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Tottenham get authorisation to complete Barcelona transfer that's causing rift between manager and sporting director

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Tottenham have received the go-ahead to seal a transfer with Barcelona, though while the move has been approved by Barca manager Hansi Flick, sporting director Deco wants a different deal, according to reports.

Tottenham have slowly but surely overseen a fantastic summer transfer window that has addressed multiple different departments in their squad.

Archie Gray is one of English football’s brightest young stars and cam play in central midfield or at right-back.

Fresh off scoring 19 Premier League goals last season, Dominic Solanke joined Spurs in a club-record £65m switch from Bournemouth. That moves allows Ange Postecoglou to revert Son Heung-min to his favoured left wing role.

Tottenham have also boosted their options out wide through the capture of 19-year-old French winger, Wilson Odobert, from Burnley. Timo Werner has also returned for a second loan spell.

A series of long-awaited exits have also been sealed, with Emerson Royal (AC Milan), Joe Rodon (Leeds United) and Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar) leaving in permanent transfers.

Flop signing Tanguy Ndombele was released, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Marseille), Bryan Gil (Girona) and Alejo Veliz (Espanyol) left via the loan route.

Oliver Skipp will be next to depart upon completing a permanent switch to Leicester worth an initial £20m. According to several reports, forgotten left-back Sergio Reguilon could quickly follow.

Postecoglou has no use for Reguilon

Sky Sports reported 10 days ago that Barcelona had made initial enquiries into signing the 27-year-old.

Tottenham are willing to part ways with Reguilon who spent last season loaned to Manchester United and then Brentford. Reguilon is in the final year of his deal and as such, the pressure is on to find a buyer.

Sky reported: ‘Barcelona have been making enquiries about Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon.

‘They are understood to be exploring the conditions of a potential deal, with just a year left on his Spurs contract.

‘Spurs are open to selling Reguilon. He has not been part of Ange Postecoglou’s plans.’

That was followed by Spanish outlet Sport stating Barcelona manager Hansi Flick had given the green light to the signing.

Barca’s initial aim was to re-sign Man City’s Joao Cancelo. However, Pep Guardiola has since confirmed there is a way back for Cancelo at the Etihad.

According to Monday’s print edition of Sport, Barcelona are set to press ahead with a move for Reguilon. However, not everyone in Barca’s hierarchy are on board with the move.

Flick, Deco at odds over Tottenham swoop

It’s claimed that while Flick is convinced Reguilon would serve as a quality back-up to Alejandro Balde, sporting director Deco doesn’t see a need to make the move.

Instead, Deco believes Barcelona would be better served by signing a a left-sided winger as opposed to a left-back.

Barcelona had planned to buy Nico Williams, though he now appears destined to stay at Athletic Bilbao for one more season at least. Persistent links to Liverpool’s Luis Diaz have thus far come to nothing.

Given Sport’s claim Barcelona would have to sell multiple players before being able to finance a move for a suitable winger, the suggestion is Deco will relent and bow to Flick’s request to sign Reguilon.

The fact the left-back is in the final year of his Spurs deal means any bids that are lodged aren’t likely to be large ones.

But with the player not in Postecoglou’s plans and in the final year of his deal, Tottenham maye have to settle for accepting a nominal fee.

Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce have also shown interest in signing Reguilon to replace Ferdi Kadioglu. The Turkey international has agreed personal terms with Brighton.

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Tottenham get green light to complete exciting Brazilian deal, but Prem raid hits snag

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Tottenham Hotspur are edging closer to signing Brazilian talent Vanderson, though their move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has hit a problem, according to reports.

Tottenham need to sign a new right-back after finally getting Emerson Royal off their books, with the 25-year-old having joined AC Milan for an initial €15million (£12.7m) which could rise to €18m (£15.3m). Ange Postecoglou’s current first-choice right-back is Pedro Porro, but he wants Tottenham to land another player in the position who can battle Porro for his starting role.

Tottenham do also have Djed Spence in their squad, and Postecoglou hinted over the weekend that the Englishman could be reintegrated into his first-team plans.

However, Spence has had a troublesome spell at Tottenham since moving to North London in July 2022, and a permanent transfer to Genoa collapsed earlier this summer.

