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Journalist Uriel Lugt has revealed that Tottenham striker Alejo Veliz has now emerged as a target for Fiorentina ahead of the new season.

What next for Alejo Veliz?

There is plenty of excitement about Veliz’s potential at Spurs, and back in his native Argentina, but the striker’s first season in Europe did not go according to plan.

The centre-forward would have hoped to catch Ange Postecoglou’s eye when he made the loan move to Sevilla in January but his spell at the La Liga club proved to be a disaster.

In fact, Veliz only ended up playing a total of 31 La Liga minutes across six cameos, which is far from what Tottenham would have expected when they sent him to Spain (TransferMarkt).

Fiorentina are interested in Alejo Veliz

It has now emerged that the 20-year-old may have a chance to move to Italy, with Lugt taking to social media to reveal that Fiorentina are pushing ahead with a move for the striker.

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The journalist does not make it clear whether the Viola are looking to sign Veliz on loan or in a permanent deal.

However, he adds that an offer could arrive for the Spurs striker from Raffaele Palladino’s men over the next few days.

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After Veliz’s struggles at Seville, Tottenham will be wary of sending him to a big club as the last thing they would want is for the striker to warm the bench again during the upcoming season.

I would not be surprised if Spurs decided to loan the 20-year-old to a Championship club.

The Sunday Times journalist Duncan Castles has confirmed that Tottenham do hold a serious interest in Scott McTominay and the Lilywhites could now enter a bidding war for the Manchester United star.

Tottenham’s homegrown problem

Spurs have not had any success in their quest to sign a senior homegrown midfielder this summer, with the club seeming on course to miss out on their top targets.

It has emerged over recent days that Conor Gallagher is now edging close to a move to Atletico Madrid (HITC) while Jacob Ramsey is reportedly set to stay put at Aston Villa (The Athletic).

It was suggested by journalist Dean Jones on the Rank Ultras FC podcast a couple of weeks ago that Spurs could turn their attention to McTominay, who is thought to be available for £30m.

Spurs could bid for Scott McTominay

Castles has now talked up Tottenham’s interest in the Scotland international, insisting that Ange Postecoglou’s men could look to outbid Fulham for the player’s signature.

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The journalist said on The Transfers Podcast: “Tottenham Hotspur are also strongly interested in McTominay. And I think ultimately should be able to outbid Fulham for the player, as well as having higher status and the ability to offer European football to McTominay.

“I think in all likelihood we would see McTominay move to another Premier League club before the end of this window.”

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McTominay is a much better player than a lot of Man Utd fans give him credit for but he simply does not strike me as a natural fit for Ange’s system.

While the 27-year-old has energy to burn, he does not have the awareness or the quality in possession to receive the ball on the half-turn, which is something Postecoglou expects of his midfielders.

According to GiveMeSport, even though Ivan Toney is keen on making a move to Tottenham Hotspur, the transfer saga could drag on until the final few days of the transfer window.

Ivan Toney has been linked with Spurs

The report says that Spurs’ pursuit of Toney has now been boosted after the North London club learned that the striker is quite keen on making the switch to Hotspur Way.

It is explained that the 28-year-old, who is into the final year of his contract at Brentford, is keen on a new challenge and wants to join a club which can offer him European football and a chance to compete for silverware.

In addition, the fact that a switch to Tottenham will allow the centre-forward to remain in London is also thought to be quite appealing to the player.

Ivan Toney transfer is quite complicated

GiveMeSport claim that even though Spurs have emerged as Toney’s ‘most likely destination’ this summer, the move is not expected to be straightforward.

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This is because Brentford’s new signing Igor Thiago has now sustained an injury which is expected to keep him out for several months, which increases the possibility of the Bees holding on to the England international.

The publication adds that Toney’s switch to Tottenham could thus go down to the wire, with Ange Postecoglou’s men even willing to cash in on Richarlison to fund a move for the former Peterborough United man.

