Euro Paper Talk: Tottenham battling Man City for midfield dynamo after eye-catching scouting mission; Liverpool handed €60m hammer blow

Tottenham are ready to battle the likes of Manchester City, Aston Villa and Newcastle for a talented Ligue 1 midfielder, while Liverpool look set for major disappointment in their bid to sign one of Arne Slot’s top targets – all in Friday’s Euro Paper Talk.

PREM QUINTET CHASING LENS MIDFIELD ACE

Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa were among a host of Premier League clubs scouting a top Ligue 1 midfield talent on Thursday evening.

Lens have developed a real talent for turning young talent into major stars while also making a handy profit along the way.

Lois Openda, now a prolific goalscorer at RB Leipzig, moved to the Bundesliga giants after a spell in France, while Elye Wahi (Marseille), Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace), and now-Sevilla defender Loic Bade also left the Stade Bollaert-Delelis for considerable sums.

And the next player off that conveyor belt could be 21-year-old midfielder Andy Diouf, who was watched by countless teams during his side’s Europa Conference League qualifier.

HITC reports that scouts from Tottenham, City, Villa, Newcastle and Brighton all watched the former Basel starlet during Lens’ 2-1 victory over Panathinaikos on Thursday night.

Diouf played the whole 90 minutes too, despite only recently returning to Lens following his involvement in France’s Olympics team. The 6ft 2ins ace was part of the team which claimed silver under Thierry Henry in their homeland after losing to Spain in the final.

The young midfielder moved to France from Switzerland in a £13million deal back in the summer of 2023 but was already being linked with a move to the Premier League at that stage, with Liverpool reported to be keen back then.

Diouf a strong fit for Tottenham midfield

Diouf is described as a dynamic ball-carrier and a classic modern midfield player, who scored three goals and assisted seven more during his last season at Basel. However, he has not hit those heights at Lens just yet.

“He had a very impactful impact in the Europa Conference League,” former Lens coach Franck Haise told L’Équipe shortly after his arrival a year ago. “He always has the ball at his disposal. He’s a left-footer and I like having left-footer in the middle.

“He has a good quality shot and ticks the boxes we wanted.”

In terms of Tottenham’s interest, Ange Postecoglou needs another body in his engine room after the sale of Oliver Skipp to Leicester City and wants more of a box-to-box player on board.

City would arguably see Diouf as more of a project after sealing the return of 33-year-old Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona.

DIVE DEEPER – The 10 Man City players sold for the biggest transfer profits in the Pep Guardiola era

NAPOLI TO RAISE LUKAKU OFFER

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has allowed Giovanni Manna to raise the offer from €30m to €32m for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, although the two clubs are not guaranteed to shake hands anytime soon. (Tuttosport)

Manchester United will battle with Tottenham to sign Andreas Christensen from Barcelona in a reported cut-price €25m (£21m) deal before deadline day. (Various)

Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has agreed personal terms with Paris Saint-Germain, while Arsenal are also keeping an eye on his situation. (Sky Sports Deutschland)

Real Madrid have waived goodbye to Mario Martin for the coming season after the 20-year-old midfielder joined Real Valladolid on loan. The deal will not hold any buy options. (Football Espana)

Juventus have approached Manchester United for out of favour winger Jadon Sancho. (RMC Sport)

Sergi Roberto is set to join Cesc Fabregas at Como for their first season in Serie A following his departure from Barcelona this summer. The Former Barcelona captain has joined the Italian side on a two-year deal with an option for another season. (Fabrizio Romano)

DON’T MISS – The 10 most expensive transfers in the summer 2024 window, including Man Utd and Tottenham signings

JUVE TO BEAT LIVERPOOL TO MIDFIELD GEM

Juventus expect to sign Teun Koopmeiners next week for a fee close to €60m. Atalanta’s asking price for Koopmeiners is €60m but Juve will nearly match their demands by offering €50m plus €6m-7m add-ons. (Tuttosport)

Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez is in Madrid and ready to sign for Rayo Vallecano on a free transfer. (Marca)

Weston McKennie’s transfer saga is set to come to an end as the midfielder is set to sign a contract extension with Juventus. The USA star has been heavily linked with Aston Villa, Newcastle and Everton this summer. (Football Italia)

Arsenal have agreed a deal with Deportivo La Coruna that will see the Spanish club land midfielder Charlie Patino. It is reported that the deal is worth €1m, but there is a “significant” sell-on clause included. (Fabrizio Romano)

Juventus have officially sent midfielder Hans Nicolussi Caviglia to Venezia on loan with an obligation to buy for a reported €5m plus bonuses, while Fabio Miretti is close to Genoa. (Football Italia)

READ NEXT – All the done deals by Premier League clubs in the summer 2024 transfer window

Monza are due to sign Stefano Turati from Sassuolo, while former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu returns to Palermo after 13 years. (Tuttomercatoweb)

Nathan Ngoy is one step away from signing for Luton Town, with only a medical left to do before he arrives at Kenilworth Road. The centre-back is on the verge of a €5m move form Standard Liege. (Various)