Tottenham Hotspur are reported to have been handed a lifeline in their pursuit of Portugal winger Francisco Trincao, despite the fact that the Sporting star appears to be on the brink of a switch to Saudi Arabia.
It emerged last week that Spurs had joined the chase for the 26-year-old, given Roberto De Zerbi’s desire to add more creativity to their forward line.
Indeed, Trincao scored 11 goals and added 15 assists across 50 appearances in all competitions for Sporting during the 2025/26 campaign, while Tottenham struggled in front of goal and only avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day.
The likes of Savinho, Rafael Leao, Cody Gakpo, Ferran Torres and Croatia World Cup star Martin Baturina continue to be heavily linked with a move to north London, while reports of a swoop for Trincao came a little out of the blue.
Those hopes appeared to fade pretty quickly, though, with reports over the last 24 hours stating that Sporting had agreed a deal with Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli for Trincao.
Indeed, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano even gave the switch the ‘here we go’. However, it’s being suggested that Spurs could yet beat Al Alhi to the signing of Trincao.
A new report from Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha has now confirmed that Al Ahli have agreed a package worth €45m (£38m) with Sporting for the versatile attacker.
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Trincao hesitation gives Tottenham signing hope
However, they also state that the former Wolves playmaker has yet to actually agree a move to the Middle East himself.
Indeed, it’s claimed that Trincao is holding out hope that he receives an offer to return to the Premier League, which remains his top preference.
That leaves the door ajar for Tottenham to hijack the attacker’s switch to Saudi Arabia, although they might also have to rival Manchester City for Trincao.
Correio da Manha adds that the big-spending north London club view the Sporting star as someone who can compete for a creative No.10 role as well as out wide, with the left flank a particular area of need for De Zerbi.
As for City‘s interest, that all stems from new boss Enzo Maresca’s admiration for Trincao, with the Sporting star tipped to fill the void left by Etihad legend Bernardo Silva’s exit this summer.
The report adds, however, that if Tottenham or City do decide to try and act on the player’s reluctance to head to the SPL, they will still have to pay Sporting’s full asking price of £38m to get their man.