Sources: Tottenham “willing to pay the full asking price” for Chelsea & Liverpool target

Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks to sign Bournemouth’s talented defender Illya Zabarnyi.

Spurs see the Ukrainian centre-back as the ideal candidate to replace Cristian Romero if he departs. The 22-year-old continues to attract strong interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG have made several offers in the region of €60 million, all of which have been rejected by Bournemouth. The Premier League side does not wish to sell for a reduced fee and maintains a valuation of around €70 million.

Multiple Premier League clubs keen on Zabarnyi

Sources close to the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Tottenham stands out as a club “willing to pay the full asking price” for Zabarnyi. Reports suggest they are preparing an offer that could exceed €70 million, including bonuses. However, the player remains focused on PSG and is not actively engaging in talks with other clubs.

Newcastle United are also in the mix, seeking a solid defensive partner for Sven Botman ahead of their Champions League campaign. Chelsea have added Zabarnyi to their long-term centre-back shortlist, and Liverpool are reportedly considering him as a possible replacement for Ibrahima Konaté, though no concrete steps have been taken.

While Zabarnyi’s transfer request is under internal review at Bournemouth, the PSG camp is confident that the deal can be completed during the summer.

Illya Zabarnyi would be a superb addition

The defender has shown his quality in the Premier League, and he is certainly good enough to play for the biggest clubs. The opportunity to join PSG will be quite exciting for him, but the European Union champions will have to come back with a better offer.

On the other hand, Chelsea and Liverpool could be attractive destinations for the players as well. They will be able to offer him UEFA Champions League football and the platform to push for trophies regularly.

It remains to be seen where he ends up eventually. There is no doubt that the Cherries will want to sell to the highest bidder.

Here are our Tottenham talking points after the first game of the Thomas Frank era started with a 2-0 friendly win at Reading on Saturday

It was a winning start for Thomas Frank with a game that was every inch the typical pre-season starter with a blend of quality, rustiness and players getting used to yet another new head coach’s tactics.

When asked in his first press conference at Tottenham on Friday about taking on a job at a club that had sacked five managers in the time he had been at Brentford, the Dane jokingly asked “Only five?” before saying that he was a man who liked risk. This certainly is the riskiest move of Frank’s career since he decided to quit teaching in Denmark and move into football coaching full-time. That calculated gamble paid off and the 51-year-old will be hoping this one does as well.

His first session with the media on Friday had a touch of everything – humour, insight, some guarded answers and some open ones and also the odd nervous verbal stumble. That’s understandable for someone going from Brentford press conferences with six journalists to a room packed full of those pesky reporters with all eyes on him and scrutinising his every word.

The Dane is an affable character, warm and engaging and when he threw one question out to the room he warned those present to expect that from him during his press conferences. He was after all a teacher used to throwing out posers to those sat in rows before him.

Frank had gathered many of the club staff at Hotspur Way in that same press conference room a couple of weeks before. He spoke to them about building a culture, remaining together as a unit and setting the standards for the players to follow on the pitch.

There’s a collaborative approach to the way Frank works. He seeks opinions from others around him on what is working well and what can be improved, not only in the players but in the way he and the staff operate. He is always willing to take on feedback and use it to grow.