Tottenham have now fallen behind in the race for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman, with his wage demands proving to be a stumbling block.
Over the past few weeks, Kingsley Coman has been heavily linked with a move away from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, and Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as one of the clubs reportedly keeping a close eye on the situation.
More than a month ago, journalist Florian Plettenberg revealed via social media that Bayern were ready to let Kingsley Coman go at the end of the campaign.
It was also claimed at the time that Bayern would consider offers in the region of €30m-€40m (£25.1m-£33.5m) for the France international, whose future in Bavaria now looks increasingly uncertain.
Kingsley Coman race heats up amid Tottenham interest
Now, in a fresh update, Plettenberg has outlined the current state of play between the interested clubs, with Coman said to have made it clear internally that he wants to leave Bayern this summer.
According to the journalist, Saudi Arabian clubs have stepped up their interest and are planning to travel to Munich to hold face-to-face talks with Bayern, as they look to convince Coman to make the switch.
In the Premier League, Arsenal are currently considered the most serious contenders, especially with Leroy Sane close to penning a new deal at Bayern, which could limit Coman’s opportunities even further.
As for Spurs, they are understood to admire Coman but are hesitant to push forward with a deal due to his sizeable wage demands, leaving them in a passive position for now.
Spurs fans left frustrated at Daniel Levy’s wage structure
Given the recent developments, it doesn’t exactly paint a promising picture for Tottenham, and plenty of fans have been quick to criticise Daniel Levy for yet another transfer saga that feels like it’s slipping away.
Supporters continue to reference the long-standing promise that the new stadium would allow Spurs to compete financially with Europe’s elite, especially when it came to attracting top-tier talent.
Instead, the opposite has happened – the club’s transfer ambition has regressed, and a 12% drop in the wage bill for the 2023/24 season at Tottenham only adds weight to the argument that Spurs are tightening the purse strings at a time when they should be showing ambition.
| Rank | Club | Wage Bill (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 215,540,000 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 172,146,000 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 171,210,000 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 160,680,000 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 128,804,000 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 119,964,000 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 110,656,000 |
| 8 | West Ham United | 100,100,000 |
| 9 | Newcastle United | 93,132,000 |
| 10 | Everton | 72,462,000 |
| 11 | Fulham | 68,406,000 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 67,210,000 |
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 63,492,000 |
| 14 | Leicester City | 62,816,000 |
| 15 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 57,746,000 |
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 54,782,000 |
| 17 | Bournemouth | 49,764,000 |
| 18 | Southampton | 48,906,000 |
| 19 | Brentford | 41,496,000 |
| 20 | Ipswich Town | 37,856,000 |