Barcelona plan to accept offer for ‘extraordinary’ player wanted by Tottenham
Thomas Frank could be looking to raid Camp Nou in an attempt to strengthen the Tottenham squad this season.
James Maddison is joined by Dejan Kulusevski on the treatment table, but even without the creative duo, Spurs are still sitting third in the Premier League table after seven games.
Football Insider understands that Tottenham are targeting Porto’s Samu Aghehowa amid concerns over Dominic Solanke‘s fitness, and multiple moves could be made during the January transfer window.
However, it appears that the defensive third is where the new manager wants to shore up, and Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen is a target for Tottenham, sources have told Football Insider.
The 33-year-old, dubbed “extraordinary” by Xavi [Daily Mail], has been unavailable through injury since May, but he is soon set to return for the La Liga giants.
Barcelona are likely to want Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s wages off the books
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Barca could look to offload the goalkeeper’s wages, with a new No.1 between the sticks at the Camp Nou.
Guglielmo Vicario remains the first-choice shot-stopper in North London, but that has not stopped the Lilywhites from eyeing more experience in the defensive third.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “We know Ter Stegen’s a top player, [he’s] played at a high level for club and country.
“Obviously, there’s been a bit of unrest between him and Barcelona over the summer when they needed to put him on [the] long-term medical [list] to free up space for their wages to register their new signings like Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford.
“It’s obviously seen that Garcia is the long-term number one now at Barcelona, so Ter Stegen’s opportunities are going to be limited, I think, with the Catalan giants. But, I think it’s a deal [that] will be very unlikely to happen in the January window.
“It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the summer if Ter Stegen continues to find himself out of favour at Barcelona. I’m sure Barcelona would prefer to probably sell him rather than potentially loan him, just to help with their financial situation and obviously get his wages off the wage list at the club.”
Tottenham’s plan revealed after £100million cash injection
Spurs’ majority shareholders, ENIC, have injected a fresh £100million into the club, and Football Insider understands that Tottenham will use this to focus on long-term sporting success.
Daniel Levy was often criticised for his lack of spending on the field, but with moves for Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, and Mathys Tel, he left the Lilywhites with a parting gift before his departure.
It is unknown exactly how the fresh flow of cash will be spent, but with how positive performances have been under Frank, he will likely be able to choose freely in upcoming transfer windows.
That could mean splashing the cash on a brand-new goalkeeper, or strengthening in other areas of the pitch instead.