DON’T MISS: The 10 most expensive transfers in the summer 2024 window, including Man Utd and Tottenham signings

Postecoglou has identified Monaco star Vanderson as the player who can provide Porro with solid competition.

Tottenham begun talks with Monaco for the two-cap Brazil international last week and have since drawn up a £27m offer for his services.

That bid has yet to be officially sent, but Spurs have been given encouragement that they can tie up the deal anyway.

According to the latest from the French media, Monaco ‘anticipate’ that Vanderson will leave this summer as Spurs advance towards his capture.

Tottenham transfers: Vanderson boost amid Eze update

Spurs have seemingly been given the green light to complete the deal too, as Monaco have already landed on a replacement for the 23-year-old.

The Ligue 1 outfit will swoop for PSV right-back Jordan Teze, should Vanderson’s move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium be confirmed. It is even claimed that Teze has played his last game for PSV ahead of a potential switch to Monaco.

While Spurs have been given good news in their pursuit of Vanderson, Eze appears less likely to join Postecoglou’s project.

Both Spurs and Manchester City have been tipped to swoop for the playmaker amid his electric performances for Palace.

Whenever they have received approaches for Eze, Palace have stood firm and told interested clubs that his £68m release clause must be met in full before the transfer can be agreed.

As per the latest reports, Eze’s exit clause has now expired. Unfortunately for Spurs and City, this now puts Palace in an even stronger position as they are likely to demand upwards of £70m before selling him.

The Eagles have already lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich this summer, and they do not want to sell another top performer in Eze.

The England star could try to push for a big move, but it will very difficult for him to get his way. As such, Spurs must start to pursue different attacking targets, as they look to follow up on the shock capture of Burnley winger Wilson Odobert.

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Tottenham transfers: £20m midfielder deal agreed while Postecoglou is also ready to hijack Chelsea move

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Tottenham can expect to boost their transfer kitty by a further £20m in the next 24 hours after agreeing an initial deal with Leicester for Oliver Skipp, while Ange Postecoglou and Co are considering a hijack of the Conor Gallagher deal following his on/off move to Atletico Madrid.

The north London side get their season underway on Monday night when they take on Leicester at the King Power Stadium in what Tottenham hope will be another season of progress under Postecoglou. After starting last season with an impressive eight wins from 10 games before fading away as injuries and suspensions took hold, Spurs fans will be hoping for a similar bright opening this time around.

An intriguing sidenote to Monday night’s opener is the impending move between the clubs of homegrown Spurs midfielder Skipp. The 23-year-old has been on Tottenham’s books since the age of 2008 when he was just eight years old and has gone on to make 106 appearances for the club since his debut back in the 2018/19 season.

However, he has now been deemed surplus to requirements under Postecoglou and speculation over a move away for Skipp has been rife all summer.

IN DEPTH ➡️ Tantalising Tottenham XI to lead Postecoglou to promised land and end 16-year trophy wait

Initially linked with Leeds, TEAMtalk revealed the news that the 23-year-old did not want to drop out of the Premier League, thus ruling out a move to West Yorkshire.

Now one of the sides that beat them to promotion last season, Leicester City, are on the cusp of finalising the signing, with the deal potentially going through later today, though perhaps unlikely to be confirmed until after the conclusion of Monday’s game between the sides.

TEAMtalk can confirm that Skipp has already passed a medical and is set to agree a four-year deal at the King Power Stadium.

Tottenham transfers: Postecoglou keen to hijack Conor Gallagher deal

Spurs will receive an initial £20m for the midfielder, with the deal potentially hitting £23m with add-ons.

And with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg having already been sacrificed, Spurs suddenly look a little light in their central midfield area with summer signing Archie Gray the only man currently able to cover first-choice duo Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr.

However, that could be set to change in the closing days of the window as Postecoglou looks to add more options in the middle of the park.

Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli has recently been linked, amid claims he could be allowed to leave the Serie A giants for a fee in the region of €25m (£21.3m).

Despite that, there are also growing suggestions that Tottenham are keeping a close eye on the situation around Gallagher and his on/off move to Atletico Madrid.

