'He must be bought': Spurs told to sign 19-year-old immediately, his value could shoot up to £43m next year

By Shamanth Jayaram

Ukrainian football icon Yozhef Sabo has urged Tottenham Hotspur to sign Dynamo Kyiv wonderkid Ilya Zabarnyi this summer.

Spurs have been linked with a move for the talented 19-year-old defender for a while now.

Football London even claimed yesterday that he’s on Antonio Conte’s summer transfer wish list along with the likes of Josko Gvardiol, Pau Torres, Marc Guehi, Gleison Bremer, Clement Lenglet and of course, Alessandro Bastoni.

Now, Sabo, who has managed Dynamo and Ukraine in the past, believes Zabarnyi is a top player and has urged Tottenham to splash the cash to sign him this summer.

Tottenham told to sign Ilya Zabarnyi this summer

When asked about Tottenham’s reported interest in Zabarnyi, Sabo told 1927 Kiev: “Zabarnyi is a good player, he is serious about football and has to grow. He plays well in selection, in the air and in gear. He must be bought.”

Asked if Dynamo’s reported £26 million price tag is a big one for someone so young, Sabo claimed: “I think he is more expensive.

“It is clear that he is a football player. And at once, plays great, has speed. Therefore, Babayan was not inferior in speed.

“You (Dynamo) need to sell – he will have a completely different mood and motivation (if he joins Tottenham). Of course, you shouldn’t pay for nothing – in a year or two, Zabarny will cost €50 million. (£43.5m).

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Tottenham’s transfer policy is to sign talented young players who can be developed into stars in the future. Zabarnyi definitely checks that box.

The Ukrainian is still only 19 but has been a regular at senior level for a couple of years now. He has 22 international caps for Ukraine as well, which is fantastic for someone so young.

To add to that, Zabarnyi already has Champions League experience under his belt. He played all six group stage games against Benfica, Barcelona and Bayern Munich last season, and although Dynamo picked up just one point from all those fixtures, the teenager definitely caught the eye.

Even if Tottenham pay the big bucks and sign Zabarnyi this summer, he’s likely to be sent out on loan to get some experience. That would be the best thing for him, but whether Spurs will meet Dynamo’s demands to sign the Ukrainian remains to be seen.