Transfer Gossip: Leicester star is top Tottenham target as Conte eyes six deals; Newcastle table bid for Real Madrid man
Tottenham have a six-man January transfer wishlist with two players set to sign, Newcastle are moving for a Real Madrid defender, while the New Year’s Eve Transfer Gossip claims Chelsea are in talks over a club-record transfer.
CONTE TO SIGN TWO FROM SIX WITH HARVEY BARNES A SHOCK TARGET
Tottenham plan to sign two players in January with a report naming the six players that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici will pick from.
The Italian chief enjoyed a productive January window last year, signing both Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusesvski from Juventus. The pair made sizeable contributions as Spurs overcame Arsenal in the race to finish fourth.
And with a similarly-tough battle on the cards this time around, Conte is looking for a January repeat.
Indeed, Conte has two positions he wants to strengthen in with a wide attacker and a new right wing-back on his wishlist.
Now Football.London has named the six players the Italian has on that shopping list. And Spurs will pick from four attackers and two right-sided defenders to bolster their ranks.
Of the four attackers Conte wants, perhaps the biggest surprise on the list is Harvey Barnes.
The 25-year-old has become a mainstay of the Foxes side, scoring 38 times across 164 games for the club. With two-and-a-half years left on his deal, Barnes will not come cheap. Moreso, Leicester will not want to sell given the doubts emerging over both James Maddison and Youri Tielemans.
Three more affordable options though could emerge in Ismaila Sarr, Wilfried Zaha and Brazilian winger Tete.
Their interest in Sarr was covered earlier this week, with Conte reportedly impressed with the Senegalese’s goals contributions. He has six goals and three assists from 19 appearances so far this season. And while they have come in the Championship, Conte reportedly sees that ability translating into the Premier League.
Conte also in the market for a new right wing-back
Tete, meanwhile, has been impressing on loan at Lyon from Shakhtar Donetsk, where he has six goals and three assists from 14 Ligue 1 appearances.
Cheapest of the lot, though, could be Zaha. The winger’s deal at Crystal Palace expires in six months and he looks likely to leave as a free agent. He is eligible to speak to overseas clubs about a free-transfer move from January 1. But Spurs may reportedly nip in, with the only doubt being his age (30) not totally in line with the club’s transfer policy.
Tottenham’s major focus in January, however, is likely to come at right wing-back. Neither Matt Doherty or Emerson Royal have impressed – and the Italian is determined to bring in an upgrade.
His No 1 target remains Pedro Porro, with his side, Sporting Lisbon, seemingly willing to discuss a deal. However, he has a £39.7m exit clause in his deal and it seems that the Portuguese club are determined to stand by that.
Should they fail to land the Spaniard – and Sporting can be notoriously difficult to deal with – then Spurs are looking at Monaco star Vanderson.
The 21-year-old Brazilian has made a big impression in France since his arrival last January from Gremio. On a contract to summer 2027, he would not come cheap either, though perhaps would cost less than either Porro or Denzel Dumfries, another one linked with Spurs.
NEWCASTLE MOVE FOR REAL MADRID FULL-BACK
Newcastle are reportedly set to launch a bid for Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy.
The Frenchman moved to the Bernabeu in a £45m deal from Lyon in 2019 and was seen as the heir to Marcelo.
And while he has performed well for Los Blancos, it’s believed the right offer could see them cash in.
Indeed, according to Foot Mercato, Newcastle are readying a bid to prise him to St James’ Park.
They claim Eddie Howe is a huge fan of the 27-year-old and reckons he would be the perfect addition to their backline.
Newcastle are currently third in the Premier League, having lost just once all season. And some smart recruitment in January could prove the difference in their chase for a Champions League berth.
Any deal for Mendy is likely to cost around £30m, though. Howe though is determined to strengthen Newcastle and is also reportedly looking at snaring a Chelsea stalwart.
ENZO FERNANDEZ AGREES TO JOIN CHELSEA
Chelsea are reportedly in talks over a deal for Enzo Fernandez after the midfielder agreed to join the Blues.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise, having arrived in at Benfica over the summer from River Plate. That move has allowed Fernandez to establish himself in the Argentina side – and he played a key role as his country won the World Cup.
In addition, Fernandez collected the Young Player of the Tournament award, helping to further raise his profile.
Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly also keen – though neither are willing to meet his £105m exit clause.
It’s a different story though for Chelsea, with Metro now reporting that talks are underway over his transfer.
They claim Fernanez has already said yes to the move to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea now looking to negotiate terms with Benfica.
Incredibly, Chelsea could end up paying above and beyond his exit clause to secure Fernandez. Under that proposal, Chelsea will structure the deal in terms that favours them better and over a longer period of time. They have arranged a similar structure over the deal that takes Christopher Nkunku to Stamford Bridge next summer.
Chelsea spent around £280m last summer. However, new co-owner Todd Boehly is preparing to lavish more cash in a bid to get Chelsea upwardly mobile.
READ MORE: Boehly set to open wallet as deal to bring in-demand Serie A defender to Chelsea gathers pace
