Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid should seriously consider executing a swap deal involving two of their key men this summer.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has a lot of work to do this summer, if he is to build a squad capable of challenging for major honours, both domestically and on the continent, and Real Madrid’s interest in one of his players could very well present him with an opportunity to do just that.
According to a report from Spanish media outlet Fichajes, Los Blancos have identified Toby Alderweireld as one of their key summer transfer targets.
The Mirror claim that Alderweireld could be available for around £55 million this summer, and the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United will fight the Spanish giants for his signature.
The Lilywhites will surely want to sell to Madrid rather than their Premier League rivals, though, and they could use the Belgian as bait in a bid to bring long-term target Mateo Kovacic to north London.
The Croatian, at just 23, is obviously a lot younger than Alderweireld, but is probably valued at around the same as the Spurs man.
With Mousa Dembele set to turn 31 in July, the addition of a younger model will be crucial for Tottenham.
Kovacic possesses wonderful technical ability, and can perform the box-to-box role with aplomb.
With Alderweireld refusing to sign a new deal at Spurs, there seems to be almost an acceptance in north London that he will be leaving the club in the summer.
Whilst the prospect of losing the 29-year-old will surely disappoint Tottenham fans, the opportunity of bringing Kovacic into the club would greatly soften the blow, and is surely the ideal outcome for all parties concerned.
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