OPINION
Tottenham have reportedly made an official approach to sign Celta Vigo sensation Pape Cheikh Diop but they face strong competition from Lyon to land the midfielder’s signature.
The Daily Mail claim Tottenham have been eyeing the 20-year-old for months but may lose out to Lyon who are pressing ahead in their pursuit to sign the Cameroon-born Spaniard.
It is said that Lyon are confident they can agree a deal to sign the exciting young midfielder because they can offer him more first-team football, with Eric Dier, Harry Winks, Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele currently vying for a first-team slot.
Mauricio Pochettino is a keen admirer of Diop as he believes the midfielder possesses the necessary traits to shine in the Premier League.
However, the report claims Diop has a huge £25million release clause included in his contract and it remains to be seen if Spurs will have to match such a figure if they are to complete a deal to sign Diop.
Here, This Is Futbol considers whether a move to sign Diop will prove beneficial for Tottenham, and how likely Pochettino is to complete a deal that would see Spurs sign the highly-rated midfielder.
Good move for Tottenham?
England international Dier is likely to be used as cover at right-back during the 2017-18 campaign following the loss of Kyle Walker, and that could see a place in the midfield pecking order open up for Diop.
The report states that Diop possesses similar traits to that of Dele Alli when the former MK Dons ace first signed for Spurs, which could tempt Pochettino into pressing ahead with a move.
Pochettino is known for his faith in youth which has seen the likes of Winks, Alli, Josh Onomah and others all given a run in the north London outfit’s first team.
The only stumbling block seems to be Diop’s large release clause, which is likely to put Spurs off in completing a deal to sign the midfield star.
However, showing plenty of quality from the middle of the park in Celta’s side last season during his 19 first-team appearances, Diop would prove to be a top bit of business by Spurs.
This Is Futbol rating: 8/10.
Likely to happen?
Spurs must convince La Liga outfit Celta to settle for a fee way below the player’s reported release clause of £25million, if they are to go through with a deal to sign the 10-time Spain Under-19 international.
If they can agree a fee of around £18million for Diop, then Spurs will be much more inclined to sign the midfielder ahead of Ligue 1 giants Lyon.
Pochettino is a big fan of the player according to the report and that will make the move much more likely to go through, with no issues surrounding the work permit of the player.
Another concern, though, is that Celta are in a position of strength regarding the player’s future with four years still to run on his current contract.
Spurs must do a lot of persuading in order for the player to move, but Diop’s head could turn at the thought of Champions League football and that could see the Spanish side forced to sell.
This Is Futbol rating: 5/10.