The England midfielder, who captained the Blues on multiple occasions last season, has been made available for transfer this summer after being told he will only be a squad man under new bos Enzo Maresca.

As a result, the 24-year-old spent the first half of last week in Madrid as talks over his sale to Atletico Madrid got underway.

However, despite showing a willingess to make the move, the two clubs were unable to strike a total agreement over the structure of a £33.7m deal.

Postecoglou ‘would love’ to sign Chelsea man

Atletico still hope to resolve the situation around Gallagher, but there was major disappointment last week when Chelsea ordered Gallagher back to Cobham following the failure to strike a deal.

As a result, Football Insider now claims Postecoglou is watching the situation with interest and has made it clear to club chiefs he “would love” to hijack the deal and bring Gallagher to north London.

Gallagher has been a top target of Postecoglou ever since the Aussie took charge of Tottenham and came close to launching a move for his services in January.

READ NEXT ➡️ Talks underway as Tottenham prepare £27m offer for upgrade despite Postecoglou hinting at shock reintegration

However, a deal has previously been seen as difficult, owing to Gallagher’s affection for Chelses and unwillingness to sign for one of their bitter rivals.

But after being made clear he is no longer seen as important, it remains to be seen if Spurs could yet convince Gallagher to change his mind.

But with the transfer deadline now just 11 days away, Postecoglou has made it clear that he is desperate to add a new midfielder to his mix before the window slams shut.

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Tottenham transfers: Medical booked for TODAY after agreement with Prem side sees deja

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A Tottenham transfer is expected to go through today once a medical is completed after they reached an agreement with another Premier League side for the permanent sale of Oliver Skipp.

After more than 100 appearances for Tottenham, Skipp seems to be coming to the end of his journey with the club. The academy graduate has at times looked unsuited to Ange Postecoglou’s preferred tactics and has fallen down the pecking order in recent months.

Despite being under contract until 2027, Skipp is now on the verge of leaving Tottenham – and his exit will be on a permanent basis.

Sources confirmed to TEAMtalk’s Fraser Gillan on Sunday morning that Tottenham were in talks with Leicester City about a deal for Skipp – and there have been swift developments.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has now confirmed that Leicester have reached an agreement to sign Skipp from Spurs for a fee in excess of £20million.

Indeed, Skipp’s medical has been scheduled for today after Leicester boss Steve Cooper gave his approval to the deal.

New Foxes head coach Cooper previously gave Skipp his England debuts at under-17 and under-18 level, at the ages of 15 and 16 respectively, and Leicester have been leading the race for the midfielder in recent days, now set to see their efforts come to fruition.

Coincidentally, Tottenham are visiting Leicester for their first fixture of the Premier League season on Monday as well.

READ NEXT ➡️ Seven sensational Tottenham teenagers who could end up saving Levy millions in the market

Tottenham transfer deja-vu

As a midfielder who came through the Tottenham academy and is now being sold to Leicester, Skipp will be following in the footsteps of Harry Winks, who helped the Foxes win promotion as Championship winners in his debut season at the King Power Stadium.

Winks is expected to play against Tottenham for the first time since his exit on Monday, but Skipp’s proposed transfer will not go through in time for his debut to be against the club he will have just left.

Skipp is on course to be Leicester’s sixth new signing since they returned to the Premier League. They have already brought in forward Bobby Decordova-Reid from Fulham, young midfielder Michael Golding from Chelsea, defender Caleb Okoli from Atalanta and attacking midfielder Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton, as well as converting winger Abdul Fatawu’s loan from Sporting CP into a permanent move.

They have, though, lost the services of midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who followed head coach Enzo Maresca to Chelsea, and Dennis Praet, who was released at the end of his contract.

In Skipp, they could seal a trustworthy reinforcement in the middle of the park.

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Tottenham transfers: Talks underway as Spurs prepare £27m offer for upgrade despite Postecoglou hint

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Tottenham are reportedly in talks to complete the signing of a new right-back in the wake of Emerson Royal’s exit for AC Milan, with the structure of their offer potentially key to getting a deal done – but comments from Ange Postecoglou have suggested a different solution.

