Arsenal have hijacked Tottenham‘s move for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, leaving Thomas Frank’s side in need of another player.
For the past week, Spurs have been the frontrunners to sign the 27-year-old and until yesterday, everything pointed towards Eze joining Tottenham.
However, following an injury to Kai Havertz, Arsenal have swooped in and have agreed personal terms with the England international.
With Tottenham’s move now dead in the water, we’ve identified five alternatives that they should target.
Xavi Simons
If Arsenal can hijack transfers, then so can Tottenham.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with Simons all summer and have been in discussions with RB Leipzig, although as of writing, no agreement has been made.
It’s thought that before committing to signing Simons, Chelsea are trying to offload some of their own players in order to balance the books.
The 22-year-old is keen to join Chelsea, but until a deal is struck with RB Leipzig, he won’t be able to make the move.
With Chelsea taking their time over the transfer, Tottenham could attempt to hijack the deal themselves.
Simons is just the sort of player that Frank is after and, like Eze, is capable of playing in a number of different roles.
It seems like a long shot, but it’s a deal worth considering from a Tottenham perspective.
Mikkel Damsgaard
Frank is already familiar with Damsgaard and for that reason, a move for the Brentford playmaker cannot be ruled out.
The 25-year-old created 63 chances in the Premier League last season, the seventh most of any player in the league.
Of those 63 key passes, 10 of them were converted into assists, making Damsgaard statistically one of the most creative players in England.
Given the other players that Brentford have lost this summer, they’d likely drive a hard bargain when contemplating Damsgaard’s sale.
The Bees are also in a strong position to negotiate his price tag, given he’s under contract until 2030 with the option of an extra year.
Nonetheless, we think he’d be a great option for Spurs.
Nico Paz
Tottenham have also been linked with Como’s Paz, although Sky Sports have reported that this would be a ‘difficult deal’ to pull off.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder impressed in Serie A last season, producing six goals and eight assists in 35 appearances.
It’s worth noting that Real Madrid do have the option to re-sign him for just €9million next summer, leading to speculation that he could return to Spain in 2026.
“You never know what the future holds,” Paz told reporters when asked about his future.
“I’m focused on Como, which is where I belong. I am very happy and excited. I have no idea what the future holds for me, I don’t even know what I’ll do tomorrow.”
Justin Kluivert
Spurs were keeping tabs on Kluivert earlier in the window and could resurface their interest after missing out on Eze.
The 26-year-old created 45 chances in the Premier League last season and produced an impressive 18 goal contributions for Bournemouth.
He’s still under contract until 2028, so wouldn’t come cheap, but he’s definitely an option worth exploring.
Maghnes Akliouche
Akliouche has been steadily improving year upon year and it’s no secret that Tottenham are interested.
The 23-year-old produced 19 goal contributions across all competitions for Monaco last season, predominantly playing on the right-hand side.
However, Spurs aren’t alone in their interest as PSG and Manchester City have also been linked with the Monaco star in recent weeks.
Reportedly valued at £60million, a bidding war could take place in next couple of weeks.
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