don’t see why not. They’ve got a very good manager who plays Tottenham-style football—he wants to play on the front foot and loves to entertain.
“I’m sure there will be two or three players going out the door when the World Cup is finished, but he’s heading in the right direction. He’s buying players who can handle the Premier League week in, week out. There’s no reason why they can’t get themselves back into that top six.”