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The Thiago injury puts this transfer in major doubt as Thomas Frank’s men would not want to start the season without a recognised number nine.

At the very least, the injury will add a few million to Brentford’s asking price for Toney.

While Tottenham have been carrying out something of an exodus this summer, it seems one player previously thought to be on his way out of the club may actually have a future after impressing during pre-season.

Djed Spence is a Spurs player

Djed Spence has spent the last two years out on loan at clubs in France, Italy, and in the Championship. It had seemed that his Spurs career was over before it ever began, but that may have changed finally.

Speaking to Football.London, Ange Postecoglou had nothing but positive things to say about the full-back and suggested the idea of Spence being part of his squad is all down to the player himself now.

He said: “We got him back into pre-season and we’re judging him on his merits. He’s a Tottenham player.

“To be fair to him, I think he’s been very, very good for us this pre-season, in terms of the way he’s trained and his general attitude. But a lot of these things are in the players’ hands themselves. They kind of decide their own future in many respects and I think Djed is in that boat.

“I think there’s an opportunity for him here, for sure. Thinking about building a squad, he would definitely be somebody who could [contribute] with the attributes he has. I thought last year there was a chance but it didn’t quite work out.

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“For those kind of things, I think sometimes players really wait for direction when they can really take control of their own direction.

“Djed’s here. He is a Spurs player. He’s a very good player who fits into our football and so it’s as much about him as it is about me making a decision.”

A brilliant run in pre-season

Spence has hit the ground running in pre-season, delivering defensive quality and showing his attacking prowess too.

The former Middlesbrough man has featured in every single friendly against Hearts, QPR, Vissel Kobe and Team K-League, and will likely play some part in the match against Bayern Munich today too.

Postecoglou has certainly been impressed. He added: “As you see right now, he’s been very good pre-season, he’s been very good on the tour. He’s impressed all the coaches, not just myself. For some of them, it’s the first time they’ve worked with him and they’ve all been really impressed with him.

“Maybe he’s learned a couple of things over the last couple of years about himself and hopefully we can sort of bear the fruit of that.”

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I’m so happy that Spence has finally found his feet and is showing what he can do. I was so excited when we first signed him, and it looks like we might now be getting to see the best of him.

Although David Moyes’ time at Manchester United was short and unsuccessful, hindsight displays he certainly knew what he was doing in the transfer market, as the Scotsman recalls having made a ‘huge’ offer for Gareth Bale while at United.

Bale joined Real Madrid for a world-record fee in 2013

Gareth Bale broke the record for the largest fee ever received back in the summer of 2013 when he made the switch from Tottenham to Real Madrid, where he went on to lift five Champions Leagues, three La Ligas and three Club World Cups. (TransferMarkt)

The Welsh superstar attracted widespread interest at the time following his incredible solo season for Spurs in 2012/13. He netted twenty-six goals in all competitions that year, assisting a further ten goals as well. (TransferMarkt)

Bale was a shining light in what was far from an amazing Tottenham team at the time, with the Lilywhites finishing fifth despite his individual brilliance.

Spurs then attempted to reinvest the record fee by signing what was dubbed as the ‘magnificent seven’, although the group of signings infamously turned out to be quite the opposite (Sky Sports).

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Moyes made a ‘big offer’ to sign Bale for Man United

Former West Ham United manager, David Moyes, had an almost insurmountable challenge of following the great Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013, which ended with him losing his job less than a year after being appointed.

However, the 61-year-old does claim to have tried to sign Bale, which would have likely eased the pain suffered in his tenure. Moyes even seems to suggest that Man United bid more than Real Madrid.

Whilst speaking on the Up Front podcast Moyes stated “The other part then was I wanted Gareth Bale. Manchester United had great wide players in their history. I thought Gareth Bale, we made bigger offers to Tottenham, we made bigger offers to him and his agent.

