Tottenham go rogue with bizarre move for €100m-rated Chelsea target; summer sale ‘practically guaranteed’
A remarkable report has claimed Tottenham are lining up a Valencia raid that would torpedo Chelsea’s transfer plans and put pressure on a recent signing who’s done nothing wrong.
Spurs are once again a team on the rise under Ange Postecoglou who’s got spirits at an all-time high in north London. Gone are the dour days of defence-first tactics under Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo. Instead, Tottenham are producing an exciting – and effective – brand of football.
Champions League qualification is within reach after thumping Aston Villa 4-0 last weekend.
With Villa’s squad set to be stretched with Europa Conference League commitments and Spurs’ midweeks free from here on out, it’s Tottenham who are many people’s favourites to snatch fourth spot.
The likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven and James Maddison – all signed by Postecoglou in the summer – have made instant impacts at Spurs.
However, according to a curious report from Estadio Deportivo, Tottenham have set their sights on a Valencia ace who’d put unneeded pressure on Vicario.
It’s claimed Tottenham are among three clubs in the mix for Valencia goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili.
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Valencia open to sale for discounted fee
The Georgia, international, 23, stands at an imposing 6ft 6in tall and has been crucial in keeping Valencia’s head above water in recent seasons.
Mamardashvili is among LaLiga’s best between the sticks, though amid the club’s ongoing struggles, they’re open to a summer sale.
The stopper’s current contract is understood to contain a giant release clause worth €100m. However, all reports about the Valencia and the player suggest a deal can be made for well below that sum.
Aside from Spurs, Estadio Deportivo list Chelsea and Bayern Munich as courting Mamardashvili.
The Blues are known to be on the hunt for a new No 1 at season’s end. Robert Sanchez has laboured since arriving from Brighton last summer.
Mauricio Pochettino has kept faith with Djordje Petrovic since Sanchez returned from a knee injury, thus suggesting Sanchez has failed to convince his manager.
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Estadio Deportivo state Valencia are determined to build for the future and the lucrative sale of arguably their best player in Mamardashvili would allow them to fund a rebuild.
What’s more, it’s also claimed the club have already lined up Rayo Vallecano’s Stole Dimitrievski as Mamardashvili’s replacement.
As such, the report conclude Mamardashvili’s summer sale is ‘practically guaranteed’ and his stint at Valencia is ‘practically closed.’
Tottenham links make no sense
However, one must question the validity of the claims Spurs are interested, especially as Vicario has been among the club’s stand-out performers this season.
Aged just 23, Vicario could conceivably be the club’s starting keeper for the next decade and beyond. What’s more, you only have to look over at Arsenal to see how possessing two keepers of roughly equal standing can affect their displays.
What’s more, TEAMtalk has learned Ramsdale will push to leave the Gunners in the summer after losing his starting spot to David Raya.
As such, it seems nonsensical on several levels for Spurs to target Mamardashvili and potentially put pressure on Vicario who has not put a foot wrong so far.
A potential switch to west London with Chelsea looks a far more sensible and likelier outcome at this stage.