Tottenham appear to have finally joined the January transfer party as they get ready to launch a £20m offer for a Bundesliga centre-back while Sunday’s Transfer Gossip claims Everton have reignited their bid to land a Manchester United attacker.
SPURS READY £20M OFFER FOR LEVERKUSEN STAR
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham are considering making a £20million bid for Bayer Leverkusen central defender Piero Hincapie, a player also on Arsenal’s radar.
The Sun claims that the left-sided centre-back is one of several players Conte is looking at, with a January bid potentially on the horizon.
Spurs are in desperate need of more defensive options after really struggling at the back over the last 10 games or so.
Eric Dier’s form has dropped significantly, while Christian Romero remains injury-prone and Ben Davies and Clement Lenglet have not exactly excelled on the left.
The Sun adds that Leverkusen are open to a potential sale of the 21-year-old. However, the report also adds that Tottenham could sign him now and loan him back to the Bundesliga side for the rest of the season.
That scenario does not make much sense, however, given Spurs’ need for new recruits now.
New January recruits a must for Conte
Conte’s men have been on the slide in the Premier League in recent weeks. Indeed, they are now two points outside the Champions League places.
But if the north London club do land Hincapie, it will come as a blow to Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal have also been monitoring a move for the Ecuador international. That’s despite that they are already well-stocked with quality central defenders.
That appears to leave Spurs as favourites to strike a January deal, although it remains to be seen what they decide to do with Hincapie if they do indeed get a transfer over the line.
Hincapie is not the only centre-back on Tottenham’s radar though. Indeed, they remain keen on Inter duo Milan Skriniar and Alessandro Bastoni as well as Leipzig standout Josko Gvardiol.
DESPERATE EVERTON STEP UP WINGER BID
Everton have reportedly stepped up their efforts to sign Manchester United attacker Anthony Elanga, as they look to drag themselves away from trouble.
The 20-year-old is one of a number of targets for Toffees boss as he looks to strengthen a squad that has so far been found wanting this season.
Football Insider reports that the Goodison Park outfit are in negotiations to land Elanga. However, there is also interest from other clubs.
A loan deal looks the likeliest option, with United unwilling to sell a player they rate highly.
Elanga has grown frustrated with his lack of game time over the last few months, although that’s not been helped by the emergence of Alejandro Garnacho.
Wout Weghorst’s arrival as another attacking option also appears to have hampered Elanga’s chances.
Lampard is known to want two new forwards this month, one of which needs to be a direct alternative to the injury-prone Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Toffees chief also wants a more vesatile attacker, who is capable of playing out wide or centrally – and that is where Elanga fits in.
The United ace showed last season that he can have a big impact on games, scoring three times and adding two assists in 37 games.
However, this season has been a struggle, with the player only playing seven games so far.
The £18million-rated winger could end up replacing Anthony Gordon at Goodison Park.
The fan favourite’s form has dipped alarmingly since rumours of a big-money move emerged. And he was at fault for Southampton’s winner on Merseyside on Saturday as he gave away the foul from which James Ward-Prowse curled home a free-kick past a stranded Jordan Pickford.
WOLVES SWITCH FOCUS FROM WEST HAM TO NEWCASTLE
Wolves are reportedly plotting a move for Newcastle United star Jamaal Lascelles if they can’t prise Craig Dawson from West Ham.
The Molineux outfit have had a January offer for the 32-year-old Hammers stare rejected, having also tried to sign him during the summer.
And now Football Insider claims they could turn their focus to 29-year-old Lascelles instead.
Eddie Howe’s men are ready to listen to offers for the defender, given that he is now fourth-choice centre-back.
The report adds that Lascelles is being valued at around £8million mark. That sort of figure is more than reasonable for a player with decent Premier League experience.
However, interest in Dawson has not completely gone away, despite David Moyes admitting on Friday that it’s ‘unwelcome’.