Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined north London rivals Arsenal and a host of other clubs in the race to sign a massive Borussia Dortmund attacking talent this summer.
Injury-hit Spurs managed to get three new players on board during the winter window although two of them, Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, are only on loan with respective obligations and options to buy.
However, money was available to spend, as was evidenced by the failed £70million bid to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi. To that end, Tottenham are expected to be very active in the summer market – given all their glaring issues this season – whether it’s Ange Postecoglou still in charge or not.
And one player they are now being tipped to move for is £84m-rated Dortmund star Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who has made a huge impression with the Bundesliga outfit this season and would smash their transfer record if they forked out anything like the sort of figure being mooted.
GiveMeSport reports that the Spurs have placed the England Under-21 international among the names at the top of their summer wish-list, although they are wary of a potential bidding war involving the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.
The report adds that Tottenham have been given fresh optimism in their pursuit of a deal due to Dortmund struggling down in 11th in the Bundesliga table, although they do have one foot in the Champions League last 16 after a 3-0 win at Sporting in the first leg of their playoff clash – a game in which Gittens started.
In terms of his price tag, it’s unlikely that Dortmund will recoup his full exit clause, even though Gittens remains under contract until the summer of 2028, so any fee will still be a big one.
The 20-year-old, who is right-footed but can operate on both flanks, has scored an impressive 11 goals and added five assists in 31 games in competitions this term.
Gittens lined up as Son replacement
All but one of those appearances have come on the left wing, suggesting that Gittens is being targeted as Son Heung-Min’s long-term replacement in north London.
The South Korean has extended his stay for another season but looks a shadow of the player who once terrorised defences with his pace and movement.
Tottenham also have Wilson Odobert who can play off the left, while Tel is comfortable out wide or through the middle – although major doubts remain over whether the French attacker will agree to a permanent stay.
To that end, landing Gittens would be a major coup for a Tottenham side who are building a young, vibrant squad but just need their senior stars back as soon as possible to give Postecoglou the best chance of keeping his job and carrying on his project.
That starts with Sunday’s massive clash against Manchester United in north London, with Spurs able to leapfrog Ruben Amorim’s men in the table with a win.
Postecoglou’s men could also be boosted by the return of one of their key defenders for the game, with Destiny Udogie set to return to training on Wednesday after the players who featured at Villa were given two days off.