Tottenham have displayed a sudden interest in signing a £50 million Brazil international "in recent days", as Spurs look to back manager Ange Postecoglou ahead of his second full season in charge of the club.
Spurs targeting new central midfielder for Postecoglou
Widespread reports indicate that a new midfield number six is firmly on the agenda in north London this summer, coming amid the uncertainty surrounding a few squad members in that position.
Denmark international Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is keen to leave Spurs after losing his starting place under Postecoglou last season, as reported by Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg.
Hojbjerg actually featured in 39 games across all competitions, but only a handful of those cameos were full starts. The 28-year-old's contract expires next summer as well, so now is the right time for chairman Daniel Levy to sell Hojbjerg and make some money back off the £20 million they paid to bring him in from Southampton.
Meanwhile, fellow midfielder Giovani Lo Celso also struggled for consistent opportunities in Postecoglou's debut managerial season. Multiple reports from reliable sources state that Tottenham want to use Lo Celso in a player-plus-cash bid to sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa but it remains to be seen whether Unai Emery's side will give in to their advances.
In any case, Lo Celso's future appears far away from N17, with the Argentine's contract also set to expire next summer. Postecoglou is rumoured to want a new midfield number six more tailor-made to his system, leading to Tottenham's interest in Chelsea star Conor Gallagher among others.
Gallagher's own expiring contract, which is also set to run out in 2025, could make him a transfer opportunity for Spurs and other interested sides with Chelsea under some pressure to sell this summer or agree on an extension.
The history between Tottenham and Chelsea as bitter rivals could make this a complicated deal, though, so the Lilywhites do have alternative options to pursue.
Tottenham show sudden interest in signing Joao Gomes
According to South American reporter Valentin Furlan, Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes is somebody Tottenham are considering.
The Brazilian, who's estimated to be worth around £50 million, impressed under Gary O'Neil last season and even managed to earn call-ups to the national team. Tottenham have shown a sudden interest "in recent days" to sign Gomes, according to Furlan, and it is believed the Molineux side are open to selling him for good market value.
Gomes joined Wolves from Brasileirao side Flamengo for just £15 million in January 2023, making 34 league appearances in his full debut season last campaign.