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Manchester City have made contact with the agents of Pedro Porro over a potential deal in the summer transfer window, according to a journalist, as Fabrizio Romano reveals whether Tottenham Hotspur will sell the defender.

TEAMtalk has long reported Man City’s interest in signing a new right-back in the summer transfer window.

Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis are the two recognised right-backs in the Man City squad at the moment.

Pedro Porro was on the books of Man City from 2019 until 2022, and it has emerged that the CItyzens want to add him to their squad for next season and beyond.

It has been reported that Man City have made contact with the agents of Porro, who did not make a single appearance for the Premier League club and was on loan at Real Valladolid and Sporting CP.

Atletico Madrid are also said to keen on the 26-year-old, with Tottenham valuing the Spain international right-back at £60million.

Journalist Gianluigi Longari wrote on X at 9:33pm on June 10: Pedro Porro could leave Tottenham. Among the clubs that have already made contact with his agents are Manchester City and Atletico Madrid. Tottenham values Porro at nearly 60M.”

DON’T MISS: Man City react to Elliot Anderson rejection as Fabrizio Romano teases Newcastle midfielder is next – ‘on shortlist’

Tottenham will NOT sell Pedro Porro

Earlier this month, Fabrizio Romano reported Real Madrid’s interest in Porro.

The transfer guru noted that Madrid were looking at a potential deal for Porro, with Los Blancos on the hunt for a right-back at the time.

Real Madrid have since struck a deal for Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, so there is no need for the Spanish and European giants to sign Porro, too, with Trent Alexander-Arnold also in the squad.

Alexander-Arnold, who is not part of the England squad for the 2026 World Cup finals, joined Madrid from Liverpool in the summer of 2025.

Romano, though, did note that Tottenham have no plans to sell Porro.

The Italian journalist reported that Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi views Porro as an important player in his team and wants the Spaniard to stay at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Romano said about Porro on his YouTube channel: “On this, let me mention to you that Real Madrid have started entering into the right-backs market.

“And here we have the link with Tottenham.

“Pedro Porro is one of the players appreciated by Real Madrid, but my understanding is that Tottenham, despite the rumours we had also Manchester City, Tottenham don’t want to sell the player.

“Tottenham want Pedro Porro to stay.

“Roberto De Zerbi sees Pedro Porro as one of the crucial pieces of his squad to restart the Tottenham project in the best way possible.

“So, at the moment, Tottenham are closing doors for Pedro Porro.”

Porro has established himself as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League.

The Spaniard has scored 13 goals and given 26 assists in 152 appearances for Tottenham.

The former Man City player is under contract at Spurs until the summer of 2028.

Mathys Tel’s future at Tottenham remains open, with sources telling TEAMtalk that a shock move to Premier League rivals Bournemouth is possible for the 21-year-old.

The French forward, who joined Spurs permanently from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2025 for an initial fee of around €35million (£30.2m / $40.5m), is frustrated with his limited role and is considering a move in search of regular first-team football.

Tel impressed during his initial loan spell in the second half of the 2024/25 season, contributing vital goals as Tottenham battled to avoid relegation.

However, despite flashes of brilliance this term– where he made 31 Premier League appearances and scored four times – the forward often found himself on the fringes.

With Spurs rebuilding and targeting reinforcements in attack, Tel is keen for a fresh challenge where he can develop his considerable potential.

Several clubs have already been linked with a summer approach, and sources have confirmed Bournemouth stand out as a concrete suitor, offering the prospect of regular starts on the south coast.

Abroad, Porto have emerged as one of the strongest contenders, with sources suggesting they could provide European football and a platform for the France Under-21 international to shine.

Lille and Eintracht Frankfurt are also monitoring the situation closely, drawn by Tel’s pace, technical ability, and versatility across the forward line.

READ NEXT – De Zerbi’s next THREE targets after Van Hecke, Savinho named as Tottenham signings are tipped to hit EIGHT

Clubs circling for Tel as Tottenham stance revealed

Broader interest in Tel from other English clubs and ambitious European sides has been noted by sources, though that interest is considered “light” at the moment.

Tottenham, now under Roberto De Zerbi, would prefer to retain the talented forward as part of their long-term project, with his contract running until 2031.

A loan with an option to buy or a straight sale in the £30-40million range has been discussed internally, but Spurs risk losing him for less than his true value further down the line if they cannot guarantee minutes.

