Tottenham are set to hijack Arsenal's move for Youri Tielemans and Djed Spence as Antonio Conte is set to be given a sizable transfer budget this summer.
Spurs pipped their city rivals to fourth spot on the final day of the Premier League campaign with a 5-0 win over Norwich. Qualifying for next season's Champions League was imperative so the club could prove to Conte that the club have lofty ambitions in the coming years with his future in doubt.
It also gives Tottenham a huge financial boost ahead of the transfer window as Spurs announced a cash injection of £150m from the club's majority shareholder, Enic, to help provide "greater financial flexibility and the ability to further invest on and off the pitch." And it's claimed that the Italian has received assurances that the club are ready to invest a significant proportion of that investment on new players, according to ESPN.
The report states the north Londoners will deploy an 'aggressive' transfer strategy which includes signing a central midfielder, two wing-backs, a back-up striker and one centre-back. Conte is expected to stay at Spurs, as a result, following positive talks with managing director Fabio Paratici in Turin on Friday. And two players on the former Chelsea boss' radar are Tielemans and Spence - who have both been previously linked with Arsenal.
Spurs have held an interest in Middlesbrough star Spence for some time with reports they had two bids rejected in January. Spence is valued at £15m as his stock continues to rise.
Tielemans is also on Conte's shortlist as the Belgian enters the final years of his contract. Leicester are wanting £25m for their prized asset but risk letting him leave as a free agent next summer with the playmaker expressing his desire to seek a new challenge away from the King Power Stadium.
Would Tottenham be a better landing spot for Tielemans and Spence? Let us know in the comment section below
Arteta has been a long-term admirer of Tielemans with Arsenal heavily linked with the midfielder last summer. The Gunners would end up signing Martin Odegaard instead but there is a chance they could reignite their interest in the upcoming window.
Arteta hopes to replicate the success of last summer but warns that Arsenal does not have unlimited resources at their disposal.
The Spaniard said: “We are going to have certain resources, not unlimited resources, some resources. And with our resources, we have to play and do what we have to do in the best possible way.
"We don't know what the rest are going to have in terms of resources, which I'm assuming is going to be challenging because now it's not a top-three or top-four league. Now it is a top-eight or 10 teams that are involved. That's why we have to find a way to do again what we did last summer.”
