Paper Talk: Tottenham ready bargain bid for Barcelona star with £89m exit clause

Tottenham are readying a bid for a Barcelona youngster with an £89m release clause, while Chelsea have set a price for N’Golo Kante, according to Tuesday’s paper gossip.

SPURS TO BID FOR BARCELONA STARLET

Tottenham are reportedly preparing a bid for rising Barcelona B midfielder Lucas de Vega.

Several reports on Tuesday claim that Jose Mourinho is ready to take a chance on the 20-year-old, who is also wanted by Sporting Gijon, Malaga, Tenerife and Real Zaragoza.

De Vega impressed on loan at Segunda Division B side Cartegena last term, making 17 league appearances.

The youngster has two more years left on his current contract in Catalonia and has a whopping release clause of €100million (£89 million) in the deal.

However, in true Daniel Levy style, Spurs are looking to part with just €2m (£1.8m).

Barca are said to want at least €4m upfront, with an additional €4m in add ons. They also want a buy-back clause to be included in any deal.

The Brazil youth international is a La Masia academy product and remains highly regarded by the club.

Despite his relative lack of first-team experience, Mourinho believes the youngster could make an impact on the Premier League.

De Vega impressed against Tottenham in a UEFA Youth League match back in 2018, with club scouts keeping tans on him ever since.

CHELSEA HOLDING FIRM OVER KANTE

Chelsea have placed an £80m price tag on N’Golo Kante – with former boss Antonio Conte of Inter Milan determined to do a deal. (Daily Express)

West Ham are plotting a bold move to land German World Cup-winning star Mario Gotze. (Daily Express)

Dani Ceballos is set to return to Arsenal for a second season-long loan spell from Real Madrid. (Daily Mail)

Lionel Messi will be offered a two-year contract by Manchester City if they are able to prise him away from the Nou Camp. (Daily Mail)

Police who arrested Harry Maguire in Mykonos insist they treated him like “just another drunk Brit”. (The Sun)

Jack Grealish says he cannot wait from being around some of the best international talent in the country after receiving his first England call-up. (The Sun)

INTER ALREADY DONE WITH ERIKSEN

Inter Milan are looking to sell Christian Eriksen less than eight months after signing him from Tottenham. (Daily Mail)

Lionel Messi is facing a suspension and £1.1million fine for missing Barcelona training as his “free agent” row with the club ignites. (The Sun)

Aston Villa have stepped up their interest in Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson, along with Brentford’s Ollie Watkins. (Daily Mail)

Shane Duffy could complete his loan move to Celtic before flying to Bulgaria with Ireland’s national team. (Daily Mail)

Nottingham Forest are expected to sign Benfica midfielder David Tavares on a loan deal which will include an option to buy the 21-year-old, while Matty Cash looks likely to exit the City Ground this summer. (Daily Mail)

Crystal Palace are ahead of Leeds and Newcastle in the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on loan. (Daily Mail)

AND MORE GOSSIP

Donny van de Beek’s father has described how his son’s prospective move to Manchester United is a “dream come true” for the midfielder. (Daily Mirror)

Arturo Vidal has aimed a sly dig at Barcelona’s board over their disappointing season by complaining about the size of their squad. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea intend to make a fresh bid for Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy after having a £14m move rejected. (Daily Mirror)

Ex-Premier League star Marko Arnautovic has admitted he underestimated the Chinese Super League prior to his move to Shanghai SIPG.(Daily Mirror)

The agent of Thiago Silva has launched an attack on “terrible” ex-Arsenal and PSG boss Unai Emery. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United are considering a move for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano as they close in on finalising their first transfer of the summer with the £39.3m capture of midfielder Donny van de Beek from Ajax. (Daily Telegraph)

Clubs in Saudi Arabia and Qatar have expressed interest in signing Mesut Ozil this summer, but the Arsenal playmaker remains insistent that he has no intention of leaving London. (Daily Telegraph)

Porto are ready to enter the race for Rangers star Alfredo Morelos. (Scottish Sun)

Gutted Hibernian star Alex Gogic has opened up on the Covid-19 scare that not only wrecked his international dream for Cyprus but also forced him to lock himself away from his own family. (Daily Record)