Of the options that were available to Postecoglou at right-back last season, Pedro Porro is the only one that remains at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Emerson was recently sold to Milan, which potentially opens up a vacancy for a new signing to replace him.

On that front, Tottenham were recently tipped to replace a Brazilian with a Brazilian by moving for Monaco’s Vanderson – and more recent updates imply they are preparing an offer for the 23-year-old.

According to Bruno Andrade, Tottenham are preparing an opening offer of €32m (£27.3m) for Vanderson after opening talks with his current employers, who have him under contract until 2028 thanks to an extension they agreed back in February.

While Spurs are willing to pay more to sign Vanderson than what they received for Emerson, it still might not be enough to tempt Monaco, whose asking price is €40m (£34.1m).

Nevertheless, Andrade claims Tottenham’s offer will contain performance-based add-ons. That said, it hasn’t been clarified if those add-ons would take the bid up to the €40m mark or not.

Besides, sources closer to the Premier League club suggested the original news of Tottenham’s interest in Vanderson – also broken by Andrade – was being driven by agents, so it’s interesting to see rumours of developments in the saga.

Furthermore, Tottenham could already have other solutions at their disposal that Postecoglou couldn’t rely on last season.

Postecoglou opens door for existing Tottenham man

For example, new signing Archie Gray is naturally a central midfielder but often operated at right-back for Leeds United in 2023-24.

It is another former Leeds full-back, though, that Postecoglou has offered a somewhat-unexpected second chance to, with the Tottenham boss recently opening the door for Djed Spence to make a comeback.

Spence signed for Tottenham in 2022, but has struggled to convince his managers and has spent time on loan at Rennes, Leeds and, most recently, Genoa.

Talks for a permanent move to Genoa collapsed and Postecoglou has now presented Spence with the opportunity of making amends in north London.

Postecoglou said: “It’s one of those things that when you start pre-season, we had quite a few guys who were out on loan last year. Part of me is saying, OK, we need to keep evolving this squad. The guys go out on loan for a reason.

“Have they come back [and now] are they a better fit, are they part of what we’re doing?

“With Djed, I had an open mind. I certainly think the kind of characteristics he has would fit into our football. It’s then more about, OK, well he obviously didn’t fit last year, will he fit this year?

“He’s had a good pre-season. He’s trained really well. He seems to have fit into the group really well.”

Spence has previously been questioned for alleged attitude issues, which Postecoglou himself has not yet seen evidence of being accurate.

The manager rebutted: “You would know about it if it was. He wouldn’t be part of it if it was. But that’s probably something that, whether that was right or wrong, as a person and as a player, Djed has taken responsibility for that and not allowed that to be part of the conversation this pre-season.

“For me and all the coaches, we’ve had absolutely zero issues with his attitude. He’s trained really well, he’s fit into the group really well. That’s on him. He’s the one who hasn’t allowed it to become an issue.”

How Spence might play for Spurs this season

And with Tottenham back in Europe this season, starting out in the league phase of the Europa League, Postecoglou has hinted Spence could become a useful rotation option on either flank of the defence – but primarily his natural right-hand side.

The Australian tactician explained: “I don’t think left-back is his obvious position, I think he’s more of a right full-back, but the fact that he can play out on the left, again gives us some good options into the season where with European football we’re going to have more challenges.

“It was quite obvious last year that whenever we had disruptions in terms of injuries or suspensions, our performance dropped a fair bit. We’re trying to narrow that gap.

“Hopefully having Djed as part of our squad allows us to do that. He’s training well, he’s available for Monday and I’ll make those decisions at the weekend.”

Monday’s season opener for Tottenham, which Postecoglou was speaking in view of, will be against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

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Tottenham transfers: Spurs told 'perfect' signing who can be 'difference

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Two pundits have named the signing who could make all the difference for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham this season amid suggestions that Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all made a mistake not pursuing a deal themselves.

Affable Aussie coach Postecoglou will be hoping this season is one to remember for Spurs, who started like a train under his management last season before injuries and suspensions caught up with them over a difficult autumn and winter and ultimately led to Tottenham claiming a fifth-placed finish.

