Tottenham: Serie A stars linked; approach for defender rejected; club braced for Alli offers

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In spite of the obvious lift of fighting back from a two-goal deficit to salvage a point at Manchester City, a positive result for Tottenham was soured from Mauricio Pochettino’s perspective by the forced withdrawal of another key defender through injury, in Toby Alderweireld, who has already spent two months on the sidelines earlier in the season with a knee problem.

The International Business Times reports that the injury is not as bad as first feared, with Pochettino optimistic that the Belgium international will be fit and available for the club’s upcoming league fixtures. Yet, contrary to a report in the Daily Mirror published last week, which suggested that the Argentine would not be in the market for a defender following Jan Vertonghen’s injury, Italian outlet Calciomercato has revealed that the club have supposedly made contact with the representatives of Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia over a move to White Hart Lane, and are interested in another player at the San Siro: Inter’s 17-year-old attacking prodigy Andrea Pinamonti.

Despite the defence being an area in more obvious need of cover, the report suggests that it is forward Pinamonti who is Spurs’ prime target out of the duo. The youngster currently plies his trade in Italy’s Youth League with Inter’s academy side Internazionale Primavera, where he has notched one goal in 22 outings. He made his Inter debut, his first outing in senior football, in this season’s Europa League group phase against Sparta Prague.

The North Londoners look to be set for a transfer battle if they do wish to bring the youngster to the club, since Calciomarcato also named Chelsea as an interested party, and the influence of former Juventus and Italy manager Antonio Conte may just turn the tide in the Blues’ favour, despite Spurs currently taking the initiative. With that in mind, the signing of Ranocchia to bolster the defensive line may be the more realistic endeavour, if the club decides to make an offer. Inter are also considering handing a five-year-deal to Pinamonti to keep him at the San Siro, another potential stumbling block in the way of any proposed move.

Elsewhere over the weekend, the Daily Mirror confirmed that Spurs turned down an £8 million bid from Crystal Palace for Wales international Ben Davies, after speculation that the South Londoners were interested in bringing the versatile defender to Selhurst Park.

The news comes as a blow to Palace boss Sam Allardyce and to the Eagles who are in need of reinforcements at the back to help in their bid to avoid relegation, but Tottenham’s steadfast response says a great deal about the importance of Davies to the side. Of course, Mauricio Pochettino is already without defender Jan Vertonghen for roughly six weeks, and this latest revelation may mean that it is Davies who will be seeing more first-team action over the coming weeks within Pochettino’s three-man defence. In addition, his ability to fill in for Danny Rose at left-back in the event of an injury to the England international may also render him too important to let go at such a crucial stage of the season.

Elsewhere, manager Mauricio Pochettino and club chairman Daniel Levy are ready to dig in their heels amidst interest in up-and-coming star, Dele Alli.

The Daily Express claims that Spanish giants Real Madrid are readying a £50million bid to bring the England international to the Bernabeu in the summer, but a report in The Times suggests that reigning Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain may table an offer of their own in an attempt to lure the former MK Dons man to the Parc des Princes.

Patrick Kluivert has recently joined the coaching set-up at PSG after being appointed the club’s new Director of Football, and it is the Dutchman who is believed to have lined-up Alli as a target to add extra quality to their squad. The club from the French capital has struggled in its defence of the title compared to recent seasons, the loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his goals being a potential factor. The Parisians currently lie one point behind Nice, who occupy second place, but more significantly trail leaders Monaco by three points following the weekend’s fixtures.

Having signed an improved contract at White Hart Lane as early as September, it is unlikely a bid from either club will come as early as January, but the summer transfer window may well spark a bidding war between the two big-spending clubs. Given how critical Alli is to the Spurs cause, and having dismissed speculation over a move away back in December in an interview with Sky Sports, it is unlikely that the youngster will seek a move away from North London, and the chances are equally remote that either Pochettino or Levy would sanction a move away, given the healthy state of the club’s finances and their resolve to hang onto key players.

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