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There is a slight football food-chain element to this feature, with ‘untouchable’ stars at Brighton and Crystal Palace featuring in our ranking of the 10 best centre-backs available to sign this summer.

The centre-back market is not expected to be as hectic as the winger and striker markets, but there will surely be plenty of movement in the summer transfer window.

Without further ado, here are the 10 best centre-backs available this summer.

The first of two Sporting players in this ranking, Diomande has been linked with a variety of Premier League clubs over the last three years.

Arsenal seemed destined to sign the Ivorian, who came close to joining Crystal Palace last summer. If that doesn’t say his stock has fallen, we’re not sure what will.

He is still an interesting prospect and Palace are in a very good place. A strong showing at the World Cup could be what finally gets Diomande a big transfer.

Separating Scalvini and Diomande was unnecessarily difficult, but we are content with the ranking as we know, deep down, that nobody gives a s**t.

Both players were born a week apart and turn 23 in December, making them long-term investments, but also players good enough and experienced enough to make an instant impact.

The jump from Serie A is slightly less significant than the one from the Portuguese top flight, which could be what gives Scalvini the slight edge. However, his injury record is rather concerning.

Poor Sporting could lose both of their starting centre-backs this summer. We have been saying that for about three years now, mind…

Inacio could start alongside Ruben Dias – a player we considered including amid reports he wants to follow Pep Guardiola out of Manchester City – at the World Cup. He was a regular during last year’s Nations League Finals but not at Euro 2024, so we are not 100 per cent sure.

Premier League clubs will be sniffing around Inacio, while there is also reported interest from AC Milan. That feels right, doesn’t it?

Leipzig have an incredible knack for unearthing brilliant French centre-backs. It’s quite weird.

Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano went on to bigger and better things after establishing themselves there, while Mohamed Simakan joined Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr last year, and Lukeba is next in line to earn himself a big-money move.

It could happen this summer, and interested clubs will be delighted that Lukeba is not at the World Cup – if they have not been put off by his snub…

Bisseck’s agent promises he is happy in Milan, but Hitler promised not to invade Czechoslovakia. This is the real world.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are being linked with him this summer, whereas last year Bisseck was attracting interest from West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt.

He clearly had a productive season, helping Inter win the league and cup double. Not productive enough to make Germany’s World Cup squad, though.

One of the quickest and strongest players in the Premier League, we’d be surprised to see Murillo at Nottingham Forest next season.

His stock hasn’t fallen but he has fallen behind other Premier League centre-backs in clubs’ list of centre-back targets. Still, Murillo should be able to leave Forest for around quadruple the £15m they paid to sign him from Corinthians.

One of the highest-rated centre-backs in the Premier League, Van Hecke is outstanding on the ball and solid defensively. We know what is more important in these days of wokeness.

Van Hecke is also an underrated s**thouse. He is wired a bit differently from other defenders but knows how to get away with it, unlike some. Perhaps unlike someone else on this list.

Brighton want around £70m for the Dutch international and, knowing them, they will get it.

There might not be a player more suited to the outside centre-back role in a back three than Lacroix. His pace gives him the edge over other central defenders, and he is very tidy on the ball, too.

Palace signed a gem from Wolfsburg in 2024 and will do very well to keep hold of him this summer, even after qualifying for the Europa League.

Lacroix’s inclusion in the France squad says more than we ever could to justify his ranking here.

Having to be convinced to merely show up for Tottenham’s do-or-die final-day game at home to Everton is not a great sign. The Spurs captain was set to be in home country to watch his boyhood club Belgrano play in the Argentine Primera Division final, but a U-turn meant he was there to support his team-mates and thank his current club’s loyal supporters after a quite frankly, f**king embarrassing campaign.

Does he deserve any credit? Does he f**k.

It could be the end for both Micky van de Ven and Romero at Spurs, but the latter feels more likely to leave given the constant links and what transpired in the final week of the 2025/26 domestic season.

He is very, very, very Atletico Madrid. We all know why.

Romero is a top player and would be a top signing for literally anyone. He could do with growing up a bit and getting sent off less, but where’s the fun in that?