Hopes will burn bright that Spurs can at least go one better this time around and seal a return to the Champions League. Postecoglou, though, has made clear his ambitions to go even better, refusing to rule his side out of the title race at one stage last season and also making clear his aims at ending the club’s long wait to win a trophy.

DON’T MISS ➡️ Ange Postecoglou eyes £20m Tottenham transfer for midfield star who rejected Arsenal

To set them on the right path, Spurs have invested shrewdly this summer, bringing in teenager Archie Gray from Leeds in a £40m deal, Timo Werner back to the club on another season’s loan and having already done a deal for Swedish talent Lucas Bergvall prior to the summer’s window opening.

However, their biggest and most prominent signing came last weekend when they moved to secure the signing of striker Dominic Solanke, who has moved to north London in a club-record deal from Bournemouth worth £65m.

That transfer came about after Spurs moved to trigger the 26-year-old’s exit clause and off the back of a brilliant season with the Cherries, where he scored 19 goals in 38 appearances.

That ensured he was the second highest goalscoring Englishman in the Premier League behind only Cole Palmer.

Solanke can prove difference maker for Tottenham

And with Spurs finally settling on a new striker to replace Harry Kane, many believe Solanke can prove the missing ingredient for Tottenham this season.

To that end, Owen Hargreaves, speaking to Premier League Productions, is surprised Tottenham were able to sign the once-capped England striker unchallenged, suggesting the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd could all have benefited from the 85-goal former Chelsea and Liverpool striker in their ranks.

“I love Solanke. I’m amazed that nobody else came in for him,” Hargreaves said when asked about other top Premier League sides and their needs for a new striker.

“I think he’s the perfect centre-forward player. We mention size, speed, he has skill, he knows the Premier League, I think he will only get better and I think he will score more than he did against Bournemouth.

“If he starts well I think he could even compete for the Golden Boot.”

Former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov also believes Solanke will score a hatful of goals in north London, and asked if he will be the difference maker for Postecoglou this season.

“We will find out, but he scored 19 goals last season in 38 games. It’s a great thing to do. Hopefully he will bring that form into Spurs to help them score goals because they need to be scoring goals, not leaking goals,” Berbatov said.

IN DEPTH ➡️ All the done deals by Premier League clubs in the summer 2024 transfer window

“Hopefully they start on the right foot and keep going upwards. Dominic can help them because he is 26, he’s tall, he’s athletic, he scores goals.

“He can shoot the ball, he scores some really good goals for a striker and he can bring that quality up front that Spurs need.”

Tottenham open their season with a trip to face Leicester City on Monday evening (20.00 BST), with Postecoglou confident his new striker will be fit enough to make his debut at the King Power Stadium.

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Brighton close in on superb signing of Man Utd target, with Tottenham transfer to follow

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Brighton have agreed personal terms with a Manchester United target and talks are advancing to complete the deal, while a separate Tottenham transfer could quickly take shape if Brighton get their man.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed Brighton had struck an agreement on personal terms with Fenerbahce left-back, Ferdi Kadioglu.

Taking to X, Romano stated: “Ferdi Kadioglu’s long term deal at Brighton is ready and agreed in details.

“The player has confirmed to Fenerbahce personal terms are in place with Brighton. He wants to play in [the] Premier League and the two clubs are in talks to agree on transfer fee.”

Various reports in Turkey have since reported Man Utd have entered the race for Kadioglu despite Brighton’s move being advanced.

The Red Devils are seeking to sign a new left-back once they’ve wrapped up a move for a long-term partner for Kobbie Mainoo.

PSG’s Manuel Ugarte remains their No 1 target and the latest on that chase suggests a breakthrough is coming.

HAVE YOU SEEN: Man Utd to push through their second biggest signing of the summer, as Dan Ashworth plots more Liverpool misery

Whether Man Utd hold genuine hopes of hijacking Brighton’s deal with Kadioglu isn’t yet clear. The vast bulk of reporting on United’s interest has come from Turkey and not publications in England.

Kadioglu transfer to spark Tottenham sale

In any case, what is clear is Brighton hope to secure a club-to-club agreement with Fenerbahce in the coming days. The Turkish giant value Kadioglu in the €35m-€40m range.

