To land Castello Lukeba, Tottenham will need to break the bank and also see off competition from two of the biggest Premier League clubs.
Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have joined Spurs on free transfers, and it has been widely reported that Tottenham are also working to secure Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton.
However, that may not be the end of Spurs’ defensive reinforcements this summer, with the Lilywhites also being credited with an interest in Castello Lukeba.
The France international has been extremely solid at the heart of the Leipzig defence over the last couple of years, but clinching his signature will not be easy for De Zerbi’s men.
Tottenham overtaken by Premier League rivals in the race for Castello Lukeba
A report in FussballDaten has now confirmed that the 23-year-old is indeed on Tottenham’s radar, but the Lilywhites are not the only English club after the centre-back.
Chelsea have also expressed an interest in Lukeba, but it is Manchester United who are now in ‘pole position’ to land the Leipzig man, having leapfrogged both London clubs.
The central defender’s current deal at the Red Bull Arena contains a release clause of around €80-€90m (£69m-£77.6m), which none of the interested clubs are likely to pay.
However, it is suggested that the Bundesliga club has a verbal agreement with Lukeba to allow him to depart this summer for a fee of around €60m-€65m (£51.7m-£56m).
Is Spurs’ interest in Lukeba a hint at Luka Vuskovic’s future?
Cristian Romero looks certain to depart Tottenham this summer, and it has also been suggested that Radu Dragusin is looking to leave N17.
However, if De Zerbi does want to sign another centre-half in addition to Senesi and Van Hecke, that suggests that the Romanian and the Argentine may not be the only two central defenders to leave the club.
Luka Vuskovic continues to be linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world, and one wonders if Tottenham’s interest in Lukeba may be a sign that the club are considering cashing in on the Croat.