Illia Zabarnyi sends ‘fiery’ message to James Hill after Tottenham bid news
Illia Zabarnyi sent a fiery message to his Bournemouth teammate James Hill amid heavy interest from both Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
The 22-year-old could be set to move on from the south coast side this summer, a departure which would leave the Cherries incredibly light at the back.
Andoni Iraola’s side were forced to let Dean Huijsen go earlier in the summer when Real Madrid triggered his release clause, before Milos Kerkez made the switch to Premier League champions Liverpool.
Zabarnyi would be another big loss for Bournemouth, as the Ukrainian started all but three league games last season, and consistently performed at a high level at the centre of the Cherries’ defence.
PSG and Tottenham race for Zabarnyi
Both PSG and Tottenham are desperate to add Zabarnyi to their defensive ranks, ahead of the upcoming campaign.
The Champions League winners have already had a bid of around £50million rejected by Bournemouth, but are expected to table an improved offer in the coming weeks.
As for Spurs, they are yet to make a concrete approach for Ukraine international, but have the funds required to meet the £60m asking price the Cherries have set.
For now Zabarnyi remains part of Iraola’s squad, and he came off the bench during Bournemouth’s 3-0 win over Everton, in what was the first game of the Premier League summer series tournament.
Fellow defender Hill starred in the contest from centre-back, and shared a photo from the game on Instagram, with the caption: “Kicked off our Summer Series with a win, pre-season continues.”
Zabarnyi commented with two fire emojis to show support for his teammate.
‘Tottenham eye Grealish deal’
Meanwhile, Tottenham have reportedly set their sights on a deal to sign Jack Grealish after missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White.
That is according to their former scout Mick Brown, who claims that the 29-year-old has moved up the list of targets for Thomas Frank.
Spurs are aiming to add a new attacking midfield option to their squad, but the England international’s ability to play out wide is seen as a valuable asset.
This comes after Football Insider revealed on 22 May that Grealish does not expect to remain at City and feels he has been “frozen out” by Guardiola.
There is no shortage of interest in the former Villa man, but the finances involved have been a hindrance to his future.