At just 21, Tel remains a bright prospect.

Whether he stays to fight for his place in north London or seeks regular minuets elsewhere depends whether clubs can offer a package that Spurs are happy with.

Tottenham Hotspur avoided relegation from the Premier League and are now building towards what they hope will be a brighter future under Roberto De Zerbi.

Big changes have been brewing for Tottenham and their confirmation of top-flight status should allow them to unlock some more ambitious plans.

Here, we’re keeping track of every signing Spurs make this summer and every player leaving.

Tottenham signings

Andy Robertson

From: Liverpool

Fee: Free

Position: Left-back

Age: 32

After coming close to signing Robertson in January, Spurs stuck it out and have got their man on a free after his Liverpool contract expired.

De Zerbi, said: “Andy is someone I’ve admired for a number of years and he will bring outstanding technical qualities, experience, leadership and mentality to our team.

“He is a proven winner at the highest level over a long period and is someone who can be a big player for us, both on and off the pitch.

“I can’t wait to start working with him and seeing the positive impact he will have on everyone around him.”

Robertson will add some experience to the Spurs squad and provide competition for Destiny Udogie at left-back.

Tottenham exits

Yves Bissouma

To: TBC (Released)

Fee: Free

Position: Midfielder

Age: 29

After four years in north London, Bissouma has been released at the end of his contract.

Bissouma made 111 appearances in his Spurs career, but only 11 of those were in his final season.

What we’re expecting at Tottenham

Spurs are looking to quickly follow up the capture of Robertson with further reinforcements for their defence.

They have agreed a deal to sign Marcos Senesi as a free agent once his contract with Bournemouth expires and have also been bidding for Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

Elsewhere, attacking upgrades are a must, with Manchester City winger Savinho remaining a top target.

A new goalkeeper is also likely to be on the agenda. In fact, there aren’t many positions Spurs wouldn’t consider strengthening after the season they just had.

A decision must be made about the future of Joao Palhinha after his loan spell from Bayern Munich.

As for other exits, plenty of players could find themselves at risk of being shown the door due to sub-par seasons.

Tottenham have entered talks to sign a hulking centre-back Liverpool had lined up as their replacement for Ibrahima Konate, according to a report.

There’s mass change happening in both of Liverpool and Tottenham’s centre-back ranks right now. TheReds are waving goodbye to Konate who is joining Real Madrid via free agency. Jeremy Jacquet is arriving from Rennes, but another centre-back to directly replace Konate is on the agenda.

Spurs, meanwhile, have signed Marcos Senesi via free agency and have agreed personal terms with Jan Paul van Hecke.

A third bid which sources have informed TEAMtalk could approach £60m is now planned, and the expectation is Brighton will say yes.

But like Liverpool, Tottenham are losing players too, with Cristian Romero fully expected to depart, though not to Manchester United as some reports would have you believe. The likeliest outcome is Romero moves to a leading LaLiga side, namely Atletico Madrid.

And with Micky van de Ven’s future also up in the air – he’s admired by Liverpool and Real Madrid – another new centre-back could be a necessity, never mind a luxury.

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Tottenham enter talks to sign Liverpool target, Gleison Bremer

As such, the latest from Tuttosport brings news of Tottenham entering discussions to sign Gleison Bremer from Juventus.

This is pertinent news for Liverpool, with both Calciomercato and Gazzetta dello Sport recently claiming Bremer was a wanted man at Anfield.

However, it’s Spurs who have now entered talks with Juventus, per the report, and a deal should be easy to make given there’s a release clause in play.

Bremer, 29, can be signed for €58m / £50m via the clause which is active between July 1 – August 10. Complicating the issue slightly is the fact Bremer will be at the World Cup in north America for much of that time.

Nevertheless, it’s claimed Bremer ‘isn’t averse’ to a ‘change of scenery’, and Roberto De Zerbi is particularly keen on bringing Bremer to England having watched him up close and personal in Italy.

De Zerbi previously worked wonders at Sassuolo at a time when Bremer was on the books of Torino. It was his stellar spell at the Turin club that resulted in near neighbours Juventus making a move in 2022.

Bremer was named in the Serie A team of the season for three consecutive years between 2022-24.