“We wanted both Cesc Fabregas and Gareth Bale, but both fell through. Bale had his heart set on Real Madrid and I couldn’t change it.”

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Although as Moyes claims, he and Manchester United may have made larger offers to Spurs than Real Madrid had, it’s unlikely that even Daniel Levy, let alone Bale would have agreed to a deal at the time.

As proven by Harry Kane’s eventual sale last year, Levy is extremely reluctant to let the club’s best players move to direct Premier League competitors, which is likely why Bale went to Real Madrid in Spain and Kane has gone to Bayern Munich in Germany.

After months of heavy speculation, it finally looks like Emerson Royal is about to seal a move to AC Milan, according to the latest reports emanating from Italy.

Emerson Royal to Milan transfer saga

Most Spurs fans are probably bored of the Emerson transfer saga by now.

With the defender featuring for Tottenham in their pre-season friendly on Wednesday, it would appear there is still work to be done before a transfer is finalised.

However, after several false alarms, it now seems like the 25-year-old’s proposed transfer is finally on the cusp of going through.

This is according to Sportmediaset, (as relayed by MilanNews24) who claim that Tottenham and Milan have now ‘reached an agreement’ over the right-back.

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Spurs and AC Milan finally reach an agreement

The outlet says that the two parties have settled on a fee of €15m plus a further €3m in add-ons, with Emerson finally expected to seal his switch to the San Siro.

The publication adds that only final details are left to be ironed out, with the player expected to travel to Italy this weekend for his medical.

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Neither Tottenham nor Milan seemingly wanted to give an inch in negotiations and it looks like the two sides might have now sorted out their differences by adding performance-based add-ons in the deal.

Hopefully, this can actually go through in the next week so Spurs can move on to the next item on their summer to-do list.

FirenzeViola have now talked up Tottenham’s chances of winning the race for Michael Kayode, revealing that Fiorentina might have to sacrifice the right-back due to their financial situation.

Tottenham are keen on Michael Kayode

This is the latest of a number of reports emerging from Italy crediting Spurs with an interest in Kayode, who burst onto the scene last season with energetic displays on the right flank for Viola.

The outlet claims that it is now a case of ‘London calling’ for the young defender, whose list of admirers is now growing.

Spurs are said to be prominent among those, with the 20-year-old said to be ‘appreciated’ by the Lilywhites, who have made it a habit of signing the best talent from Serie A over recent years.

Emerson out, Kayode in

The report alleges that Ange Postecoglou’s men have identified Kayode as the ideal option to replace the departing Emerson Royal and that Fiorentina are ready to drop their asking price for their academy graduate.

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This is because Vincenzo Italiano’s men need a ‘major sale’ to balance their books, with Nikola Milenkovic’s move to Nottingham Forest not being overly profitable for the Serie A outfit.

Of course, Tottenham need to actually get Emerson Royal out the door before they can replace him.

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I doubt Tottenham would want to enter the market for another right-back at the moment, particularly since Djed Spence does not appear close to a departure.

Archie Gray would likely be used as Pedro Porro’s main understudy by Postecoglou during the upcoming season.

The Athletic have revealed that Tottenham Hotspur stood a serious chance of landing Jacob Ramsey earlier this summer but the move fell through after Aston Villa’s position changed.

Tottenham wanted Jacob Ramsey

The report reveals that Spurs had pushed ahead with a move for Ramsey soon after the transfer window opened and by late June, the transfer was very much on the cards.

However, just then, Villa managed to sell Omari Kellyman to Chelsea for £19m before they got another £42m from Douglas Luiz’s move to Juventus.

This meant that the dynamic had changed, and they were in a comfortable position with respect to PSR, thus making the sale of Ramsey unnecessary.

Aston Villa do not need to sell

It is pointed out that Unai Emery’s men now have even more financial breathing space after selling Moussa Diaby to Al Ittihad for £50m last week.

