£60m star now prefers signing for Tottenham over Newcastle
Tottenham have been handed a boost as a summer transfer target is said to prefer a move to Spurs over Newcastle United.
Tottenham transfer rumours
Tottenham ended 2023/24 fifth in the Premier League, missing out on a Champions League place to Aston Villa. While Ange Postecoglou is likely happy to have secured some form of European football following the departure of Harry Kane, he is no doubt keen to make the step up next term and push for a place in Europe’s premier competition.
To do so, the Lilywhites will likely have to spend well this summer in order to match the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. So far, things are looking good for Tottenham fans as the north Londoners have been linked with a number of big names heading into the summer. Pundit John Wenham has shared his belief that Tottenham are “making it known” they want to sign Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite – but admits that there are a few roadblocks in Spurs’ way of a potential deal.
Read – Spurs and Chelsea hold ‘frequent talks’ over signing 21-year-old midfielder
Spurs have been repeatedly linked with Genoa star Albert Gudmundsson, following the Icelandic’s fine season of 14 goals and 4 assists across 35 Serie A appearances. Tottenham are also thought to be among the clubs eyeing a move for Lyon forward Rayan Cherki this summer, with all interested sides believing he’s a “huge talent” – including Spurs.
Elsewhere, Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher is reportedly edging closer to an exit this summer – alongside Trevoh Chalobah – following the departure of manager Mauricio Pochettino, and the all-action midfielder has been on Postecoglou’s radar since his arrival at Tottenham, with a failed £40m bid last summer followed by further vested interest in January.
£60m star now prefers signing for Tottenham over Newcastle
Now, a fresh name has been tipped to make a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. The player in question is RB Leipzig and France centre-back Mohamed Simakan. According to German outlet Bild (via London World), Tottenham are leading Newcastle in the race to sign the highly-rated stopper.
The report adds that Simakan would prefer a move to Spurs over a switch to Tyneside, with both clubs thought to be holding a firm interest. In terms of a fee for the defender, Bild claims he has a €70m (£60m) release clause.
Simakan joined Leipzig from Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg in 2021 and has since notched 120 outings for the German outfit. Strasbourg’s director of training, Francois Keller, previously compared Simakan to fellow French defender Raphael Varane due to their similar physical qualities.
“We quickly realised that we were dealing with a phenomenon,” Keller said. “He tore the place up… I said to myself that we had the new Varane. He was athletic, powerful, assured and calm.”
In the Leipzig team, only defensive partner Willi Orban (2.8) won more aerials than Simakan (1.9) in the Bundesliga last season, as part of a defence that only unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen conceded fewer goals than. At 24, Simakan is clearly a trusted member of the squad, having featured in 31 of 34 top-flight matches.
Therefore, Spurs could be onto a winner if they can beat Newcastle to his signature, even at a hefty cost.