Tottenham Hotspur reportedly want to make Mattias Svanberg the first signing of the Antonio Conte era – but things may get a little complicated.
iNews reported earlier in December that Tottenham were ready to bring in Bologna star Svanberg as Conte’s first signing.
Despite interest from other clubs, Tottenham were allegedly emerging as frontrunners for Svanberg’s signature.
Svanberg, 22, has excelled in Italy, playing in a variety of midfield roles from deep-lying playmaker to wide man.
The Swede is expected to make a big move in the near future, but Tottenham’s pursuit of Svanberg may now have a twist.
Corriere dello Sport claim that Svanberg’s agent Martin Dahlin will head to Italy for talks with Bologna in January.
Out of contract in 2023, Svanberg and his deal are of great concern to Bologna.
Bologna want to extend Svanberg’s deal by another year to boost his value in the transfer market. Svanberg would do that, but only if a release clause is included.
The alternative is that Svanberg is sold in January. Dahlin allegedly already has two offers on the table, one believed to be from Tottenham.
Bologna are left in a tricky situation. Extending Svanberg’s deal but including a release clause may not really help them that much.
In that scenario, they can’t push for a bidding war. They would be bound to a set price and be unable to point to the contract situation for an increased asking price.
Tottenham may still be confident of a January deal, but they will be watching Svanberg’s contract situation very closely.
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