Spurs “extremely keen” on signing £60m star with duo set for 2024 absence

Tottenham Hotspur are “extremely keen” on signing a £60 million star with two of Ange Postecoglou‘s players set for a 2024 leave of absence.

Lange’s Spurs transfer targets

New sporting director Johan Lange will now step into the shoes of former transfer chief Fabio Paratici after the Italian received a 30-month worldwide ban from football earlier this year. While Paratici is believed to still be advising Spurs on a consultancy basis, Lange’s appointment comes as a significant one following his departure from Aston Villa.

The 43-year-old was responsible for signing the likes of Ollie Watkins, Matty Cash and World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez during his time in the Midlands, so Lilywhites supporters will be hoping he can replicate similar decisions at Spurs.

So far, reports have suggested that Lange has his eyes on a new defender after Micky van de Ven’s injury blow. The Dutchman is expected to be back by 2024, but van de Ven and Cristian Romero’s absences (through suspension) have brought attention to Tottenham’s serious lack of options behind them.

Postecoglou has been forced to call upon the previously out-of-favour Eric Dier and Ben Davies in place of Romero and van de Ven, so a new centre-back is apparently on the agenda. Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton’s Ben Godfrey, Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly have all been linked with moves to Spurs to solve that problem.

Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are also set for a 2024 leave of absence when they travel to represent their countries at the Africa Cup of Nations, which will leave Tottenham short in midfield. As a result, Spurs are battling to keep Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and are believed to be keen on bringing in another option.

Tottenham “extremely keen” on Neves

Indeed, as Postecoglou faces losing both Sarr and Bissouma for an extended period next year, there are reports that former Wolves star Ruben Neves is on Lange’s radar. The midfielder, now of Al-Hilal, wants to make a Premier League return in January – which would be just seven months after he opted to join the Saudi side.

A six-month loan move back to England is apparently on the cards for Neves. The Portugal international has struggled to adapt to life in the Middle East, and if his club do green-light a temporary exit, there may also be an opportunity to buy him permanently for £60 million in the summer.

Neves is apparently “intent” on a winter window departure, and that’s where Spurs come in, as it is claimed Tottenham are “extremely keen” on signing Neves to plug their midfield gaps.

If Hojbjerg were to depart, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur would stand out as their only available senior midfielders with Bissouma and Sarr away on international duty.

The 26-year-old was a key player for Wolves over many years, with Hugo Bueno calling him an “incredible” star at Molineux.

“He always runs the whole pitch and he’s always there,” said Bueno on Neves (Shropshire Star).

“I don’t know how he does it. He is a key player for us. He works very, very hard to win the ball back and also when we have the ball he can control in the game. He is an incredible player and hopefully he can give us more things like this in the future.”