Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on landing an experienced German attacking midfielder, but the player has made an interesting move after the Lilywhites expressed interest.
The number ten role has been a worry for Spurs at the start of the season, given that James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined.
Thomas Frank has been hesitant to use Xavi Simons centrally, preferring to use the Dutchman on the left so far, a position where the 22-year-old has not clicked.
It emerged a couple of days ago that Tottenham are plotting to raid Borussia Dortmund for Julian Brandt in January, with the Lilywhites seeing the 29-year-old as someone who can fill the void left by Maddison’s injury.
The report claimed that Dortmund may decide to cash in Brandt, given that his contract runs out next summer, but the German international has now made a big move amidst Spurs’ interest.
Julian Brandt is using Tottenham’s interest to get a new Borussia Dortmund contract
A new update from Bild has now confirmed that Brandt is indeed on Tottenham’s radar.
The report says that not only Spurs, but also Newcastle and Aston Villa have expressed an interest in signing the attacking midfielder in January.
However, it is claimed that Dortmund boss Niko Kovac is a fan of Brandt, and the player has ‘legitimate hopes of staying’ at Signal Iduna Park beyond next summer.
Bild allege that the former Bayer Leverkusen man has ‘improved his negotiating position’ due to the interest from the Premier League trio. In fact, the outlet says that the veteran midfielder has himself initiated talks over a new deal with Dortmund.
The Brandt to Tottenham rumours have likely been leaked by his agent
The idea that Tottenham will sign another number ten in January does not pass the sniff test, considering that Dejan Kulusevski is expected to return within the next few months.
Additionally, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr have shown themselves capable of playing that role, while one would think that it is only a matter of time before Xavi Simons is trusted in that position.
It thus appears that the speculation linking Brandt to Tottenham has been fed to the press by the German international’s agent in an effort to strengthen their negotiating position ahead of contract talks with Dortmund.