Tottenham are also ‘advancing’ in club-to-club discussions with Manchester City for the £60m signing of Savinho.

Spurs want Joao Palhinha back on the books after a successful loan spell, but are renegotiating the transfer fee with Bayern Munich. Tottenham do not wish to pay full price, which is €30m / £26m via the option to buy.

Roberto De Zerbi is being backed to continue his rapidly-forming Tottenham Hotspur transfer revolution by sealing three more quickfire signings after a pundit exclusively revealed what target the Italian should aim for with Spurs next season.

The 47-year-old rode in to rescue Tottenham from what would have been potential relegation to the Championship when he took over the reins from Igor Tudor with just seven games remaining.

Collecting 11 points from the 21 available ultimately proved enough for Spurs as it was West Ham who suffered an unwanted return to the second tier.

However, with successive 17th-placed finishes behind them, Spurs know they need a dramatic improvement next season to help them move up the table and pull clear of another relegation dogfight.

And having hinted at multiple changes to his underperforming squad this summer, De Zerbi has set to work quickly with the likes of Marcos Senensi and Andy Robertson (free transfers from Bournemouth and Liverpool, respectively) already arriving, and with a move for Brighton stand-out Jan Paul van Hecke next in the works.

Beyond that, we understand that De Zerbi also wants to add a new goalkeeper to replace the departing Guglielmo Vicario – Manchester City’s James Trafford is a top target – while a move for his Etihad Stadium teammate, Savinho, is rapidly advancing.

Despite that, in an exclusive chat with TEAMtalk, former Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy believes De Zerbi could still look to add another centre-half, a solid central midfielder and another striker.

“I think a lot will depend on how he feels Kulusevski and Maddison are, because if those two are fully fit, fighting and rearing to go again, then that might save them some money in attacking areas,” Murphy said, in association with bet online at NetBet.

“That wouldn’t change the centre-forward problem because [Dominic] Solanke is never fit, so I think they’ll also go for a striker who can complement and challenge Solanke for that position.

“They’ve already got Senesi at centre-half and there’s talk of them trying to get van Hecke from Brighton as well, so it looks like they’re trying to improve their spine. I think they’ll need another striker and a centre-half, especially if Romero leaves and [Micky] van de Ven goes, which is certainly a possibility.”

DON’T MISS: Tottenham ‘advancing’ £60m signing, AGREE terms with Dutch int’l and ‘renegotiating’ third arrival

Murphy wants Spurs to add something new in midfield

Spurs are also expected to secure the permanent signing of Joao Palhinha after the Bayern Munich loanee played a pivotal role during the run-in, though Murphy feels they may need something a little bit different in their engine room.

“They’ve got a lot of midfielders actually, but they are all a bit similar,” he added. “I think they need a real standout holding midfielder who gives them more physicality and quality. If you look at Paulinha he’s great without the ball, but with the ball he’s a bit predictable.

“You also wouldn’t call [Conor] Gallagher particularly creative, he’s more of a presser, he’s physical and wins the ball back. You could put [Pape] Sarr and Archie Gray in that category too, they are more box-to-box players who aren’t particularly creative.

“[Rodrigo] Bentancur is the only one who’s got a bit more about him, but even he struggles with goals and assists. I think they need somebody in the middle of the pitch who has tremendous physicality, but who is also more technically gifted, but they are so hard to find.

“They need a better balance in the midfield, right now its dominated by players who work hard but just don’t have the ability to dictate a game.

“So, either that or they go for someone who is more of a technician, someone like [Martin] Zubimendi or [Alexis] Mac Allister, who aren’t powerhouses, but are technicians. However, I think Tottenham struggle with that, they’ve got no one to create anything in possession.

“It is all well and good getting a striker, and Maddison will also be a big bonus for them if they get him fit, but reinforcing that spine at Tottenham should be a priority.”

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De Zerbi must target top eight with Tottenham

After Manchester United followed up a 16th-placed finish by securing third, Murphy also wants Spurs to aim high next season under De Zerbi and sees no reason why they should not be targeting a top-half finish.

“Realistically, top eight should be really attainable, but I’d imagine he’d be thinking a bit above that though, maybe top six, as that would guarantee proper European football.

“I think Spurs’ capability and budget, if they spend well in the summer, should put them in that conversation. When you look at what Bournemouth, Brentford and Sunderland did this season, Tottenham should be in there, and I think they will.

