According to Calciomercato, Tottenham want to sign Jordan Veretout, a player who admires Antonio Conte, but Newcastle are also interested.
What’s the story?
Well, this is good news for Spurs, but bad news for the Magpies.
Calciomercato believe Veretout is a target for Conte at Tottenham this month, as the Italian looks to strengthen his squad.
Roma value the 28-year-old in the region of €25m – €30m (£21m – £25m) – he looks likely to leave after struggling under José Mourinho.
Calciomercato add that Veretout is attracted to the prospect of working under Conte.
However, Calciomercato believe a deal is unlikely to happen this month.
Interestingly, it is also said that Tottenham could use Roma to offload Tanguy Ndombele.
Therefore, we could well see a player-plus-cash deal involving those two.
Elsewhere, it was Foot Mercato who revealed that Newcastle were preparing an offer for the 5-cap France international.
Veretout is familiar with the Premier League, having spent time in England’s top-flight with Aston Villa.
Tottenham update is a blow for Newcastle
In our view, Veretout probably would’ve preferred a move to Tottenham over Newcastle anyway, with the Magpies languishing in 19th place.
So, the fact that he’s also a fan of Conte and wants to work under him just puts another nail in the coffin for Newcastle.
How on Earth is Eddie Howe going to win this transfer race?
The only thing Newcastle have over Tottenham is a bigger budget, so they may have to just throw money at Veretout.
That could actually be enough.
Calciomercato believe Veretout wants a pay rise, and that is partly why his future at Roma remains uncertain.
Evidently, the Frenchman wants to boost his bank balance, which is sure to happen if he ends up on Tyneside.
Keep an eye on this saga, as anything could happen between now and Deadline Day.
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