Tottenham Hotspur transfer chiefs are reportedly confident that they are ‘leading the race’ to sign a top Premier League talent who is being tracked by a number of top clubs ahead of the summer window.
Southampton star Tyler Dibling is the player in question, with the winger excelling in the top flight despite his side languishing down at the bottom of the table and already being doomed to relegation back to the Championship.
Dibling has scored four goals and provided two assists in 28 appearances in all competitions but those stats do not tell the full story of his season, with the 19-year-old having caused top-flight defenders nightmares with his direct attacking style.
And now talkSPORT has provided an update on Dibling’s future, with the forward also having been linked with Newcastle and Aston Villa, amongst others.
They claim that Tottenham believe they are ‘leading the race’ to snatch Dibling away from the south coast, with the wheels likely to be set in motion as soon as Southampton’s relegation is confirmed.
Dibling is also out of contract next summer and, having been ‘unhappy’ with the new deal that he has been offered to him, Saints will be hoping to snap up a sizeable fee before his deal starts to run down.
The report adds that Daniel Levy is confident the St Mary’s outfit will drop below their £50m valuation of Dibling, given the club’s imminent relegation and the fact that his contract is running down.
The potential problem for Tottenham is that reputed journalist Florian Plettenberg claims ‘half of Europe’ currently have eyes on Dibling, especially after he excelled in games against Liverpool and Manchester United this term.
Dibling earmarked for Johnson spot
Dibling is said to have been earmarked for the right side of Tottenham’s attack, despite Brennan Johnson making that position his own this season.
Johnson has been the preferred option when Dejan Kulusevski has been utilised in the No.10 role and has notched an impressive 14 goals and three assists in 35 games in all competitions.
However, despite those impressive stats, there is still a feeling that the Wales international needs to be doing more in games and providing for his teammates. Indeed, he often appears to lack the confidence to try and beat his opposing full-back – although there are not many better at timing and finishing off far-post runs.
If Dibling does arrive in north London, he could provide cover on both wings and there is a stronger argument that he could end up replacing Spurs skipper Son Heung-min long term.
The South Korean has just over 18 months left on his contract but is not the attacking force he once was, and there is every chance he will be allowed to walk away on a free transfer in 2026.
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