Tottenham to launch £61m bid for ‘unbelievable’ Prem star after Liverpool enter race
Tottenham Hotspur have strongly entered the chase to sign Illya Zabarnyi and are looking to beat Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool to the Bournemouth star, as per a report, with a thrilling double deal potentially on the cards.
There have been big changes at Tottenham this summer, with Thomas Frank leaving Brentford to replace Ange Postecoglou as head coach at the north London club. Postecoglou ended Spurs’ 17-year wait for a trophy by helping them triumph in last season’s Europa League, but the side’s poor Premier League form proved too much to ignore.
In addition to making loan deals for Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel permanent, Spurs have bolstered Frank’s squad by landing Japanese defender Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United.
Zabarnyi is another player Spurs are targeting after he established himself as one of the most reliable centre-backs in the Premier League with Bournemouth.
Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez have already left Bournemouth this summer and Zabarnyi could be the next to join a bigger club.
According to CaughtOffside, Spurs have ‘opened talks’ with the Ukrainian after learning that his move to PSG has stalled.
PSG have agreed personal terms with Zabarnyi but have yet to offer Bournemouth enough money to convince them on a sale.
The Cherries are holding out for €70million (£61m / $81m) and this update claims Spurs are ‘willing to pay the full asking price’ to secure a deal.
Spurs are ‘preparing an offer that could exceed €70m’ when bonuses are included.
As things stand, Zabarnyi – who has been called an ‘unbelievable’ player by team-mate Philip Billing – is prioritising a move to PSG after being impressed by their Champions League triumph. But PSG could walk away from talks if they feel Bournemouth’s price tag is too steep, which would in turn allow Spurs to swoop in.
The report adds that Liverpool have entered the frame for the 22-year-old too, having identified him as a possible replacement for Ibrahima Konate.
Other interested clubs include Newcastle United and Chelsea.
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Zabarnyi, Simons both Tottenham targets
TEAMtalk revealed on June 22 that PSG had made a €60m (£51.4m / $69m) bid for Zabarnyi, but this was rejected as Bournemouth are holding firm on their €70m demands.
It emerged on Friday that Spurs have registered their interest in the dominant 6ft 2in star and are aiming to ‘hijack’ PSG’s move for him.
Zabarnyi could join Spurs alongside a new attacking midfielder, as Frank’s side have also begun talks with RB Leipzig for Xavi Simons.
Spurs hold long-term interest in the Dutch ace and have now stepped up their pursuit by entering dialogue with his current club.
It remains to be seen if Spurs are looking to sign Simons as an alternative to Morgan Gibbs-White or alongside the Nottingham Forest leader.
Spurs recently triggered Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause at Forest before pencilling in a medical. However, the transfer is on hold after Forest complained to the Premier League about Spurs allegedly tapping up Gibbs-White before activating his exit clause.
Returning to Zabarnyi, Spurs’ interest in the 49-cap Ukraine international comes amid uncertainty over the future of current centre-half Cristian Romero.
Spurs want the Argentine to stay, but he continues to be linked with a switch to either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
Tottenham transfer news: Gibbs-White decision; Bayern deal
Meanwhile, Gibbs-White has reportedly set a deadline for when he wants his prospective move to Spurs to be finalised by.
Spurs are also in the mix to land a defensive midfielder from Bayern Munich.
Spurs have been given the green light to complete the deal, with Bayern dropping their asking price.
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