A French club have reportedly reignited their interest in signing a Tottenham stalwart after they were unable to sign him in the summer as he was given a new deal.
Spurs have lost some of their longest-serving players in recent years. The trio of Son Heung-min, Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane all played over 400 Tottenham games prior to their exits, while Eric Dier played 365 times.
Son was the last of those to leave, which left Ben Davies as the player with the most appearances still playing at Tottenham.
The defender has been at Spurs for almost 11 and a half years, with only five Premier League players having served their clubs longer. Davies was due to be out of contract in the summer, but was given an extension.
Reports suggest that Nice were interested in him, and L’Equipe reports the Ligue 1 club have ‘considered the signing’ of Davies again, as his current deal is up in the summer and he has hardly been playing this term.
Indeed, they are exploring the possibility of landing the Welshman to fill gaps in their defence, presumably on a free transfer when his current deal ends.
However, the report states a deal is ‘far from straightforward’ given the wage Davies earns, and the fact it’s said he wants a long-term contract.
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While he is 32, the Tottenham man seemingly feels he can continue to play for a while yet. He has only played twice this season, and hasn’t featured in more than 17 Premier League games in any of the last three seasons, he recently brought up his 100th Wales cap, after a string of 14 games in a row.
What wage Nice would be able to offer Davies isn’t clear. However, he is currently reported to earn £80,000 per week at Spurs, a figure which only two Nice players earn above.
That Davies could finally leave Spurs in the summer is a definitive possibility, as the defender suggested when his contract was ending last season that he was ready to move on.
Whether it is Nice who lands him, or another club, remains to be seen.