Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on a talented Brazilian starlet, but getting a deal over the line for him this summer is expected to prove complicated.
Tottenham are expected to make multiple additions to their forward line before the new campaign gets underway after strengthening their midfield and defence earlier in the window.
Some sources say that Spurs will first sell a few players before going big again later in the window, with several big-name attackers mooted as targets for the Lilywhites.
Tottenham are also reportedly tracking a highly-rated Brazilian wide-forward, who is expected to be one of the next big exports to Europe from the South American country after scoring 17 times since breaking into Coritiba’s first-team.
Tottenham continue to track Lucas Ronier closely
The player in question is Lucas Ronier and the Lilywhites’ interest in the player has now been backed up by journalist Andre Hernan on ESPN Brazil.
He reveals that Coritiba expect Ronier’s career to follow the trajectory of Man United forward Matheus Cunha, who is also from the club’s academy.
The Brazilian side do not want the 21-year-old to accept the first big offer that arrives, and instead want him to carefully consider his first step into European football.
The report adds that competition is expected to build in the forward, with Tottenham Hotspur’s interest not going beyond the monitoring stage at the moment.
Coritiba set to play hardball over Ronier
Hernan further explains in the report that the winger had already discussed a move away from Coritiba back in the January window, and adds that several Serie A clubs are also keeping an eye on him.
However, he makes it clear that the Brazilian club are not in a hurry to sell the academy graduate and will look to extract maximum value.
Hernan adds: “Coritiba are playing hardball over Lucas Ronier because they know they have a gem on their hands. The club have no great desire to sell him and, so far, no offer has really caught the attention of the board in this new phase the club are going through.
“That said, they do believe something could arrive during the current transfer window. The market is opening up for this very talented player.”