Tottenham have reportedly joined Everton in the race to sign a striker who made a huge impression at Euro 2020.
Bayer Leverkusen attacker Patrik Schick bagged 13 Bundesliga goals last season and followed it up with five more strikes at the Euros as the Czech Republic reached the quarter-finals. Their run was ended by Denmark, but the 25-year-old put himself in the shop window with his performances.
New Toffees boss Rafa Benitez is keeping tabs on the player, especially given Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s links to Manchester United and Arsenal.
But now Spurs have entered the fray, as they have their own concerns over Harry Kane’s future.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Schick could cost around €40million. That would give Leverkusen a profit of €12m after they paid €28m for the forward last summer.
Schick’s game is similar to that of Calvert-Lewin’s and Kane’s. He also has the physique to cope with the stresses and strains of Premier League football.
At this stage it remains to be seen if Tottenham or Everton would be prepared to pay that much for a potential back-up. However, if either of their star men move on then the Czech star is considered a perfect replacement.
So far only Manchester City have made a move for Kane, with Spurs turning down a £100m offer. Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, has been on United’s wanted list for more than a year but no firm enquiries have been forthcoming.
As for Schick, the forward will now take a break before returning to Leverkusen. The Bundesliga outfit will be in the Europa League this season after finishing sixth last term. However, it remains to be seen if they will have their top striker still on the books come August 31.
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Meanwhile, Tottenham have stepped up their pursuit of Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard by opening talks with his current club, according to reports.
Defence is one of the main areas Tottenham will be looking to address in the summer transfer window. They already needed more depth there, but even more so if new coach Nuno Espirito Santo uses three centre-backs in the same formation he deployed at Wolves.
There have already been links with a number of names, such as Joachim Andersen after his loan spell at Fulham or the versatile Bologna star Takehiro Tomiyasu.
But Vestergaard is an option as well after emerging as a possible target back in May. He has since played an important role in Denmark’s remarkable run to the semi-finals of Euro 2020.
Now within the final 12 months of his contract at Southampton, he may have to be sold this summer. Tottenham could be his takers.
According to The Times, Spurs have now made their intentions clear to Southampton. Talks have commenced after they communicated their interest.
Southampton want to receive a decent fee for the 28-year-old, despite the risk of losing him for free. They spent £18m to sign him three years ago and want to earn a profit on that fee.
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Andersen remains a target
In the meantime, Tottenham will continue their pursuit of his compatriot Andersen as well. Lyon want around £25m for the 25-year-old, who impressed despite Fulham’s relegation during his loan spell.
The player himself does not want to return to his parent club, so staying in London could be a solution.
Managing director Fabio Paratici has a strategy of negotiating for multiple players per position at once. Therefore, he will continue talks over the futures of both Vestergaard and Andersen.
The plan is very much to sign two centre-backs this summer, but it remains to be seen if the two Danes will both arrive. There are other targets, such as Tomiyasu or Nuno’s Wolves captain Conor Coady.
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