Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League • England
Tottenham transfer cost to surpass €15m as scouts ‘closely follow’ promising midfielder to continue Paratici theme
Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close eye on developments surrounding Lecce midfielder Joan Gonzalez, according to reports in Italy.
There have been a few links between Tottenham and Gonzalez in recent months. He could become the latest Serie A player to be signed by Spurs under the reign of their Italian managing director, Fabio Paratici.
Tottenham invested in their midfield during the summer when they brought in Yves Bissouma from Brighton. However, head coach Antonio Conte has generally stuck with Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as his preferred partnership.
Oliver Skipp can also be called upon, but the academy graduate is still developing. And with Pape Matar Sarr supposedly set for an exit, Tottenham might need another reinforcement in the middle.
Now, Calciomercato has provided the latest on their interest in Gonzalez.
According to the Italian outlet, Tottenham’s scouts “closely follow” the former Barcelona youth player. Officials have made several trips to Italy to watch him in action for Lecce, who are currently midtable in Serie A.
For Gonzalez to leave, Lecce are asking for a transfer fee greater than €15million (a little over £13million).
Spurs are not the only side who could pay that sum. The report reveals that German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund have also been scouting him, while AC Milan or Napoli could offer him the next step in his current league.
Gonzalez is under contract with Lecce until 2027. So far, he has made 18 appearances for the club, scoring once and assisting twice.
Gonzalez could be part of Tottenham future
Due to turn 21 years old in February, Gonzalez could be destined for bigger things as his career progresses.
For now, perhaps the best thing for him will be to continue at Lecce. He only moved to Italy in 2021 and is still learning his trade there.
Young players haven’t always earned the trust of Conte, so Gonzalez may want to consider who he would be playing under. Of course, Conte’s own future as Tottenham boss is unclear.
But with the likes of Sarr and Bryan Gil struggling to break into the first team despite Paratici encouraging Tottenham to invest in them, Gonzalez may want to think twice about joining Spurs now.
In the long run, though, it could be an exciting move to make. It would give him his first taste of Premier League football and most likely lift him up to Champions League or Europa League level.
Right now, though, Gonzalez should be focusing on building up his reputation where he is. A number of big clubs are already looking at him, and that list is only likely to grow if he keeps doing well.