Tottenham are ready to blow Palermo out of the water in the race to sign Nice winger Vincent Marcel.
That is the verdict of the Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini as he explained how the club who were relegated from Serie A last season cannot compete with the Premier League big hitters.
Marcel has emerged as a key Tottenham target this summer after breaking into the Nice team in his first senior season in 2016-17.
French football news site Foot Mercato have claimed that Spurs have offered the 20-year-old a five-year contract to join during the current transfer window.
Zamparini admits Palermo are interested in Marcel but explained that Tottenham are a more likely destination as his club just cannot compete with what they can offer.
The president of the Italian club admitted that talented teenager Simone Lo Faso could have left the club this summer had Marcel signed, but with Spurs pursuing a deal, that now appears unlikely.
“The future of Lo Faso? He could leave if Marcel had come from Nice, for which we offered three million euros, but Tottenham and other teams want him,” Zamparini told MediaGol.
“It is not easy for us, a team from Italian’s B league, to raise its voice.”
It is expected that Marcel would cost little over £2million and would eventually be developed in the youth ranks before being given a first-team opportunity.
A fringe player for Nice last season, Marcel, who is renowned for his electric pace on the wings, made 10 appearances in all competitions spread across 441 minutes of action.
Tottenham are the only Premier League team yet to sign a single player this summer but kicked into transfer action on Friday when they sold Kyle Walker to Manchester City for £50million.