The best option out there, Schlotterbeck has been excellent in four years at Dortmund and is arguably the best centre-back in the Bundesliga.

We are probably taking liberties by suggesting Dortmund would be open to selling him, as Schlotterbeck recently signed a new five-year contract, but money talks, and if a truly elite club like Real Madrid come calling, he should not need too much convincing.

The best thing about him? He’s left-footed. Clubs love left-footed centre-backs.

Tottenham are ready to make a wantaway Liverpool star the most expensive signing in their history, according to a shock report.

Tottenham are backing Roberto De Zerbi in a big way this summer, with the club well aware successive 17th-placed finishes is unacceptable.

Andy Robertson has joined and will soon be followed by Marcos Senesi. Tottenham are attempting to renegotiate terms with Bayern Munich for the permanent signing of Palhinha.

Spurs could activate their €30m option to buy, but believe a deal can be struck for less. Crucially, Palhinha is giving priority to Spurs over Sporting CP.

Elsewhere, Tottenham are ready to improve upon their roughly £40m opening bid for Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.

Club-to-club negotiations with Manchester City for the £50m-£60m signing of Savinho are advancing, but he might not be the only new winger.

There are genuine chances for Cody Gakpo to leave Liverpool this summer, with Fabrizio Romano recently confirming as much.

Dutch reports have claimed Gakpo is dissatisfied with life at Liverpool after compatriot Arne Slot was sacked. Soccernews.nl declared Gakpo now ‘wishes to leave’.

The 27-year-old is one of Liverpool’s highest earners and the Reds will give serious consideration to any offers of note they receive.

And according to a stunning report out of Spain, Tottenham are ready to go all in for Gakpo and smash their transfer record.

Tottenham to pay £73.5m for Cody Gakpo – report

It’s stated Spurs are ready to ‘launch’ an €85m / £73.5m bid for Gakpo, who would surpass Dominic Solanke (£65m add-ons included) as their all-time record buy.

De Zerbi is claimed to be a long-time admirer of Gakpo, and Tottenham’s alleged imminent bid is not a spur of the moment thing.

Tottenham are claimed to want a versatile forward who is equally adept at operating out wide or up front. Gakpo fits that billing.

The report added: ‘Roberto De Zerbi has been following Cody Gakpo for some time. This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment interest or a last-minute alternative.

‘The Italian manager values ​​his power, his striking ability, his reading of the game to attack space, and his capacity to link up with attacking midfielders and full-backs.

‘In the new Tottenham, the Dutch forward could play a central role, not only as a left winger, but also as a second striker or a mobile target man in more demanding matches.

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‘The figure being discussed, 85 million euros, reflects both the player’s quality and the difficulty of negotiating with Liverpool.

‘At Anfield, they know that Cody Gakpo still holds market value, has Premier League experience, and is still at an ideal age to perform for several seasons. Therefore, any offer must be substantial from the outset.

‘Tottenham wants to avoid a lengthy negotiation that could allow other European clubs to enter the picture, especially if the player confirms his willingness to move.’

Manchester United have put a lucrative contract offer to Cristian Romero along with a guarantee of making him the leader of their defence, and sources are indicating Tottenham are ready to sell, according to reports.

Romero, 28, could be coming to the end of the road in north London. The volatile Argentine is perennially linked with leaving Tottenham every summer, but out colleagues over on TEAMtalk have been informed the time might finally have come.

Their insider, Graeme Bailey, recently brought news of Spurs chiefs souring on Romero.

Ahead of Tottenham’s final day clash where their Premier League status was still hanging in the balance, Romero flew back to Argentina where he intended to watch his boyhood club Belgrano take on River Plate.

That understandably went down like a lead balloon at Spurs, with the visual of the club’s captain jetting off ahead of the biggest game of the season – even if he was injured and unavailable to play – an extremely poor one.

Ultimately, internal pressure resulted in Romero returning to England to offer his support for his teammates and relegation was avoided.

