Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League • England
Tottenham interest returns with Antonio Conte a ‘keen admirer’ of Bayern player
Tottenham have reignited their interest in a Bayern Munich player as Antonio Conte is a ‘keen admirer’ of his ability, according to a report.
Conte was promised transfer funds when joining Tottenham in November, but the club is yet to sign anyone during the winter window. They were hoping to land Adama Traore from Wolves and reportedly agreed a £20million fee for him.
But a hold up in the deal means Barcelona are now the frontrunners to re-sign the winger. As per trusted source Fabrizio Romano, Traore is in Spain to complete a medical.
He looks set to join Barcelona on an initial loan and the Spanish giants have the ability to make the deal permanent for €30m (£25m) this summer.
It is the latest setback for Conte and Tottenham, following their major blow in the pursuit of midfielder Franck Kessie.
According to Italian source Calciomercato, Tottenham chief Fabio Paratici struck an agreement with AC Milan for Kessie’s signature.
But the 25-year-old has no intention of joining Spurs and immediately rejected the switch.
Tottenham boss is a ‘keen admirer’ of Bayern man
They could have more joy in the hunt for a Bayern player currently out on loan. Goal state Conte is a ‘keen admirer’ of German keeper Alexander Nubel.
The shot-stopper was once seen as Manuel Neuer’s successor, but only made four appearances for Bayern before heading out on loan.
He has been impressive at Monaco this season, leading Spurs to reignite their interest in him. The north London outfit were previously gunning for his services in 2019.
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Spurs captain Hugo Lloris recently penned a new contract lasting until 2024. However, the club is keen to sign Nubel to provide competition. Should he impress then the 25-year-old may even become his long-term replacement, instead of Pierluigi Gollini.
Spurs are yet to firm up their interest, as they haven’t contacted Nubel or Bayern over a transfer. However, an approach could materialise in the coming months.
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Meanwhile, Spurs are reportedly the latest Premier League club to show an interest in Hellas Verona ace Antonin Barak.
Barak has been building up a long queue of admirers thanks to his performances in Serie A. He recently scored a hat-trick and recorded an assist in a 4-2 win over Sassuolo, prompting Verona to form a strong transfer stance against his departure.
That came after West Ham were considering making him the latest member of their Czech contingent, alongside Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and Alex Kral.
And Newcastle have also been looking into a deal, until Verona decided to try and deter any interest.
But that does not seem to have put off Tottenham, who have now entered the race for his signature – according to transfer journalist Nicolo Schira.
It is claimed Spurs have ‘opened talks’ to sign the 27-year-old. In return, Verona have set an asking price of €20m (£16.6m).
That suggests they are more open to a sale than initially thought. However, they will want it to be on their own terms.
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