“I think he [Roberto de Zerbi] is a terrific coach, he’s very high intensity and he demands a lot from his players, and because of the discontent around the last two seasons and the fans voicing that so clearly and for so long now, I would be absolutely amazed if Tottenham didn’t go really big this summer and try to change that squad around by bringing in at least five or six players and potentially up to eight.

“I sense a feel-good factor at Tottenham at the beginning of the season, I think they’ll get right behind the manager, and I think top eight or top six is a realistic target for them.”

MORE TOTTENHAM NEWS ON TEAMTALK

Man Utd want £60m Newcastle defender over Cristian Romero as sources shut down Tottenham transfer claims

£70m star ‘wants a transfer to Tottenham’ DESPITE ‘contact with Liverpool’

Tottenham Hotspur are primed to make a move for Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford, as their busy summer of recruitment continues, although they will likely have to beat out three Premier League rivals for the England star’s signature.

The 23-year-old, who impressed during his spell at Burnley and has developed strongly within the current Three Lions set-up, is viewed as a reliable long-term option between the posts.

Sources indicate that should Inter Milan and Juventus Guglielmo Vicario depart north London, Roberto De Zerbi is keen to add Trafford to his squad, seeing the England international as an ideal fit for his possession-based style.

Trafford would likely leapfrog Antonin Kinsky for the No.1 spot at Tottenham, despite the Czech stopper’s incredible redemption arc this past season.

Having endured the embarrassment of being hauled off by Igor Tudor after just 17 minutes, following his horror show at Atletico Madrid, Kinsky returned to the side after Vicario was sidelined to have hernia surgery.

The 23-year-old went on to produce some stunning stops that went a long way to preserving Premier League football in north London, with De Zerbi sticking with Kinsky even when Vicario was available again.

DON’T MISS: £70m star ‘wants a transfer to Tottenham’ DESPITE ‘contact with Liverpool’

Three more suitors in Trafford contention

As for Trafford, though, Aston Villa also remain firmly in contention for the goalkeeper’s signature.

With uncertainty surrounding Emiliano Martínez, who is the subject of a move to Juventus, Trafford has emerged as a strong candidate to replace the Argentine should that deal materialise.

Indeed, Villa’s ambitious project under Unai Emery makes them an attractive destination for the young shot-stopper.

Newcastle United harbour long-standing interest in Trafford and would consider a move only if they offload one of their current goalkeepers.

The Magpies came close to signing him previously, and sources state he would remain very keen on a transfer to St James’ Park, where the prospect of regular first-team football and European competition would appeal greatly.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have Trafford listed among their targets as they search for a new number one ahead of another season in the Premier League.

However, despite their interest, the Yorkshire club are yet to make any serious attempts to prise him away from the Etihad Stadium – as our sources have indicated.

Trafford’s contract at Manchester City runs until 2029, and they are expected to demand a substantial fee in excess of £40m for the highly-rated prospect, having paid £30m to bring him back to The Etihad in 2025.

With several top-flight clubs circling, a summer departure looks increasingly possible if the right opportunity arises.

Sources have confirmed, that as we have previously reported, Trafford has been told he is sellable this summer and the club will consider offers.

It just remains to be seen where the Tottenham target now ends up this summer.

Jan Paul van Hecke wants to join Tottenham Hotspur and play under manager Roberto De Zerbi, despite Liverpool trying to convince him to move to Anfield, according to a report, as TEAMtalk reveals how much Brighton and Hove Albion want for the defender.

On June 8, our transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, reported that Tottenham are determined to sign Van Hecke from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer transfer window.

Sources have told us that Tottenham have been in ‘active discussions ‘with Brighton over the Netherlands international.

Tottenham are willing to pay £50million for Van Hecke, who is under contract at Brighton until the summer of 2027.

We understand that Tottenham have agreed on personal terms with Van Hecke, with Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi playing a key role.

De Zerbi worked with Van Hecke at Brighton, and the two have already held discussions.

Sources have told us that Tottenham are now Van Hecke’s ‘first choice’, with VI reporting that the defender has decided to snub even Liverpool.

According to the Dutch news outlet, ‘Van Hecke has made up his mind and wants a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur’.

The defender ‘wants to make the move to Tottenham Hotspur soon’.