Nevertheless, Bailey revealed Spurs ‘are now increasingly open to parting ways with the defender if their valuation is met during the upcoming transfer window.

‘Intermediaries have already begun exploring solutions and gauging interest across Europe as the possibility of a high-profile departure gathers momentum.’

A move to Spain and potentially Atletico Madrid looked a distinct possibility. But according to a shock new report out of Spain, Romero could stay in England by joining Man Utd.

Man Utd move for Cristian Romero – report

It’s claimed the Red Devils have ‘offered’ Romero an ‘attractive contract’, along with the guarantee of making him a ‘cornerstone’ of their defence.

The report then claimed Spurs are ‘open to listening to offers for the Argentine’, before stating €65m / £56m would get the deal done.

They added: ‘The transfer fee, estimated at €65 million, reflects the player’s quality and his potential immediate impact in the Premier League.

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‘United are confident of completing the signing as soon as possible to begin preseason planning with a finalized squad.’

Spurs, meanwhile, have wrapped up the free agent signing of Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth) and are primed to bid again for Jan Paul Van Hecke (Brighton), both of whom are centre-backs.

Dutch reports state Spurs’ first offer for Brighton’s Van Hecke was worth £40m. The Seagulls knocked the offer back, but Tottenham plan to raise the stake and go again, with Van Hecke one of many moves Tottenham are working on right now.

Tottenham do want to re-sign Joao Palhinha but for a reduced fee, while Spurs are working on three other high profile signings to follow Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi into north London.

Spurs have confirmed the free agent arrival of Robertson and it won’t be long before Senesi follows suit. The Argentine centre-back’s deal is fully agreed, with the 29-year-old putting pen to paper on a four-year contract.

Tottenham have a decision to make on loanee Joao Palhinha who in a campaign of doom and gloom, stood up taller than most.

The 30-year-old midfielder scored the vital goal on the final day to ensure Tottenham’s Premier League status.

It’s no secret his priority is to re-join Spurs from Bayern Munich, though Portuguese giant, Sporting CP, are hovering if a deal falls through.

Tottenham can simply trigger their option to buy, which is worth €30m / £26m in total. However, the latest from Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg claims Spurs would much rather pay a lower fee.

“Joao Palhinha wants to make a decision on his future soon,” wrote Plettenberg on X.

“The two concrete options are currently Tottenham and Sporting CP. Talks are ongoing.

“Tottenham currently have good chances. However and as revealed, Spurs want to renegotiate with FC Bayern.

“The option to buy was set at €25m guaranteed, with potential add-ons that could raise the fee to up to €30m. Tottenham want to pay less.”

Tottenham also want Van Hecke, Savinho, Gakpo

Elsewhere, Tottenham are readying a new and improved bid for Brighton centre-back, Jan Paul Van Hecke.

Brighton rejected Tottenham’s first bid last week, which reports in the Netherlands claims was worth around £40m.

Tottenham are also advancing in club-to-club discussions with Manchester City for the signing of Savinho.

The left-footed winger is open to joining Spurs are personal terms won’t be an issue. Regarding cost, a fee of between £50m-£60m will get City’s green light, and City are willing to cash in.

It could be a double coup on the flanks, with Dutch reports claiming Tottenham are looking at Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo too.

Liverpool are overhauling their options out wide and Gakpo is fast emerging as a genuine candidate to leave the club.

It’s even been claimed Gakpo now wants out of Liverpool after his compatriot, Arne Slot, was fired.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently touched upon Gakpo’s situation when reporting on his YouTube channel.

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He explained: “We have to see what’s going to happen around Cody Gakpo in case Liverpool receive an important proposal because Liverpool want to go and strengthen the winger’s position, already lost Mohamed Salah.

“Let’s see if some club arrives with proposal with Cody Gakpo because there is interest in Cody Gakpo.

“Then it’s going to be on Liverpool to decide whether he’s going to stay, he’s going to leave.

“There’s going to be a club decision, with the coach as well, Andoni Iraola, but don’t forget that Liverpool are very busy with wingers.

