Serie B outfit Bari have no intention of selling Walid Cheddira during the January transfer window amid interest from Premier League duo Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, according to Corriere dello Sport.
Then again, why would Bari consider letting Cheddira leave?
He is, after all, the top scorer in Italy’s second tier with nine goals in just 12 games. 14 across all competitions. What’s more, with Bari third in Serie B, Cheddira’s lethal finishing ability represents their best hope of securing a return to the top flight after over a decade away.
According to Serie B News, the Morocco international has caught the eye of both Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici during an outstanding campaign. Tottenham having enjoyed real success in the Italian market of late too; signing Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur and Cristian Romero.
The late-blooming Cheddira would add some depth to a frontline still overly reliant upon Harry Kane; Spurs’ only natural centre-forward.
Gianluca di Marzio, meanwhile, threw Nottingham Forest’s name into the frame. Forest signed over 20 players during a hectic summer but are already planning to dip into their pocket again, with only Wolves scoring fewer goals than their 11 so far in 2022/23.
Morocco striker Walid Cheddira is a target for Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest
Convincing Bari to cash in on Cheddira with promotion on the line, however, will take some doing. Even if both Forest and Spurs would hardly struggle to meet the 24-year-old’s £7 million asking price.
“Many Serie A clubs are (showing interest),” Bari president Luigi de Laurentiis tells Mediaset. “We are happy with his huge explosion (in form).”
Cheddira’s agent, meanwhile, insists that his client is not yet thinking about a move, having only joined Bari on a permanent basis from Parma a few months ago.
“Interest from Serie A? It is still early. The boy is very happy in Bari,” explains Bruno di Napoli (Radio Punto Nuovo). “He has a contract here until 2025.”
Cheddira is part of the Morocco squad who have made such an excellent impression at the Qatar World Cup. He is, however, yet to make an appearance in the tournament.
Walid Regragui’s side face Spain on Tuesday with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.
“He is always a cheerful boy. He has a positive and sunny character,” says Cheddira’s former Mantova coach Emanuele Troise (Calciomercato).
“To this day, I still think it’s an incredible story. A fairy tale. If two years ago someone had told me that he would go to the World Cup in Qatar, I would have called him crazy!”
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