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As a result, the Midlands club are under no pressure to let go of their academy graduate, with Ramsey now said to be focused on preparing for another season at Villa Park.

It seems Spurs will have to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements this summer.

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With Ramsey now looking set to stay at Villa, with Gallagher seemingly heading to Atletico and with the Eze deal looking complicated, it seems like Tottenham’s quest to sign a homegrown midfielder is getting increasingly more complicated.

Even the more reliable journalists don’t seem to know what Spurs are doing this summer. Hopefully, that means secret deals and not just complete inactivity behind the scenes.

According to the print edition of Sport BILD (as relayed by Sport Witness), Manchester City right-back Yan Couto has rejected a move to Tottenham Hotspur as he wants to join Borussia Dortmund instead.

Yan Couto impressed at Girona

The report claims that Couto won many admirers with his displays on loan at Girona last season and he is now expected to find a new club this summer since he is not in Pep Guardiola’s plans.

It is revealed that Spurs had been impressed by the 22-year-old and were ‘vying’ for his signature, but the player is thought to have rejected the North London club’s advances.

Couto allegedly wants to join Dortmund instead, with the Brazilian thought to have emerged as the Bundesliga side’s top target.

Yan Couto to Borussia Dortmund

The 22-year-old is reportedly valued at €25m by the Premier League champions, with the German club keen to push through the deal.

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However, despite having been locked in talks with Man City for the best part of a fortnight, Dortmund have allegedly not been able to secure the young full-back’s signature so far.

Either way, it appears Tottenham are out of the running, with Couto preferring the Bundesliga giants.

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With Tottenham having both Archie Gray and Djed Spence to cover for Pedro Porro, I do not see the club entering the market for another right-back this summer despite Emerson Royal’s impending departure.

It is likely the club will instead revisit the position in January if Ange is unhappy with his options.

Ange Postecoglou has admitted that it will take more than just a couple of transfer windows to build the kind of squad that can compete consistently on multiple fronts.

Spurs still need more signings

While Tottenham got most of their major signings completed early last summer so that the new players could have a full pre-season under their belt, that has not been the case this time around.

In fact, with just a few weeks left until the start of the season, the Lilywhites are arguably in need of at least three more major reinforcements in order to stand a chance of competing with the best teams in the Premier League.

However, Postecoglou appears relaxed about the situation, insisting that he never expected the full rebuild to be completed this summer.

Postecoglou wants more than a quick fix

When asked about the importance of having a strong squad in order to compete on multiple fronts, the Australian told Football.London: “I don’t think it’ll all get done [in this window].

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“I’ve never believed in quick fixes and I think I said that it would have been great if we had done our business already, but I’ve always maintained a discipline not to go off and sort of get too emotional through these times.

“It’s a difficult time. This is the part of the season where I’ve probably got the least control over decisions and I’ve learned to stay disciplined and make sure that we do what we set out to do.

“We’ve added the two young guys, but I also think there’s been growth from other guys from last year, which naturally makes us stronger this year. But yeah, we obviously still got a hand in this window, but I think we’ll go beyond this window. “

The Tottenham head coach pointed out that there has been a huge squad turnover at the club over the last 12 months, claiming that the club are building for the long term.

He added: “This wasn’t just tinkering around the edges when I took over, it needed, you know, a big shift from where it was. I was just thinking about last year’s pre-season, you know, I reckon 50% of the people who were on that tour are probably not here now.

“So we’ve already done a hell of a lot and we don’t need to do as much, but I still think there’s…because it’s not just about having success one year. What you’re trying to build is another, hopefully, another cycle of success, and I think that’ll take a bit longer.”

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While the rebuild was not going to be completed this window, Spurs have not been able to deliver Ange’s wish of wanting key players in before the start of pre-season.

However, that might be the compromise the club needed to make if they were hellbent on signing their top targets for each position rather than settling for an alternative, who is perhaps easier to get.