“Yan Diomande in a fight with Paris Saint-Germain and not only, so Liverpool are living a really important moment to make decisions on the wingers.

“On Ngumoha, the decision is already done.

“Let’s see who is arriving for Cody Gakpo, but, for sure, there is going to be movement at Liverpool, also for wingers incoming to the club.”

It has been claimed that ex-Tottenham Hotspur chief Daniel Levy has ‘agreed’ the sale of 24.99% of his stake in ENIC to a group worth £7bn.

Towards the end of 2025, it was announced that Levy was stepping down from his role as Tottenham’s executive chairman, and now he appears to have taken another step to move away from the Premier League giants completely.

Levy’s exit from the club sparked speculation of a Tottenham takeover, and they several potential investors have been linked with the north London outfit over the past few months.

Now, it has emerged that Levy has agreed to sell most of his stake in ENIC, who are Tottenham’s majority owners, to Eight Sports Capital.

READ: Tottenham ‘plan’ stunning Liverpool transfer for fifth signing after exit request

A spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital Limited said: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement to acquire a significant stake in ENIC.

“We look forward to working with the club’s shareholders, management, staff, players and fans to support Tottenham Hotspur’s continued growth and success.”

This deal would leave Levy with only a 4.88% stake in ENIC, and journalist Ben Jacobs has provided more details on the potential legitimacy of this transaction.

Jacobs said on X: ‘Eight Sports Capital claim to have purchased Daniel Levy’s Spurs stake via an official statement.

‘Levy is yet to confirm and Spurs have not communicated the deal is done yet, but Eight Sports Capital say they have already signed an agreement.’

Jacobs added: ‘There remains some caution from Spurs over the statement, which has not yet been confirmed by either the club or Daniel Levy.

‘Eight Sports Capital insist a deal is agreed, but several club sources remain in the dark currently as to whether it has actually been signed.’

Group worth £7bn claim to have bought Daniel Levy’s shares

And a report from The Daily Mail‘s Mike Keegan claims ‘a group including a Taiwanese financier worth £7bn claims it has agreed to buy most of Daniel Levy’s stake in Tottenham Hotspur’.

Keegan explained:

‘Daily Mail Sport understands that the group includes Wing Fai Ng and Brooklyn Earich, who both claimed to have failed in previous bids to take over the Premier League outfit. A third person has been added to the mix in the shape of Taiwanese businessman Richard Tsai.

‘Tottenham and representatives for the Lewis family, who own ENIC, have been contacted for comment, as have representatives for Levy. It is thought that officials at the club and within the Lewis family were scrambling to verify the claims which were made in a press release sent to media by global comms firm Sodali.’

Tottenham are preparing a summer offer to land Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo after the Netherlands international requested a transfer, according to reports.

The Reds announced the appointment of Andoni Iraola on Thursday as they look to go in a new direction after a disappointing campaign under Arne Slot.

Slot was sacked by Liverpool at the end of May in a shock move amid widespread reports expecting the Dutchman to keep his job at Anfield.

But a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League and no trophies, as well as pressure from frustrated fans, was enough to see the Liverpool hierarchy take action.

A number of players dropped their performances from the previous season, in which Liverpool won the Premier League title under Slot.

Gakpo was one of those players and now there are reports that the Netherlands international wants to follow compatriot Slot out of Liverpool in the summer.

READ: Jacobs reveals Tottenham will make second ‘offer soon’ for next summer signing

And Dutch website Soccer News has revealed that Gakpo ‘wishes to leave’ after Slot’s departure and the arrival of Iraola, although it remains unclear whether he is part of the Spaniard’s plans.

Tottenham are determined to attempt to sign Gakpo over the summer transfer window and ‘hope to convince’ the Dutchman to make the move to north London.

The report adds: ‘The winger certainly has no reason to complain about a lack of interest. Several English sources report to SoccerNews that Tottenham Hotspur has a serious interest in Gakpo. They intend to try to pry the Dutchman away from Liverpool in the coming period. With the new project under manager Roberto De Zerbi, they hope to convince him to make the move to London.

