Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly turned their attentions towards signing a sublime attacking talent, labelled a ‘magician’ by one top scout, as they look to bounce back from the crushing disappointment of missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White.
Spurs were left a little red-faced after seemingly agreeing a deal to sign the Nottingham Forest skipper, only for the 25-year-old to ultimately do a U-turn over a switch to north London in favour of penning a record-breaking new contract at The City Ground.
That has already led Tottenham to refocus their search for a new No.10, with the likes of Chelsea target Xavi Simons, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo all listed as major options for Thomas Frank.
The need for a new attacking midfielder remains a surprise, given that Frank already has James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and new signing Mohammed Kudus who can all feature in that role.
However, that has not stopped speculation over who Spurs could turn to after the Gibbs-White episode, with TBR Football stating that Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss has now emerged as a significant target.
El Khannouss, who has been described as a ‘magician’ by scout Jacek Kulig, enjoyed a fine maiden season in the Premier League with Leicester City and was one of the standout performers for the Foxes despite their relegation back to the Championship.
Those performances have seen him attract the attention of several clubs, with unconfirmed rumours suggesting that Leeds United are also considering a move for the talented 21-year-old.
TBR Football claims that El Khannouss could be available for around £25m (€29m / $33m), while it’s also been rumoured that the Morocco international actually has a £22.5m relegation release clause in his contract.
Dealing with another release clause is probably the last thing Daniel Levy wants to do right now, although either of those figures mentioned above is easily achievable for a Tottenham side that still have a healthy budget to add to their squad this summer.
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Where El Khannouss fits in at Tottenham
While Tottenham could also face competition from the likes of Newcastle and Crystal Palace for the Leicester star, he would be a potentially valuable asset to Frank.
The large majority of his appearances for the Foxes last season came in an attacking midfield role, but he is also more than capable of playing out wide on the left.
Spurs are looking to bring in another left-sided attacker, with club legend Son Heung-min continually being linked with a switch to MLS side LAFC, and El Khannouss could certainly slot in there.
The former Genk starlet scored three goals and provided six assists for a Leicester side who failed to cope with the huge leap in quality on their return to the top flight, although El Khannouss did not look out of place on the Premier League stage.
As well as being described as a ‘magician’ by Jacek Kulig, El Khannouss has also been hailed as a ‘highly technical and creative attacking midfielder known for his playmaking abilities and dribbling skills’.
The Moroccan also ‘dictates the tempo of a game and is ‘adept at finding space between the lines’, while also being known for his ‘composure in the final third’ and ‘ability to pick out incisive passes’.
Adding El Khannouss to Tottenham’s midfield would potentially give Frank a creative presence that was at times missing under Ange Postecoglou last season.
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