Tottenham Hotspur's bid to sign a new defender could see them land Fikayo Tomori from AC Milan as the transfer window ticks down - but the defender has rejected them, according to reports.
Tottenham have needed recruits in the past few months, with an injury crisis and subsequent poor form to boot - but despite their attempts to bring in players, they may have been declined once again, with Tomori turning them down in a major twist.
Report: Tottenham Target Tomori 'To Stay' at AC Milan, Fee Agreed
The Lilywhites have had another rejection which could prove costly
The report by Gianluca Di Marzio states that Tomori wants to stay at AC Milan at the moment, as the past week has offered alternate points of view. On one hand, a return to the Premier League could be enticing for the former Chelsea star, but there is also the chance to remain at the San Siro.
Tomori has thought about his decision for a few hours, and for now, he wishes to stay in Serie A for the foreseeable future. That is despite there already being a verbal agreement between Tottenham and Milan, with the Lombardy-based outfit being open to the sale of Tomori for a fee of around €25million (£21.25million) plus bonuses.
Tottenham are 'ready' to satisfy Milan's demands, with the clubs reaching angreement on Friday evening, but Tomori has already rejected Ange Postecoglou's men for the time being. Tomori is reportedly only thinking about the Milan derby against bitter enemies Inter Milan, and has no intention of leaving the Rossoneri at the minute. Tomori would add to Tottenham's team as a homegrown player, but whether he will move before the deadline remains to be seen.
Tomori joined Chelsea as an eight-year-old, moving through the ranks in the first-team with 27 appearances for the Blues - alongside rewarding loan moves to Hull City, Derby County and AC Milan, where he has since been called 'outstanding'.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Fikayo Tomori has 281 career appearances throughout his career.
It was his time in Serie A that saw him land a permanent move to Italy, where he has since made 163 appearances for the San Siro club - and with five England caps, he's clearly in the mind of the national team setup - where he could find his way back into the team under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 01-02-25.