‘Behind the scenes, Tottenham is working on a plan to convince the attacker and Liverpool in the coming period. In addition to the Spurs, several other clubs from England, Spain, and Germany are reportedly interested in the player from Eindhoven.’

READ:Tottenham offered 154-goal striker but Juventus want two players in return

Tottenham confirmed the arrival of Andy Robertson today, while Marco Senesi is also set to join from Bournemouth in their first two deals of the summer.

David Ornstein revealed on Thursday that Spurs had also made a bid for Brighton’s Van Hecke, while Fabrizio Romano has previously described a move for Manchester City winger Savinho as ‘deal on’.

Heskey: Liverpool fans should be ‘careful what they wish for’

Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has told Reds supporters to be “careful what they wish for” after Slot was sacked at Anfield.

Heskey told Betfred: “That’s modern football. The owners, the Chief Exec and the rest of the hierarchy don’t sack managers, the fans do. If the fans lose faith in you, then unfortunately for all managers, this decision has to be taken. I’m sure they wouldn’t have wanted to do it but it’s the fans that decided and that’s unfair in my opinion.

“If [Andoni] Iraola comes in now and loses a few games, are they going to sack him? And then sack the next manager. I support the club and the decisions they make, but I’m hoping the fans will have a lot more patience with the next manager.

“We don’t want to go down the route that Manchester United have been down. Mikel Arteta finished 8th, 8th and then 5th and his club didn’t sack him and look where they are now? Liverpool fans need to be careful what they wish for.”

Brighton are bracing themselves for a second offer from Tottenham for Jan Paul van Hecke after they rejected Spurs’ first advance, according to Ben Jacobs.

Spurs avoided relegation on the final day of the Premier League season as a 1-0 win over Everton meant they playing in the English top flight again next term.

Tottenham ended up finishing just two points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham, who will be playing Championship football next season, and the Spurs hierarchy are already making moves to make sure they aren’t struggling again next term.

Roberto De Zerbi was appointed at the end of March and played a big part in turning around their fortunes towards the end of the campaign, after they spent time in the relegation zone.

Tottenham have already lined up two free transfers for July with Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson and Bournemouth centre-back Marco Senesi both set to join.

Spurs also have their eye on doing a deal for Manchester City winger Savinho with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently revealing a deal is on for the summer.

READ:Tottenham offered 154-goal striker but Juventus want two players in return

On Tottenham’s pursuit of the Brazilian, Romano wrote on X: ‘Negotiations ongoing for Savinho to Tottenham as revealed two weeks ago… and progressing well. #THFC believe Savinho wants the move, talks continue as Man City could open doors to his exit in case of good proposal. Deal on.’

David Ornstein of The Athletic revealed on Thursday that Tottenham had made an opening offer to sign Van Hecke from Brighton with De Zerbi ‘close’ to the Netherlands international.

Ornstein wrote on X: ‘Tottenham Hotspur submit bid to sign Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion. #THFC offer for 25yo centre-back below #BHAFC valuation so rejected, but talks continue in bid to strike agreement. Dutch int’l close to Roberto De Zerbi @TheAthleticFC.’

And now former CBS Sports journalist Jacobs has revealed that Brighton are expecting ‘another offer soon’ from Tottenham as they look to get a deal over the line.

READ:Tottenham take ‘lead’ over Man Utd in race to sign Premier League midfielder thanks to De Zerbi

Jacobs wrote on X: ‘Spurs set to continue their pursuit of Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke. Opening bid rejected, but Brighton are anticipating another offer soon.’

Voetbal International journalist Joost Blaauwhof revealed on Thursday that Tottenham’s first bid was for £40m and that NAC Breda stand to get 7.5 per cent of the fee.

Blaauwhof wrote on X: ‘At NAC, Edgar Mol can already grab the calculator from his desk drawer, because Jan Paul van Hecke is going to fetch a crazy amount of money. Sounds from England are that Spurs have bid about 40 million pounds. That’s going to be cranked up even higher. NAC gets 7.5%. #NACpraat.’

