Tottenham Hotspur have hit the ground running in the summer transfer window but the north London outfit aren’t finished just yet as they eye up a deal for Barcelona ’s Memphis Depay.
According to Sport, via Sport Witness, Spurs have ‘officially taken the step’ to sign Depay this month after the Catalan giants made him available for transfer, and are looking to follow up their capture of Clement Lenglet from Xavi’s side with the addition of the Netherlands international.
And should they do so, then they would be handing Chelsea a huge boost in their pursuit of Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, following reports that Barcelona are after the defender themselves and have offered Depay as part of the deal.
It was reported on Sunday that Spurs enquired about the possibility of signing Depay this summer when wrapping up a deal for Lenglet earlier this month, but the La Liga outfit then froze the 28-year-old’s exit, before reconsidering and giving Antonio Conte’s side permission to negotiate with the player.
Spurs have already contacted Depay’s representatives, although it has been revealed that he is comfortable at the club and his priority is to continue at the Camp Nou, despite being made available for transfer this summer. It is also understood that Depay is reluctant to return to England.
Barcelona have demanded a €20 million (£16.9 million) fee for the Netherlands winger, but Spurs are only ‘willing to pay’ €17m (£14.4m). After completing the signings of Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, it is unlikely that the Catalan club will back down on their asking price due to their need for funds.
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But should Spurs meet Barcelona’s valuation and then convince Depay to move to London and make a return to the Premier League, not only would it be a great piece of business for themselves, but it could also hugely benefit one of their top four rivals for this season.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are in the race to sign Kounde from Sevilla this summer as they look for replacements for Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, of which the latter joined Barcelona on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract last month.
However, despite already signing Christensen, Barcelona are also after Kounde and in order to compete with the financial muscle of Chelsea in the race for the centre-back, they have offered Depay as part of a player-plus-cash deal, as per Sport, in the hope of beating other competitors.
But should Spurs manage to pry Depay away from the Camp Nou, it would impact Barcelona's chances of a deal for Kounde, and therefore puts Chelsea in the driving seat to secure the French international.
