Tottenham have had a bid accepted by Swansea for striker Fernando Llorente, according to a reliable journalist.
BBC Sport correspondent David Ornstein reported on his personal Twitter account on Thursday morning that Spurs are now in pole position to beat Chelsea to the signing of the Spanish forward.
Ornstein explained that the Premier League champions have not had a bid accepted for Llorente but they are set to table a counter offer to beat Tottenham to the punch.
#THFC shock Llorente offer accepted #SwansFC – Chelsea close for weeks but no bid accepted. #CFC set to counter, outcome too close to call
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) August 31, 2017
If Llorent joins Spurs (they’re in pole but he’s torn & no #CFC deal yet) it’s possible Janssen to leave #THFC on loan before window shuts
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) August 31, 2017
The striker, 32, is said to be “torn” over whether to quit the Swans for Spurs, who finished second last season, or champions Chelsea.
Good move for Tottenham?
Yes. Llorente has pedigree, experience and a knack for finding the back of the net, a kind of older, less mobile and less prolific Harry Kane. Proven in the Premier League, he would be brilliant back-up for the Spurs talisman after showing last season he can score goals – 15 in the Premier League alone – for a struggling side. Aged 32, he does not represent one for the future, like most of the players Mauricio Pochettino prefers to sign, but he could do an excellent job for a season or two. Tall, technically sound, excellent in the air and with a penalty box instinct that Kane will approve of, Llorente has a distinguished record in Spain and England of knowing how to find the back of the net. He could be a brilliant acquisition. His arrival, should it happen, would pave the way for Vincent Janssen to leave. Llorente would undoubtedly be a considerable upgrade on the Dutch flop.
This Is Futbol rating: 9/10
Likely to happen?
Four years after getting beaten to Willian, are Spurs about to get revenge by elbowing Chelsea aside to land Llorente? With a reported £15million bid accepted, there is a real sense this could happen. The heads of Tottenham fans are starting to spin at the prospect of ruining the Blues’ deadline-day plans as well as providing top-calibre reinforcement of their own squad. As Ornstein points out, it is likely to depend, though, on what the player wants. Will he be seduced by the greater financial resources of serial winners Chelsea or the young and vibrant team assembled by Pochettino. This is shaping up as a deadline day transfer battle royale.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10