Tottenham forward Mathys Tel has been ‘offered’ to Portuguese giants Porto ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.

Roberto De Zerbi took over from interim head coach Igor Tudor on March 31 and saved Spurs from relegation 0n the final day of the Premier League season.

A 1-0 win over Everton was enough to finish two points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham, who went down to the Championship, and secure another campaign in the Premier League.

Tottenham will be looking to avoid getting dragged into a relegation fight again next season and they have already secured two new signings to help them out.

Both Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson and Bournemouth centre-back Marco Senesi are set to join Tottenham on free transfers when their deals expire at the end of this month.

One player Tottenham could look to move on is Tel, who only signed permanently last summer from Bayern Munich, with BrancoInsider (via Sport Witness) claiming that the France Under-21 international has been ‘offered’ to Porto as the Portuguese side consider whether to launch a loan to buy offer.

READ: Tottenham offered 154-goal striker but Juventus want two players in return

BrancoInsider wrote on X: ‘Mathys Tel has been offered to FC Porto. The forward is valued at around 30 million euros. The deal could proceed through a loan with an option to buy.’

Deeney: Tel criticism at Tottenham is ‘massively unfair’

Former Premier League forward Troy Deeney predicted in March that Tottenham won’t see the best of Tel for another couple of seasons.

Deeney said on talkSPORT: “He’s moving countries, he’s in London.

“I don’t care what anyone says, London has distractions, as we all know.

“You’re now trying to learn a team, a team that’s depleted and injury-prone. By the way, you’re meant to go in and enforce that and change it.

“He hasn’t played enough games to know who and what he is. So I think it’s massively unfair.

“You won’t see the best of him, probably not next season, but the season after. But they’re going to have to put a framework in and around him.”

READ: Tottenham take ‘lead’ over Man Utd in race to sign Premier League midfielder thanks to De Zerbi

There have been rumours that Tottenham are keen to bring in Savinho from Manchester City over the summer, while The Athletic‘s David Ornstein revealed on Thursday that Spurs had submitted a bid for Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.

Ornstein wrote on X: ‘Tottenham Hotspur submit bid to sign Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion. #THFC offer for 25yo centre-back below #BHAFC valuation so rejected, but talks continue in bid to strike agreement. Dutch int’l close to Roberto De Zerbi @TheAthleticFC.’

NAC Breda ‘to fetch a crazy amount’ from Tottenham transfer

Commenting on the potential transfer, Voetbal International journalist Joost Blaauwhof has revealed that Dutch side NAC Breda are about to take 7.5 per cent of that transfer fee.

Blaauwhof wrote on X: ‘At NAC, Edgar Mol can already grab the calculator from his desk drawer, because Jan Paul van Hecke is going to fetch a crazy amount of money. Sounds from England are that Spurs have bid about 40 million pounds. That’s going to be cranked up even higher. NAC gets 7.5%. #NACpraat.’

Italian giants Juventus are reportedly willing to offer striker Jonathan David to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, but only if they receive two of Roberto De Zerbi’s first-team stars in return.

De Zerbi is looking to fix Spurs’ struggling frontline this summer by adding two or three new attacking players, with at least one new No.9 arriving in north London.

Manchester City star Savinho, has already agreed to a £50million Tottenham switch, while Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jean-Matteo Bahoya is also on the club’s radar, along with Fulham free agent Harry Wilson.

However, all three occupy wider roles and De Zerbi needs another striker to offset the likely the sale of Richarlison, while there are also doubts over Dominic Solanke’s long-term future at the club due to his ongoing injury issues.

READ: Tottenham line up fourth and fifth signings in £29m outlay after Romano ‘deal on’ confirmation

And one player Tottenham have had their eyes on for a number of years is Canada international David, who is set to start for his country at the upcoming World Cup in North America.

While the 26-year-old struggled to make a mark in Turin this season, scoring just six goals and adding four assists in 35 Serie A games, he does have an impressive overall record in front of goal.

Indeed, in 362 career appearances, David has chalked up 154 goals, with 109 of those strikes coming during his impressive stint with Lille in France.

