Tottenham Hotspur vying to sign Bundesliga striker – and thwart familiar face: report
Tottenham Hotspur are still in the market for another striker, with one Bundesliga star targeted.
This summer has been the busiest in N17 for some time, with Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, Matheus Fernandes and Savio signed for a combined £300 million, and Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi both joining on free transfers.
But even though Tottenham are on the cusp of announcing Omar Marmoush next, the transfer business still isn’t complete, as another Bundesliga hitman has been targeted.
Tottenham Hotspur in the market for another striker
Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed that Spurs are in for Igor Matanovic of Freiburg, along with Manchester United.
Despite the Lilywhites having landed Marmoush, to add to a forward line that also includes Richarlison and Dominic Solanke, they would reportedly like to add Croatian Matanovic – which is complicating Fiorentina’s pursuit of the forward.
To add further drama to the saga, Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici is now at the Viola, as the North Londoners look to get one over on a familiar face from the Daniel Levy years.
Spurs and Paratici are believed, however, to be on good terms, and even did business over the summer with Fiorentina signing defensive flop Radu Dragusin on loan.
As relayed by Sport Witness, “The Italian side believe Matanovic is the heir to Mario Mandzukic for the Croatian national team,” thanks to his excellent aerial ability – something that Solanke offers a little more than Richarlison or Marmoush.
United are also looking to the 23-year-old to bolster their attacking depth, though their interest may hinge on Joshua Zirkzee’s status as a Red Devil by the end of the transfer window.
Spurs were humbled 3-0 at the weekend against Brentford but recovered to beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the Carabao Cup third round last night, as manager Roberto De Zerbi looks to turn around a dreadful two seasons in North London, in which the club have suffered back-to-back 17th-placed finishes.
Heavy spending in the transfer market has been offset by big sales in the form of Cristian Romero, Djed Spence and Luka Vuskovic, all fetching over £30m each in transfer fees.
Spurs have also been busy renewing key players’ contracts, with Ben Davies, Pedro Porro, Antonin Kinsky and Micky van de Ven all rewarded with bumper new deals.
Matanovic is worth €22m, according to Transfermarkt. Tottenham play Newcastle United when Premier League action continues next weekend.