The report has noted: ‘Over the past few months, many Premier League clubs showed interest in Van Hecke.

‘Brighton’s absolute star player was in contact with Liverpool and was being monitored by Chelsea and Newcastle United.

‘However, Tottenham Hotspur pushed ahead in recent weeks.’

VI has reported that ‘Van Hecke now only wants to go to Tottenham’.

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Tottenham want £70m for Jan Paul van Hecke – sources

Our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has reported that Tottenham’s second bid of £50m for Van Hecke will fail.

We understand that Tottenham are planning to make another offer close to £60m for the 26-year-old and a packaged deal up to that amount could well do the trick, though sources have told us that Brighton value the Netherlands international at nearer the £70million.

However, with only a year left on his deal, Brighton know they can only push the boundaries so far and a compromise agreement to see De Zerbi reunite with the star is expected to soon be agreed.

Manchester United sources have moved to shut down speculation linking them with Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero, with sources confirming the club are not actively pursuing the Argentine centre-back, despite recent reports.

Reports overnight emanating in Argentina claimed the Red Devils were poised to take advantage of the uncertainty around Romero‘s future in north London by ‘preparing a move’ to bring the World Cup winner to Old Trafford.

But far from targeting a new central defender at this stage, Manchester United’s recruitment focus has shifted elsewhere as they look to strengthen key areas of the squad ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Instead, priorities lie firmly with bolstering the left-back position and, as extremely well documented, adding depth and quality in central midfield to Michael Carrick’s ranks.

The club are showing strong interest in Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall, who has impressed in recent seasons.

Hall is understood to be keen on a move to Old Trafford, viewing it as a significant step in his development and the chance to play in the Champions League again, having done so this season with Newcastle, greatly appeals.

United have already made positive overtures towards the player, though a deal will be far from easy with Newcastle under no pressure to sell following the sale of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona in a £69m (€80m) deal earlier this summer.

In midfield, United have made fresh contact with West Ham United regarding their interest in Mateus Fernandes. The approach signals continued efforts to add technical quality and dynamism to the engine room, an area Michael Carrick is eager to upgrade as he shapes his squad.

Latest reports suggest the Red Devils have a sizeable advantage over Paris Saint-Germain in the battle to sign the Portuguese star.

Spurs star Romero is NOT a priority for Man Utd

This strategic pivot comes amid what is expected to be an extremely busy transfer window for the Red Devils.

While further defensive additions are something that may be looked at later in the window, the club’s hierarchy appears confident in their current central defensive options and is instead directing resources towards positions that are in need of fresh energy.

In addition to a new left-back and at least two, potentially three, new midfielders, the club would also like a new striker to cover and compete with Benjamin Sesko.

Sources revealed on Monday that the club had scouted a young Italy striker and watched him score twice over two recent internationals.

United also want a new goalkeeper to provide cover for Senne Lammens, and it emerged on Tuesday morning that a Leeds man was one of two names being considered by Jason Wilcox and Co.

As such, it was always unlikely United would move for Romero or any other central defender at this time as they try to bring in multiple players in key areas first.

As the summer market heats up, United’s measured approach reflects a desire for targeted, high-value additions rather than headline-grabbing signings, something the INEOS ownership want to avoid as it didn’t help previously.

With pre-season preparations looming, fans will be watching closely to see how these priorities translate into concrete deals in the coming weeks.

Tottenham are making significant progress in their quests to complete THREE MORE signings after Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, according to multiple reports.

Tottenham have officially confirmed Robertson and Senesi have joined via free agency. The defensive duo will add steel and bite to a fragile backline, and both bring bags of experience too.

Elsewhere, Tottenham are renegotiating the terms of their agreement to sign Joao Palhinha outright from Bayern Munich.

Spurs do want to bring the Portuguese loanee back on board, but are reluctant to pay full price, which is €30m / £26m by way of an option to buy.

Instead, Tottenham hope to find common ground on a reduced fee with the Bundesliga champions.

Palhinha is also a wanted man at Sporting CP, but for now, he’s prioritising signing for Tottenham outright.

Tottenham agree Van Hecke terms

Another centre-back is on the agenda amid continued speculation surrounding the future of Cristian Romero, with Manchester United now linked by a very credble source.

