According to journalist Alessandro Jacobone, Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici is eager to sign Franck Kessie on a free transfer.
The Lowdown: Down to the wire
There is now just over a week left of the transfer window, so there is not too much time for the north London outfit to get more business done.
Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil and Cristiano Romero have all made the move to the club this summer, and there could be more signings to come.
The Latest: Spurs eye Kessie
As per Jacobone on Twitter, Spurs are interested in signing AC Milan midfielder Kessie on a free transfer.
They are set to offer the Ivory Coast international €40m (£34.3m) across five years – £6.86m every 12 months – which would make him the second highest-paid player at the club after Harry Kane (salarysport.com).
The Verdict: Top talent
Kessie is a top talent. Since transferring to Milan from Atalanta, the 24-year-old has made 180 appearances, scoring 30 goals and providing a further 15 assists. He netted 13 times last season in Serie A alone, his best return to date (Transfermarkt).
Former Rossoneri manager Vincenzo Montella previously called him an “extraordinary” player (goal.com), while ex-Milan striker Antonio Cassano compared him to Ivorian compatriot Yaya Toure (sempremilan.com) due to his profound midfield impact.
If the 24-year-old comes on a free transfer, he would be a fantastic arrival for Nuno Espirito Santo in the middle of the park. Naturally, a player of his quality and available for free will surely attract more interest, so Daniel Levy must make a move as quickly as possible to avoid any late competition for him.
In other news, Tottenham also want to sign this World Cup finalist.