Transfer Talk: Spurs target Raya, Ward-Prowse as part of squad overhaul
Antonio Conte lets loose on Tottenham in a furious postmatch news conference following the 3-3 draw with Southampton. (1:20)
The January transfer window is closed around Europe, but teams are looking ahead to the summer and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
Tottenham Hotspur are keen to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya and Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to Football Insider.
Spurs are aiming to bring a new goalkeeper in during the summer despite Fraser Forster competently stepping in while Hugo Lloris has been absent due to injury and Raya, 27, is top of their priority list.
The Bees would like to keep the Spaniard, who has nine Premier League clean sheets to his name this season, but Raya’s contract comes to an end in the summer of 2024. With that in mind, Brentford are willing to accept an offer of £30 million this summer, rather than risking losing him as a free agent. Spurs are also willing to let Lloris, 36, leave after initially signing him from Lyon way back in 2012.
The North Londoners are also keen to sign Southampton skipper Ward-Prowse, who will “definitely” leave the Saints if they are relegated, with the club currently bottom of the Premier League but just two points behind 17th-placed Leicester City. Spurs are big admirers of the England international and are likely to make a move for him at the end of the season.
In what is expected to be a big summer for Spurs, they will also be aiming to keep hold of Harry Kane, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United.
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– Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata would be open to a return to Italy, having already played for Juventus twice, reports Calciomercato, who adds that the Bianconeri are joined by AC Milan and AS Roma in holding an interest in the 30-year-old. However, the Spain international’s wage and age could pose a problem for Juve and Milan, while the latter also have some doubts over his goalscoring ability (he has 10 goals in LaLiga this term). Finances are reportedly the main obstacle to a Roma move.
– Barcelona seem to be stepping up their efforts to sign a right-back and Sport have offered a list of 11 names that the Blaugrana are looking at ahead of the summer. Regularly linked players are included such as Bayern Munich‘s Benjamin Pavard and Manchester City‘s Joao Cancelo (currently on loan at Bayern), while there are also more surprising options like Union Berlin‘s Josip Juranovic and AS Monaco‘s Vanderson.
– Salzburg‘s Amar Dedic is another name that was included in Sport’s list of Barcelona’s right-back options. In addition to reinforcing that stance, Ekrem Konur has suggested that Atletico Madrid and Arsenal also have scouts monitoring the 20-year-old Bosnia & Herzegovina international’s development.
– Juventus could let Samuel Iling-Junior leave for €11 million in the summer, reports Gazzetta dello Sport, with several big-name Premier League clubs looking at the 19-year-old winger. He has made 11 first-team appearances for Juventus this term, providing two assists, and caught the eye by scoring both goals in England Under-20s’ 2-0 victory over Germany.
– Interest is growing in Manchester City midfielder Shea Charles, according to Fabrizio Romano, who adds that Borussia Dortmund are keeping an eye on the 19-year-old. Despite still waiting for his first appearance for Pep Guardiola’s side, Charles has already represented Northern Ireland five times, playing the full 90 minutes in their recent 2-0 win over San Marino.