And now, according to Italian outlet TuttoJuve, the Serie A side are willing to part ways with David and have eyes on two Tottenham stars in a proposed swap deal.

Juventus keen on Vicario, Udogie in Tottenham swap deal

It’s reported that the Bianconeri are ready to offer David to Spurs, as long as they get goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and left-back Destiny Udogie in return.

It’s common knowledge that Juve are currently in the market for a new No.1 and are ready to take advantage of Vicario’s desire to return to his homeland after a poor season in England, although Inter Milan also remain keen on his services.

The Italy international is expected to be made available for transfer after Antonin Kinsky ended up as De Zerbi’s preferred choice at the end of the season, with Tottenham expected to sign another experienced stopper to compete with the young Czech star.

As for Udogie, Juve are keen on signing the Italy left-back as a potential replacement for Andrea Cambiaso, who continues to be heavily linked with a move to the Premier League.

Udogie’s three seasons in north London have largely been blighted by injury issues, with the talented 23-year-old full-back often failing to get a successive run of games under his belt.

To that end, it makes sense for Tottenham to try and cash in on a player who probably needs a change of scenery to rebuild his career.

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The one point to note in the report, however, is that David is now valued at considerably less than the combined fees Tottenham could get for Vicario and Udogie.

With that in mind, it remains to be seen whether Spurs would be willing to do the swap deal for both players, and it could end up being one or the other.

Tottenham are lining up deals to sign Royale Union Saint-Gilloise’s Anan Khalaili and Dinamo Zagreb’s Sergi Dominguez, according to reports.

Spurs narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the Premier League season as a 1-0 win over Everton was enough to beat the drop.

Tottenham finished two points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham United, who were relegated to the Championship, and now Spurs are attempting to make sure they don’t end up in a similar position next term.

The Spurs hierarchy have already committed funds to their first two signings of the summer with both Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Bournemouth’s Marco Senesi set to join Tottenham on free transfers on July 1.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Tuesday that Spurs have identified their third signing with a deal for Manchester City winger Savinho said to be ‘on’.

Romano said on X: ‘Negotiations ongoing for Savinho to Tottenham as revealed two weeks ago… and progressing well. #THFC believe Savinho wants the move, talks continue as Man City could open doors to his exit in case of good proposal. Deal on.’

READ: Tottenham take ‘lead’ over Man Utd in race to sign Premier League midfielder thanks to De Zerbi

And now Tottenham are lining up their fourth and fifth signings of the summer with Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws (via Sport Witness) claiming that Spurs are ‘keeping an eye on’ Khalaili ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report adds that it is ‘more than likely’ that the Israeli will be leaving Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer with the right wing-back’s departure ‘almost a certainty’.

If Tottenham do end up buying Khalaili it is expected to set them back around €25m (£21m) with Spurs unlikely to have a problem paying that sort of fee.

As reported on Tuesday by Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Tottenham are showing a strong interest in signing Dinamo Zagreb’s Dominguez this summer.

Tottenham have another two players on their radar

Spanish newspaper Sport (via Sport Witness) have claimed that Dominguez’s ‘sale is virtually certain to happen in the coming weeks’ and the Spaniard ‘could be headed’ to Tottenham this summer.

READ: Premier League clubs in Europe: Villa, Palace win Europa trophies; Arsenal heartache

The report adds that Spurs could be willing to pay around €9m (£8m) to land the former Barcelona academy graduate from the Croatian side.

Tottenham winger Manor Solomon could find himself back at Spurs next season after spending the 2025/26 campaign on loan at first Villarreal and then Fiorentina.

Roberto De Zerbi is said to have a good relationship with the Israeli and Solomon’s agent, Gilad Katsav, is keen to see the winger back Tottenham.

Katsav said: “There has not been a conversation between Roberto De Zerbi and Manor yet. I want Manor Solomon to be at Tottenham, that is my desire.

“There is Pini Zahavi, Shlomy Ben Ezra and me. There is a team, they may announce tomorrow and they may announce in two weeks. He deserves to get a chance (at Spurs).”