Tottenham Hotspur have failed with a £17 million bid for Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilian star Dodo, according to Globo Esporte.
With Shaktar rejecting that offer out of hand, is Spurs’ pursuit of a rampaging right-back dead as the proverbial, you know, dodo?
Not necessarily.
Tottenham aren’t going to give up that easily, it seems, with negotiations between the clubs continuing into the final few weeks of the transfer window.
Then again, the wisdom of offering £17 million – after Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich put £22 million on the table earlier this summer and received the same answer – is questionable.
Well, that’s one word for it.
Tottenham deal for Dodo not dead in the water – yet
It’s not certain how much Shakhtar want for the swashbuckling Dodo – they have kept their cards close to their chest so far – but the Ukrainian outfit usually demand big money for their prized assets.
This is a side that sold Fred for £52 million, Fernandinho for £34 million, Willian for £31 million and Alex Teixeira for more than £40 million.
And Shakhtar could take full advantage of the fact Tottenham are desperate for a right-back, raising their demands for a man who would slot into Nuno Espirito Santo’s starting XI without much fuss.
Will that desperation force the London giants to break the bank for a man who has lifted the Ukrainian league title in each of the past three seasons?
Serge Aurier will be sold for the right price, while Spurs have accepted a loan bid from Galatasaray for Japhet Tanganga (Athletic).
And, despite impressing under Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves, Matt Doherty also faces an uncertain future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Nuno tends to hand plenty of creative licence to his full-backs, particularly if he opts to replicate the 3-5-2 formation that worked so well for him at Wolves in his new job.
Dodo’s speed and skill on the flanks could make him the perfect addition for a remodelled Spurs side.
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