Tottenham Hotspur are one of four clubs to have expressed an interest in a 21-year-old centre-back, who has been turning a lot of heads in Belgian football.
Spurs have already made significant reinforcements to their backline this summer, finalising deals with two experienced centre-backs in Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi.
However, there are expected to be several defensive exits from Hotspur Way this summer as the club continue their rebuild ahead of Roberto De Zerbi’s first full season in charge.
It has been reported that Cristian Romero, Radu Dragusin and Luka Vuskovic could all be sold by Spurs this summer, with the latter closing in on a move to Brighton.
Tottenham ‘still in the mix’ for Union SG centre-back Anan Khalaili
Tottenham insider Paul O’Keefe was the first to report last month that Spurs are exploring a move for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise star Anan Khalaili.
Het Laatste Nieuws journalist Geert Lambaerts has now revealed that the Lilywhites are ‘still in the mix’ for the 21-year-old, who is also on the radars of Inter Milan, Napoli and Newcastle United.
Lambaerts said on Radio Napoli Centrale (as relayed by Napoli Magazine): “The latest on Khalaili? We learned from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on Sunday that Inter has begun making contact with the club. Napoli has been interested in the player for weeks now.
“Inter could be a rival to Napoli for this player. Tottenham is still in the mix, and there’s also talk of Newcastle. We don’t know if the player prefers Napoli or Inter. We don’t think it will drag on for long because Union has already started looking for a replacement.”
Why Khalaili is unlikely to end up at Spurs
Khalaili’s agent Boaz Goren made it clear last week that his client will prioritise joining a club that can guarantee him regular stats.
Goren told Israel’s ONE (as relayed by Sport Witness): “Ultimately, the decision, if and when it is made, will be a professional one. What will guide us is the place where Anan can continue to develop, get playing time, and advance to the next level. That has always been our guiding principle.”
Given the centre-back options that De Zerbi now has at his disposal, it appears unlikely that Tottenham would be able to guarantee the Israel international a key role in the side.