Roberto De Zerbi is desperate to reunite with Jan Paul van Hecke who he managed at Brighton.

Accordingly, Spurs have quickly agreed personal terms with the 26-year-old Netherlands international.

Tottenham have seen two bids knocked back, with the first worth roughly £40m and the second raised to £50m.

However, both Ben Jacobs and our own Fraser Fletcher have verified a third bid which Spurs believe will get the green light from Brighton has been approved. Sources indicate the incoming bid could reach as high as £60m.

Van Hecke only has a year left on his deal at Brighton, which makes paying those types of sums all the more surprising.

Nevertheless, you cannot fault Tottenham for going out and getting the player De Zerbi wants, even if they are overpaying.

Want more breaking news and transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Savinho to Spurs for £60m ‘advancing’

There’s an even bigger signing on the way, with Spurs now ‘advancing’ in club-to-club talks with Manchester City for Savinho.

The Brazilian winger, 22, is open to joining Spurs, just as he was last year when Tottenham tabled two offers for the left-footer.

The difference this time around is Man City have approved Savinho’s sale. And given he’s coming off the back of a season in which he didn’t feature all that regularly, the asking price has fallen.

After demanding around £70m-£80m last summer, the Daily Mail state Tottenham are now accelerating a deal with Man City worth roughly £60m.

Manchester United are readying a surprise move on Tottenham Hotspur to sign Cristian Romero this summer, according to a respected Argentine journalist, with Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi already planning for his exit and having green-lighted the signing of a £50m replacement.

After successive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur know that major changes are needed this summer to help pull the club away from the lower reaches of the table and back to challenging for European places, where they evidently feel they belong.

With De Zerbi now trusted with turning their fortunes around, this summer is expected to see wholesale changes made to the Spurs squad right across the park, and with some tough transfer decisions needed to be made.

One of those highly expected to leave is divisive club captain Romero, whose ability is not in question but whose attitude sometimes is.

And with the World Cup winner strongly expected to depart this summer – sources have told TEAMtalk that Atletico Madrid are leading the chase for the 28-year-old, with intermediaries working hard behind the scenes to facilitate the transfer.

However, respected journalist Gaston Edul, who boasts 1.2m followers on X, has revealed that Man Utd are attempting to get their next deal over the line with a move in the pipeline for Romero.

He wrote on X: ‘Manchester United wants to buy Cuti Romero and is preparing an offer.’

While Edul does not say how much Manchester United are prepared to spend, sources have revealed that Spurs have placed a £60m (€70m, $80m) valuation on their captain to allow him to move on this summer.

We also understand that United would ideally like to sign another experienced central defender this summer, though their priorities are midfield reinforcements, a left-back and a new striker.

Furthermore, it seems De Zerbi is already planning for life after the Argentine, having green-lit a second centre-half signing worth £50m to go alongside his earlier capture of Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth…

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Tottenham agree £50m deal for Jan Paul van Hecke

As a like-for-like, Tottenham have certainly pulled off a smart piece of business by landing Senesi from Bournemouth on a free. While not as uncompromising a defender as Romero, the departing Cherries star is a brilliant ball-playing defender and was responsible for more forward passes and the building of attacks than many of his peers this season.

Beyond that, Spurs are also closing on the signing of Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton after sources confirmed the star has now agreed personal terms over a move to north London.

On Sunday, Brighton, via CEO Paul Barber, officially confirmed they’ve rejected two Tottenham bids.

The first was understood to be worth around £40m. The second was elevated to roughly £50m with bonuses, and both were knocked back.

Those sums are staggering, not least because Dutch international Van Hecke only has one year remaining on his contract and thus can be signed for nothing a year from now.

Nevertheless, De Zerbi in particular is keen to immediately reunite with Van Hecke, who he managed during his time with the Seagulls.

Now a full agreement over a deal is understood to be close, with a third offer, which still comprises £50m but with a greater portion paid up front, likely to be accepted by the Seagulls.

Spurs will hope to wrap up the transfer in due course and could look to seal a full agreement before his involvement in the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign gets underway on Sunday.

The north London side could look to reinvest money received for Romero by advancing in club-to-club talks with Manchester City for Savinho.

The Brazilian is projected to cost a fee in the £50m-£60m range and is ready to say yes to Spurs once again, just as he did last summer before City blocked the move.