Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur

Premier League • England

Tottenham tipped for jaw-dropping Real Madrid raid, despite TWO glaring red flags – report

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is expected to be backed in January

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing a shock raid on Real Madrid for one of their top midfielders in what would be a stunning coup for the club, but one that TEAMtalk has raised two major red flags over.

Spurs men have made a reasonably strong start to life under new manager Thomas Frank, sitting fourth in the Premier League and also gaining four points from their opening two Champions League outings.

Summer signings Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha have already made an immediate impact, while Xavi Simons is starting to show signs he is adapting to his switch from the Bundesliga.

And while Tottenham are yet to see anything of loan signing Ranadal Kolo Muani so far, largely due to a dead leg, the fact they are able to attract players of the quality of Simons and PSG star Kolo Muani shows that the club’s status in Europe is growing after their Europa League triumph.

That status would grow even more if the latest reports from Spain are to be believed, though, with claims that Spurs are planning a January move on Real Madrid for midfielder Federico Valverde.

The Uruguay international, who has been described as a ‘superstar’ at The Bernabeu, has come under criticism for his performances this season under new manager Xabi Alonso, sparking speculation that he could be made available in the new year.

The report states that Tottenham have made the 27-year-old a ‘priority’ transfer target in January, as they look to make a statement signing following Daniel Levy’s recent shock exit.

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Two red flags in Tottenham chase for Valverde

While there is no question that Tottenham signing Valverde would immediately give their midfield the upgrade it urgently needs in the No.8 role, there are two red flags when it comes to the possibility of that actually happening.

The first of which is the source of the report itself, with Fichajes.net having proven to be speculative at best in the past.

Indeed, despite talk of Alonso being unhappy with Valverde, he has still started six of the club’s seven LaLiga outings so far and was rested for their Champions League win at Kairat Almaty on Tuesday evening.

Add in the fact that he also reportedly earns around £345,000-a-week in Madrid, and a Spurs move for Valverde just doesn’t add up, no matter how much fans in the white half of north London would love it.

In fact, Valverde would need to take a pay cut of near £150k-a-week to become the top earner at Tottenham, an honour currently shared by Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons at £195,000-a-week.

And while the report adds that Spurs have held preliminary talks with Valverde over a January switch, the only way that can realistically happen is if there is a genuine culture shift at the club on the brink of happening after Levy’s exit.

However, the Lewis Family have so far rejected any offers to sell in the wake of Levy’s exit and are unlikely to make such a culture change in the middle of a season. Hence why there has to be massive doubts over Tottenham luring one of Real’s best midfielders away in January – whether the Spanish giants are keen to offload him or not.

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has hinted at a potential transfer move to sign a Bodo/Glimt star who ripped his defence to shreds in the Champions League draw in Norway on Tuesday evening, but TEAMtalk has assessed why a deal could end up being a major risk.

Elsewhere, Fulham are showing interest in a top Championship star, sources have told TEAMtalk, but Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are already ahead in the race for the midfielder.

And finally, Brentford will not entertain any offers for a top star in the January transfer window despite renewed interest expected to arise from Tottenham Hotspur, TEAMtalk understands.

VOTE – Which position do Tottenham need to invest in most in January?