Assuming Kadioglu does leave Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, a connected Tottenham move could quickly take shape.

Multiple reports in Turkey state Mourinho has installed Spurs left-back Sergio Reguilon as his preferred option to replace Kadioglu

Reguilon is in the final year of his Tottenham contract and is surplus to requirements in north London.

Barcelona have shown interest and have made enquiries into the conditions of a deal. Reguilon’s former club Sevilla are hovering too.

However, Mourinho is reportedly determined to bring Reguilon to Turkey and the promise of being a guaranteed starter in a team that regularly challenges for the Super Lig title could appeal.

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Tottenham transfers: Postecoglou eyes £20m transfer for midfield star who rejected Arsenal

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Tottenham are reportedly planning a £20m move for an in-demand midfielder who once snubbed the chance to join north London rivals Arsenal.

After a fifth-place finish last time out in the Premier League, Tottenham are making some exciting signings ahead of the new campaign.

Leeds United’s academy jewel Archie Gray joined for a fee that could rise to £40m, Spurs splashed out £65m on Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, and winger Wilson Odobert swapped Burnley for Ange Postecoglou’s side for a fee in the region of £25m.

Coupled with recruiting midfielders Lucas Bergvall from Djurgarden and Yang Min-Hyeok from Gangwon FC respectively; Spurs seem to be shaping up nicely for 2024/25.

On the flip side, they have seen a number of players leave permanently, such as Emerson Royal, Ivan Perisic, Tanguy Ndombele, Joe Rodon, and Eric Dier, or on loan – such as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bryan Gil.

DON’T MISS: Exclusive: Star Tottenham are eager to sell wanted by Roma as Paulo Dybala replacement

While many of these were on the fringes, some were still options to come off the bench. And if they want to progress up the league table this term, more quality additions may be needed.

On Thursday, manager Postecoglou said on the possibility of more deals: “Look, I think while it’s open there’s always kind of a little bit uncertainty about because there are so many moving parts to it, you know, it’s not just, there’s outgoings and incomings.

“As opposed to last year where there was a lot more moving parts, you’re working within a sort of smaller spectrum of uncertainty, certainly for me, anyway, that I can plan for the season knowing that the bulk of the work’s been done.

“Whatever we get from here on in is not going to disrupt us too much, both incoming and outgoing. So from that perspective, I think I said after the weekend I still expect there will be activity, but I think the uncertainty factor is a lot less than last year.”

Tottenham eye Juventus star

And according to Football Insider, Spurs are plotting to sign Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli this summer, although several other Premier League clubs are understood to be tracking him, too.

The report adds Postecoglou wants another central midfielder before the transfer window shuts on August 30 and the 26-year-old, who can play as an eight or a six, is on the club’s target list.

The Old Lady would reportedly be willing to sell the Italy international for £20m – but the fact that he has four years left on his contract puts the Serie A team in a strong negotiating position.

If Tottenham were to sign Locatelli, who made 40 appearances for Juventus last season, it may be hard to take for some Arsenal fans. That’s because the 6ft 1in player turned down the Gunners for Juventus back in 2021, according to Sassuolo director Giovanni Carnevali.

Locatelli joined the Italian giants for a fee in the region of £30m, initially on a two-year loan with an obligation to buy. But it could have been very different if he decided to go to the Emirates instead.

Carnevali said earlier this year: “The economic side of a transfer is important, but not decisive. For example, Locatelli absolutely wanted to go to Juventus, we satisfied him even though we gave up the financial aspect because there was interest from another club, Arsenal.”

Locatelli’s brother, Mattia, added: “I still remember the negotiation (that took him to Juventus). For him it was very long. There was also Arsenal, but he wanted Juventus. The clubs kept meeting, but without reaching an agreement. Every day I looked at Gazzetta dello Sport to check (what was happening).”

Fast forward to the present and Arsenal’s loss may be Tottenham’s gain.

