Tottenham Hotspur could end up securing a long-term target in the dying stages of the transfer window, but they may have to pay an inflated fee for him.
Conor Gallagher and Souza are the only two players to arrive through the door so far this month, with the Lilywhites yet to strengthen their attack.
We could still see the club do that over the coming days, with Thomas Frank declaring that Tottenham are still in the market for signings.
It has now emerged that while the Lilywhites do want to make an ‘exciting attacking addition’ before Monday’s deadline, the player who is on their radar will not come cheap.
Tottenham need to spend big to land Maghnes Akliouche
This update comes from TEAMtalk, who say that Maghnes Akliouche has been on Tottenham’s radar since September.
The Lilywhits have been tracking the Monaco man for months, completing extensive groundwork on the Monaco star, and gaining an understanding of the financial parameters involved.
However, Tottenham Hotspur are yet to even contact the Ligue 1 side regarding a deal for Akliouche.
Sources say that any bid at this stage of the transfer window for the 23-year-old would be unwelcome and that the North Londoners may need to pay around £50m to clinch a late deal.
Spurs in a difficult position due to the uncertainty over Thomas Frank’s future
TEAMtalk reveal that Tottenham explored deals for Savinho, Kevin Schade and Antoine Semenyo, all of whom Frank was keen on, but none of those pursuits have proven successful.
While the Spurs hierarchy had a clear intention to back Frank heading into the transfer window, they are in a difficult position due to what has unfolded since then.
There is now uncertainty over how long the Dane will remain at the helm, and there is no guarantee that any new manager will be a fan of the club’s current attacking targets.