Tottenham have already broken their transfer record once this summer, but as the club look to close the gap on the Premier League top two, they could be set to break it again.
Spurs, as well as Manchester United have been linked with Paulo Dybala, a forward once described as ‘the best in the world’ by Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The 25-year-old is certainly one of the most aesthetically pleasing forwards currently competing in Europe, but since Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival, the his influence in Italy has waned. Spurs must pounce.
Earlier in the summer we listed Dybala as the number one target for this summer, if Spurs were to mount a title challenge next season.
Juventus vice-president said on Dybala recently “There are some proposals, there is some interest, but we wait for concrete action so we can then decide calmly,” Nedved said at the announcement of Serie A fixtures for the new season.
Should Dybala arrive, it would be reasonable to expect Cristian Eriksen to move on. There’s probably not room for two attacking creative players in Pochettino’s system and with Eriksen’s contract situation up in the air, Dybala could both provide a replacement and an upgrade.
Recent reports, though, had suggested that Lukaku could be involved in a swap deal with Dybala, trumping Tottenham.
However the latest from Italy suggests that the player is unconvinced by being involved in a swap deal. It seems Dybala wants to stay at Juventus or at least feel valued. Considering what Pochettino has said about the player previously and the fact they are both Argentinean, a chat on the phone between the two parties could be the decisive factor in convincing Dybala to opt for Spurs rather than Manchester United.
Time will tell who wins this race, or if Paulo decides to stay in Italy, but if Tottenham do manage to sign him, they will be in a great position to seriously challenge for the Premier League this season.
With rivals Arsenal set to sign Nicolas Pepe, Spurs must ensure they keep pace with their bitter rivals and have an attack that can be feared.
