Tottenham make late bid to hijack Rangers swoop for £8million-rated midfielder
By Tottenham correspondent Tony Hughes
Tottenham have expressed an interest in Liverpool midfielder Jordan Rossiter, Football Insider sources understand.
The 19-year-old Anfield Academy graduate is set to open talks with Rangers this week after indicating he is keen to join the Scottish giants.
But a well-placed Spurs source has told Football Insider the club have made a late attempt to beat the Scottish giants to the signing of the teenager.
However, the Londoners fear that Rossiter's potential move to Ibrox is too far advanced for him to make a U-turn.
Negotiations with the player are set to take place over the coming days to formalise his deal with Rangers.
It would be in Liverpool interests for Rossiter to move to another English club as they would be able to claim compensation for a player they are said to rate in the £8million bracket.
But because Rossiter is out of contract at the end of the season he is able to exploit a FIFA loophole allowing him to join a club outside of England for just £250,000.
The Liverpool Echo report that the Scottish giants contacted the Merseysiders on Friday afternoon to ask for permission to officially approach the midfielder.
Rangers have been given indications that Rossiter has made up his mind to move north of the border and play in the Scottish Premiership next season.
Sources have told Football Insider that Rangers are said to be confident that the teenager will be their first signing of the summer as manager Mark Warburton prepares the team for life back in the top flight next season.
Warburton has made it clear that he wants the newly promoted club to sign up to eight new players this summer as he strengthens the squad.
Rangers’ head of recruitment Frank McParland, the former Liverpool Academy director, is a big admirer of the tough-tackling midfielder and provided a glowing endorsement to Warburton.
The England Under-19s international has been forced to weigh up his options in recent months with no new contract on the table.
According to the Echo, Liverpool did belatedly offer him an extension but that was largely to ensure that they would be able to claim a compensation fee if he left.
Rossiter, who joined the Liverpool Academy at the age of six and grew up in Everton Valley, was handed his debut in a League Cup tie aged 17 and made five appearances in total for the first team.
But there has been no indication he figures in Jurgen Klopp's plans in a campaign in which the youngsters have been handed lots of first-team chances due to the team's gruelling fixture list and various injury problems.
In other Rangers news, one of the team's emerging stars could be playing in the Premier League next season.