Tottenham Hotspur are ‘very interested’ in Roger Ibanez but the Premier League giants are only willing to stump up £17 million for a defender who has thrived under Jose Mourinho at Roma.
According to reports coming out of Italy over the weekend, Gialorrosi director Tiago Pinto intended to kill two birds with one stone during a recent trip to London. In addition to holding talks with West Ham United over Gianluca Scamacca, Pinto also used the opportunity to offer Roger Ibanez around to a number of club’s based in England’s capital.
The Roma chief has held talks with Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and also West Ham for the 23-year-old, twice-capped Brazil international.
But while Spurs in particular are ‘very interested’, their admiration for Ibanez is not quite matched by their view of his price-tag. For reasons presumably beginning with ‘D’ and ending with ‘aniel Levy’, Tottenham are only willing to pay £17 million. Far less than the £30 million fee Roma are holding out for (Roma Giallorossi).
Tottenham and Postecoglou like Roger Ibanez
The good news is that Pinto is likely to lower his demands. Roma are under pressure to sell at least one key player in order to ease their financial pressures. And Ibanez has arguably emerged as their most sellable asset. Especially after Tammy Abraham was ruled out for a number of months following an ACL injury.
Then again, there remains an almighty gap that must be bridged between Spurs’ valuation and that of Roma’s.
And while Levy has spoken publicly about his plan to back new coach Ange Postecoglou in the transfer market, last week’s curious – almost parody-like – £50 million double-bid for Leicester City duo James Maddison and Harvey Barnes had a ‘leopards never change their spots’ kind of feel to it (Daily Mail).
Postecoglou is reportedly an admirer of Ibanez. A cultured, ball-playing centre-half, Ibanez would suit his proactive gameplan far better than the likes of Eric Dier.
“Ibanez can become one of the world’s best defenders,” ex-Roma defender Vincent Candela tells Corriere dello Sport.
“But he must work on his concentration.”
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