Tottenham, Aston Villa in battle to sign deadly Serie A forward with £70m escape clause

Rob McCarthy 27 Sep 2024 10:40 AM

Tottenham, Villa are both keen on Marcus Thuram

Tottenham are reportedly considering a move for Inter Milan’s highly-rated forward Marcus Thuram, but will face a battle with Premier League rivals Aston Villa for his signature.

The France international attacker has taken his game to another level since moving to the San Siro on a free transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2023.

Indeed, Thuram was instrumental in guiding Inter to the Serie A title last season, scoring 15 goals and adding 14 assists in 46 games in competitions for the Italian giants.

He has also started the new campaign in scintillating fashion with four goals and two assists in six games so far.

And that form has not gone unnoticed, with Tottenham and Villa among several big European clubs tracking the forward’s progress – as reported by Fichajes.net.

The interest from the north London outfit stems from a desire to offload the under-performing Richarlison either in January or next summer, with the report suggesting that Postecoglou views the Frenchman as an ideal replacement.

There is no mention of what sort of fee could be involved in any potential transfer for a player who has also been heavily linked with Arsenal, although he is reported to have a release clause of £70million (€85m, $94.6m).

Thuram perfectly suited to the Premier League

Thuram’s attributes make him well-suited to English football, with physicality, speed and technical ability all perfect traits to succeed in the Premier League.

However, the biggest question remains whether Inter Milan are willing to sell one of their key players.

Thuram is a key cog in Simone Inzaghi’s side but if any suitors match that exit clause then Inter will have no choice but to sell, assuming the player himself is looking for a move.

Tottenham’s interest certainly makes sense, given Richarlison‘s struggles and worrying signs that skipper Son Heung-min’s game is steadily starting to decline.

As for Villa’s interest, it’s reported they want Thuram to form a deadly partnership with Ollie Watkins up front as Unai Emery looks to add more attacking depth to his first-team squad.

Doubts over the long-term future of Jhon Duran, who started the new season in excellent form, have also stirred their interest in Thuram.

Indeed, Villa are known to have rejected summer deadline day offers from Chelsea and West Ham for Duran, while Barcelona are also being credited with an interest in the attacker.

Tottenham considering shock swap deal as Villa maintain Gomez interest

In other Tottenham news, a shock new report suggests that Spurs are considering an audacious swap deal that would see under-fire goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario head back to Italy and join Inter Milan.

The Serie A giants are looking for a long-term replacement for veteran stopper Yann Sommer and view Italy international Vicario as the perfect addition to their squad.

What’s more, Inter Live reports that experienced France international defender Benjamin Pavard could head to north London as part of the deal.

Meanwhile, Villa have reportedly maintained interest in signing Liverpool defender Joe Gomez but will likely have to fight Newcastle for his signature.

Gomez was open to a move away from Anfield over the summer as he searched to become a guaranteed starter elsewhere, and Football Insider reports that Villa and Newcastle are still keeping tabs on his game time on Merseyside.