Exclusive: Tottenham 'Ahead of Rivals' in Race for £150,000-a-Week Star

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Tottenham Hotspur are seriously considering making a move for Federico Chiesa after Juventus have set their sights on bagging a fee instead of risking him becoming a free agent.

Premier League counterparts Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United have been keeping tabs on the Italy international as well.

Chiesa has been identified by Tottenham as a cheaper alternative to Eberechi Eze and Pedro Neto as they also continue monitoring Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez.

Tottenham Hotspur are ahead of a host of Premier League rivals in the race for Federico Chiesa as the north Londoners have shown an increased level of interest in the Juventus star as boss Ange Postecoglou aims to add another attacking influence to his Hotspur Way squad, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

Having already wrapped up the signing of Swedish teenager Lucas Bergvall before the transfer window reopened, Spurs negotiated a fresh loan deal which includes an £8.5million purchase option with Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig for Timo Werner after a productive initial spell.

Archie Gray has also arrived in a deal worth up to £30million from Leeds United after technical director Johan Lange and chairman Daniel Levy have been overseeing Tottenham's recruitment drive, but Postecoglou is in the market for further reinforcements ahead of the August 30 deadline.

Spurs Showing More Interest in Chiesa Than Premier League Counterparts

Italian's representatives looking for potential landing spots

Tottenham is a potential destination for Chiesa as the capital club have shown more interest than Premier League rivals Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United, according to GMS sources, despite the quintet also being made aware of his situation at Juventus.

The Italy international has entered the final 12 months of his contract at the Allianz Stadium, which allows him to pocket close to £150,000-per-week, and the Serie A heavyweights are prepared to cash in due to fears of him leaving as a free agent at the end of the upcoming campaign.

GMS sources have been informed that Tottenham have pinpointed Chiesa as a more affordable option than fellow targets Eberechi Eze and Pedro Neto, who are facing uncertain futures at Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively, while his experience and goalscoring record are attractive despite concerns over his history with injuries.

Juventus will entertain bids as low as £21million as new head coach Thiago Motta does not want to work with members of the squad who are refusing to be fully committed to his project, while the 26-year-old's representatives have been working on identifying potential landing spots for the past month after opting against renewing his contract.

Although GMS sources have learned that Tottenham are still contemplating whether to offer Chiesa a route out of Juventus by lodging a formal bid, his versatility means he could feature as a creative forward or through the middle, and he already has an existing understanding with former teammates Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Federico Chiesa has got his name on the scoresheet 66 times over the course of 284 senior club appearances, while he has also racked up 49 assists along the way

North Londoners Keeping Tabs on Gimenez

Feyenoord striker caught scouts' eye with goals return last season

GMS sources have been told that Tottenham have continued keeping tabs on Gimenez after the Feyenoord frontman caught the attention of scouts with his goalscoring exploits last season, but they have not escalated their interest since the transfer window reopened for business last month.

Although the Mexico international found the back of the net 26 times in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, his form dropped off after bagging 13 goals in his first nine Eredivisie outings, resulting in Spurs choosing to avoid the temptation of rushing into agreeing terms for his signature.

There is still potential for Gimenez to leave Feyenoord as intermediaries are aiming to discover where genuine interest lies, GMS sources understand, and Tottenham collated detailed reports on how he would fit into Postecoglou's system after he was among the names at the top of the list of targets at the turn of the year.

The north Londoners also have Viktor Gyokeres, of Primeira Liga heavyweights Sporting, and Lille's Jonathan David on their shortlist as they go in search of an out-and-out striker ahead of the new season getting underway, but no contact has been made with their current employers.

Ivan Toney is being targeted as well, but GMS sources recently revealed that the Brentford marksman is holding out for a salary worth up to £250,000-per-week if he embarks on a fresh challenge, and Tottenham are at risk of facing competition from Manchester United if his price tag drops below £40million.

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