Tottenham have opened dialogue over the signing of a readymade Premier League forward after Manchester United’s own attempts to seal a deal did not progress, according to a report.
Tottenham and Man Utd are both on the hunt for attacking reinforcements prior to tonight’s 11pm transfer deadline.
The Red Devils’ desire stems from the lack of goals provided by Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. Furthermore, Marcus Rashford has been loaned out to Aston Villa and Alejandro Garnacho’s future remains a hot topic.
Spurs, meanwhile, have no shortage of viable options for their front three. Their issue is injuries, with Ange Postecoglou down to the bare bones right now.
One player both clubs have fixed their gaze on is Leon Bailey of Aston Villa.
United’s interest came first, with Bailey along with Christopher Nkunku serving as back-up targets to Mathys Tel.
And with Man Utd reportedly unable to match Bayern’s demand for either a loan containing an obligation to buy or an outright transfer, Tel looks set to be denied his ambition of playing at Old Trafford.
That’s brought Bailey back into view, but per The Athletic, a move for the 27-year-old winger has not progressed.
And per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham hope to step into the breach after calling their counterparts at Aston Villa. But while contact has been established, Romano suggested a deal may be difficult to forge.
“Man Utd and Tottenham, both clubs called to be informed on Bailey, “said Romano on his YouTube channel. “But it depends on Aston Villa and at the moment there are no open doors.”
Explaining Villa’s stance on offloading Bailey, Romano strongly suggested the Jamaican may only be given the green light to leave if more forwards are signed to take his place.
Marco Asensio’s arrival from PSG on a straight six-month loan is imminent. However, Villa have also been trying to sign Joao Felix from Chelsea and as yet, those attempts have not succeeded.
Leon Bailey record this season
Bailey has scored just one goal and provided three assists across 29 appearances this season. Those are not the types of figures that will whet the appetite at Spurs or Man Utd, though Bailey did bag 14 goals last term.
The speedy left-footer operates primarily on the right flank and boasts three-and-a-half years of Premier League experience.
He’d represent a readymade and potentially explosive option for either of Tottenham or Man Utd. But as Romano mentioned, the ball is in Villa’s court and as yet, they’re unwilling to share.
Latest Tottenham news – Kevin Danso, Axel Disasi
In other news, Spurs officially announced the signing of centre-back Kevin Danso – who’ll wear the No 4 shirt – on Sunday.
Tottenham pulled off a coup when hijacking Wolves’ deal for the Austrian. Wolves had even booked a medical for Danso before Spurs swooped.
The deal is a six-month loan that contains an obligation to buy worth €25m/£20.9m. Per Tottenham reporter, Alasdair Gold, Danso could be eligible to make his debut against Liverpool on Thursday for the League Cup semi-final second leg clash.
Elsewhere, Spurs are attempting to add another centre-back to their ranks after agreeing a loan deal with Chelsea for Axel Disasi.