According to Il Messaggero, Newcastle and Tottenham are ready to submit €30m (£26m) bids for Roma defender Roger Ibanez.
What’s the story?
Well, Eddie Howe is keen to bolster his backline by signing the Brazilian, although he faces fierce competition from Antonio Conte.
Il Messaggero believe Spurs and the Magpies are yet to submit an official bid, although the Premier League duo are expected to make their offers soon.
In our view, the rumoured £26m should be enough, as Roma are believed to be happy to sell the South American for a fee close to £25m.
The Italian news outlet add that Ibanez has a release clause worth €80m (£68m) written into his contract at Roma, although it seems as if Jose Mourinho is not expecting that to be triggered.
On the topic of Mourinho, the 59-year-old actually bid for the 23-year-old in 2020 during his time in charge of Tottenham.
Now, Spurs could finally land their man, albeit with Antonio Conte at the helm this time.
Impressively, Ibanez made 51 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring four goals.
Clearly, he is someone Mourinho trusts, so talk of Roma being open to offers confuses us, to say the least.
Newcastle & Tottenham have alternatives
Ibanez started the UEFA Conference League final win over Feyenoord back in May, and at the age of just 23, we’re not quite sure why Mourinho would sell – especially as he wanted him at Tottenham.
Therefore, if talk of Roma looking to sell does turn out to be rubbish, Howe and Conte have alternatives they can pursue, at least.
Spurs are also looking at Torino colossus Gleison Bremer, while Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni has also been mentioned as a target for the north Londoners.
In Newcastle’s case, the Magpies are still trying to sign Sven Botman from Lille, while Arsenal’s William Saliba is also in their sights.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as both sides are clearly chasing a new centre-back this summer.
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