Tottenham Hotspur have turned to Chelsea attacker Christopher Nkunku after failing in their efforts to sign Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel, according to TBR Football.
Tel, 19, turned down the chance to join Ange Postecoglou's side after Spurs agreed on a £50 million deal with Bayern for the French youngster who could still arrive in the Premier League with Manchester United. Postecoglou has been keen to bring a versatile forward to the club during this winter transfer window but has so far failed to do so.
Nkunku, 27, has emerged as a potential option for the Lilywhites amid a frustrating spell at Stamford Bridge, where he's playing second fiddle to the likes of Jadon Sancho, Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke in Enzo Maresca's attack. The Frenchman has started just three of 19 Premier League games, posting two goals and one assist.
Tottenham Set Their Sights On Nkunku After Tel Snub
The French attacker wants out of Stamford Bridge
Tottenham have approached Chelsea about Nkunku's availability, who joined the West London giants in the summer of 2023 for £52 million but has struggled with fitness issues. He is a versatile attacker who can play across the frontline, and as a second striker, which fits the profile Postecoglou has been after during the January transfer window.
Randal Kolo Muani was Spurs' top target, but the Paris Saint-Germain frontman chose to join Juventus on loan over the Lilywhites, and Daniel Levy put his focus on Tel in recent days. Levy failed to persuade him to make the move despite holding face-to-face talks in Munich, and Nkunku is now one of several alternatives.
Chelsea are reportedly demanding £65 million for Nkunku amid interest from Bayern and now their neighbours, and Levy is scrambling for a forward signing, but his position at the negotiating table is weakened by alerting the selling club to his willingness to spend £50 million on Tel.
Nkunku, who earns a purported £300,000 per week, was one of Europe's finest attackers at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, managing 70 goals and 54 assists in 172 games. A serious knee injury hampered the start of the 14-cap France international's spell at Stamford Bridge and he's been unable to shine with the Blues.
All statistics courtesy of SofaScore - correct as of 01/02/2025.