Tottenham have been given a timely boost in their pursuit of Rodrigo Bentancur after Aston Villa’s offer was spurned and Juventus lined up a suitable replacement, per reports.
Following the dismay of losing out to Liverpool over Luis Diaz, Spurs fans could’ve been forgiven for wondering if their fortunes would ever change. However, Tottenham’s hierarchy quickly put that disappointment to bed when lodging a double approach for Juventus pair Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.
And according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham may soon find joy with the latter.
Romano tweeted Juventus are prepared to complete a deal for Denis Zakaria. The Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder, 25, is out of contract in the summer, and his transfer value has diminished as a result.
Juventus are reportedly prepared to act early and sign him this month, and have put an offer of €5m plus add-ons on the German side’s table.
Zakaria is deemed ready to join, and his transfer would tee up Bentancur’s move to north London.
Bentancur picks Tottenham over Aston Villa
Bentancur had also emerged on the radar of Steven Gerrard at Villa Park.
However, per the Birmingham Mail, the combative midfielder snubbed Villa in favour of chancing his arm at Tottenham. They speculate the influence of Spurs chief Fabio Paratici may have been key in that development.
Uruguayan Bentancur, 24, is the subject of discussions that are currently taking place between Juve and Spurs. A €19m transfer fee has been earmarked, with add-ons due to raise the deal’s total cost down the line.
Romano stated Juventus ‘are prepared to complete’ their Zakaria signing once they’ve agreed on the final Bentancur fee.
With Juventus already lining up a direct replacement and Bentancur choosing Spurs over rival bidders, a deal is there for Tottenham’s making if they meet the Turin club’s demands.
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New Ndombele exit routes open up
Meanwhile, Tanguy Ndombele may struggle to complete his desired move from Tottenham to PSG – but reports claim there are a number of alternative deals in the pipeline.
PSG have emerged as the primary contender to land Ndombele on loan this month. However, the Evening Standard have reported that PSG cannot take the Frenchman unless they offload one of their current midfielders. That is proving difficult, so there may actually be no space for him.
Not part of the plans at Tottenham, though, Ndombele will be glad to know he has several other opportunities.
According to RMC Sport, his other suitors are Bayer Leverkusen, Valencia, and fellow Premier League side Everton. Another option is former club Lyon.
According to Telefoot1 reporter Julien Maynard, Lyon have joined the race for the man they sold to Spurs in 2019.
Maynard claims Lyon have held talks that lasted a few hours over the possibility of Ndombele returning on loan.
Details are scarce at present as to the kind of clauses that would be inserted into this deal. But it appears to be another option for Ndombele as the deadline looms.
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