Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a big boost in their rumoured pursuit of one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League.
Spurs Web has relayed several reports over recent weeks stating that Tottenham are contemplating adding a central midfielder to their squad in January.
It has also been claimed by a few sources that Spurs want to make a statement by signing in January to signal their ambition.
One Brighton man, who came close to joining Man United in the summer, is thought to be in Tottenham’s sights.
Brighton slash asking price for Tottenham target Carlos Baleba
A few days ago, CaughtOffside claimed Tottenham may pounce on Brighton’s Carlos Baleba in January, who is no longer a priority for Man United as he was in the summer.
Subsequently, it emerged that Spurs would have to pay £100m for the Brighton man, which could be a sticking point for the North London club.
However, a new report in TEAMtalk has now alleged that the Seagulls have slashed their asking price for Baleba ahead of the January window.
The outlet claims that Brighton are now willing to sell the midfielder for £75m and that they have already identified Aston Villa’s Lamare Bogarde as a potential replacement for the Cameroon international.
Should Spurs break their transfer record on Baleba?
While the £75m asking price is a significant drop from the previously quoted £100m, it would still comfortably shatter Tottenham’s transfer record fee of £65m they paid to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth 18 months ago.
Baleba’s form has fallen down a cliff since his failed move to Old Trafford in the summer, which may be why Brighton have dropped their price.
Spurs now have to decide on whether Baleba’s struggles this season are due to his head not being in the right place after the failed transfer, or if it is a symptom of a more serious flaw in his game.