According to reports from The Guardian yesterday evening, Tottenham Hotspur are considering a late bid for Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi.
Los Blancos signed the defensive midfielder for €32.2million in summer 2013 after claiming La Liga’s Breakthrough Player of the Year award with former club Real Sociedad. He was billed as the ‘new Xabi Alonso’ upon arriving at the Bernabeu, sharing the former Liverpool star’s long-range passing game.
But the former Spain U23 has been stuck behind Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in the pecking order, resulting in just 25 La Liga starts over the last two seasons, whilst the recent arrival of Mateo Kovacic from Inter Milan appears to have all but officially ended his tenure with the former European champions.
Arsenal and Liverpool have both been linked the 25 year-old throughout the summer but it was revealed last week that neither club are prepared to launch a bid.
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In fact, Liverpool believe their name is being used to ‘drum up interest’ elsewhere, whilst Arsenal allegedly rejected a direct approach from Real Madrid to sign the midfielder for a reduced fee earlier this summer.
According to The Guardian, Tottenham are now looking to pick up where their Premier League rivals left off. They’re desperate to add a holding midfielder to their squad before September 1st but Southampton boss Ronald Koeman has insisted their priority target, 6 foot 2 Kenyan international Victor Wanyama, won’t be allowed to leave St. Mary’s at this late stage in the transfer window.
That’s thrust the Lilywhites towards Illarramendi as a viable alternative. It’s believed Real Madrid are looking to sell for £15million – around a £10million loss on their original investment – whilst the Spaniard’s wages are an affordable £50k per week.
Real Sociedad, now headed by ex-Man United boss David Moyes, are keen to re-sign one of the club’s most successful academy products in recent years. But the Basque outfit hope to bring in Illarramendi on a season-long loan whilst Los Blancos would prefer a permanent departure – which gives Spurs a distinct advantage.
Should look to sign Kevin Vogt or Adrien Rabiot.