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Exclusive: Star Tottenham are eager to sell wanted by Roma as Paulo Dybala replacement

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Roma are preparing for life without star man Paulo Dybala and have identified Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Giovani Lo Celso as a potential replacement, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

Dybala’s successful seven-year spell with Juventus came to an end in July 2022 when he left on a free transfer following a contract dispute. The forward subsequently joined Juve’s Serie A rivals Roma in a transfer which received much fanfare.

Dybala has gone on to register 34 goals and 18 assists in 77 games for Roma and establish himself as one of the club’s most important stars.

Indeed, the Argentine notched 16 goals and 10 assists in 39 matches last term, helping Roma reach the Europa League semi-finals, the Coppa Italia quarter-finals and finish sixth in the Italian top flight.

DON’T MISS: Tantalising Tottenham XI to lead Postecoglou to promised land and end 16-year trophy wait

However, Dybala looks set to leave Roma in the coming days. Saudi club Al-Qadisiyah have agreed to pay €18million (£15.3m) for Dybala and have also finalised a three-year contract with the star worth €45m (£38.3m).

Roma are now scouring the market for playmakers who can succeed from Dybala, and sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Fraser Gillan that Tottenham’s Lo Celso is one option they have shortlisted.

Tottenham are very keen to offload the 28-year-old permanently to make room in the squad and also bring in transfer funds, a stance which has alerted Roma to Lo Celso’s availability.

Daniele De Rossi’s side are far from the only ones interested in Lo Celso, however. Lo Celso also has potential suitors in La Liga and Saudi Arabia, while other Serie A clubs are monitoring his situation, too.

Tottenham transfers: Giovani Lo Celso a Roma target

Roma will therefore need to send both Spurs and Lo Celso tempting offers if they are to win this particular transfer race.

Should the Rosario-born ace – who is an Argentine compatriot of Dybala’s – leave for Roma, then he will become the latest unwanted player to depart Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

Spurs have already streamlined their ranks by letting players such as Emerson Royal, Joe Rodon, Tanguy Ndombele, Japhet Tanganga and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg go.

Experienced defender Ben Davies has also been tipped to find a new club, though it was claimed on Wednesday that he would rather stay with Spurs for the final year of his contract.

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Tottenham transfers: Shock signing officially announced as Postecoglou eyes move for title

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Tottenham have officially announced the signing of talented Burnley star Wilson Odobert after the 19-year-old completed a medical with the North Londoners on Thursday.

He is set to become Spurs’ fifth signing of the season after Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Dominic Solanke and Min-hyeok Yang in what could prove to be excellent business.

The transfer comes as a major shock Tottenham’s interest in the player was only reported 30 minutes before the announcement, by journalist Sacho Tavolieri.

“We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement for the permanent transfer of Wilson Odobert from Burnley, subject to formalities,” Tottenham posted on their official X page.

Odobert can play as an attacking midfielder or winger and put in some impressive performances in the Premier League last season, despite Burnley suffering relegation.

The teenager scored in the Lancashire side’s Championship opener against Luton Town on Monday night but is now set to complete the surprise move to Tottenham.

Tottenham join race for Piero Hincapie

Odobert will compete with the likes of Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison this season and has the potential to develop into a top quality player.

Tottenham’s business won’t stop there, however, as Postecoglou is reportedly keen to bring in a new centre-back.

Ecuadorian outlet El Comercio claim that Tottenham are set to join the race for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.

The 22-year-old played a key role in Leverkusen’s title-winning 2023/24 campaign. He made 43 appearances for the German champions last term, helping his side to 20 clean sheets in the process.

Bayern Munich and Liverpool have also shown an interest in Hincapie, but they will ‘have to fight’ to beat Spurs to his signature.

Hincapie’s deal with Leverkusen is valid until 2027. The report states Xabi Alonso has held talks with the player and ‘asked him to stay.’

It’s suggested that Hincapie is valued at around £65m and whether Spurs are willing to cough up that much still remains to be seen.

Postecoglou already has quality options such as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin at centre-back.

However, reports have suggested that Romero could leave the North Londoners after this season, so Hincapie could be brought in as a long-term replacement for him.

It will be interesting to see how this story progresses in the coming days and also, whether Odobert is in Tottenham’s squad for their game against Leicester on Monday.

Source