Tottenham could see their hopes of signing brilliant attacking left-back Patrick Dorgu ruined by a Premier League rival in the remaining weeks of the January transfer window.
The north London club have been tracking Dorgu for some time after being given the nod by former sorting director Fabio Paratici over his attacking qualities and how he would thrive in the Premier League.
Indeed, Tottenham have been chasing the Lecce man due to growing concerns over Destiny Udogie’s injury issues, along with the fact that Ben Davies will be out of contract in the summer.
Udogie was outstanding at the start of last season before his form dropped away and he eventually missed the end of the campaign with a hamstring problem, the same issue that has sidelined him again now. Add in the fact that Sergio Reguilon will either be offloaded this month or the summer and left-back is a need for Postecoglou going forward.
However, Tottenham’s plans to snap up Dorgu could end up being scuppered by Premier League rivals Liverpool, according to the latest reports coming out of Italy.
TMW reports that the Reds are looking at the 20-year-old as a long-term replacement for Andy Robertson, who was a key figure in the club’s Premier League and Champions League triumphs under Jurgen Klopp but appears to be on the decline.
Indeed, Robertson has completed just two matches since his red card against Fulham in December, with the report claiming that Liverpool have sent scouts to watch the defender in action four times this season – despite the fact they are also keen on Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies too.
The Anfield outfit are expected to bid around £33.6million (€40m/$41m) to sign a player who has scored three goals this season from the attacking left-back role he’s been given by the Serie A outfit.
The news – depending on how much truth there is to it – will come as a massive blow to Tottenham, given the time they have spent evaluating the player, and could end up forcing them to look elsewhere to find some competition for the injury-prone Udogie.
Help coming to Tottenham backline
Spurs should at least be buoyed by the return of their main two centre-backs in the coming weeks, as Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray continue to deputise.
Both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are expected to be back in action by the end of January, meaning Postecoglou is unlikely to splash out on another centre-back in the final couple of weeks of the winter window.
If anything, it now appears that signing a new striker has become the club’s top priority before the February 3 cut-off point.
Indeed, there is growing speculation that Tottenham are closing in on a move for prolific Lille hotshot Jonathan David, who has scored 17 goals so far this season – six more than current Spurs No.9 Dominic Solanke in all competitions.
Postecoglou wants more competition for England forward Solanke, as he cannot trust Richarlison staying fit for any length of time given his track record since moving to the club.
Latest Tottenham news: Spurs to help Rashford secure Barca switch / Mourinho eyes Reguilon
Tottenham could inadvertently help Marcus Rashford to secure his preferred move out of Manchester United this month, with reports detailing the latest on Barcelona’s interest as well as a Spurs ‘offer’ that unlocks their deal.
A delay in Rashford communicating his intentions to Milan and Dortmund over joining them is understood to be a result of the player’s desire to join Barca. And according to Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick, has approved the loan signing of Rashford.
But before a deal can take shape, it was claimed Man Utd must first be willing to accept an obligation to buy would NOT be included in a deal. Furthermore, Man Utd must be willing to subsidise a sizeable portion of the player’s £325,000-a-week wages during the loan.
The issues for Barcelona don’t end there, with Sport confirming Flick’s side must move a player on before they can fit Rashford and his high salary within their financial limits.
That is where Tottenham come in, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on his YouTube channel that Ansu Fati is the player Barcelona could ship out to free up room and funds – with Spurs already putting an offer on the table.
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho is reportedly preparing to raid one of his old clubs Tottenham in the remaining weeks of the January window in his search for new defensive recruits at Fenerbahce – with Sergio Reguilon on his radar.