Tottenham have turned down a loan bid from Chelsea to sign attacker Fernando Llorente, according to a reliable journalist.
Sky Sports’ Spanish expert Balague has claimed in a question-and-answer session (1:31pm, Friday) that Spurs rejected a loan offer from their London rivals.
It is understood that Chelsea boss Antonio Conte wants to sign the 32-year-old and made an attempt to take him to Stamford Bridge after initial interest.
The report details that Spurs responded emphatically and it’s doubtful they would sanction his exit.
Good move for Spurs?
Allowing Llorente to leave in January would be a dreadful decision, despite his struggles in front of goal this campaign.
The Spaniard has managed just two goals across all competitions, but he is still the only cover for talisman Harry Kane and is believed to be a popular player in the dressing room.
He has not managed to replicate his goalscoring form from last season with Swansea, but is a big target man and could still play an important role this campaign.
Spurs especially can’t afford to improve a direct rival in the race for the Premier League’s top four positions.
This Is Futbol rating: 1/10
Likely to happen?
It seems very unlikely that Spurs would agree business with Chelsea midway through the season and the initial rejection from Mauricio Pochettino’s side shares their stance.
The reigning Premier League champions appear to be on a mad search for a new striker and Llorente is just one of several to be linked in the past few days, but his immediate future looks set to be with Spurs.
This Is Futbol rating: 2/10