Tottenham target USA striker who had breakthrough Bundesliga season
Tottenham are reportedly among a host of clubs keen on signing United States forward Matthew Hoppe from Schalke this summer.
The 20-year-old attacker, who began his career at LA Galaxy, joined Schalke in 2019 and enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last term. He scored six goals and added an assist in 22 league appearances as his club suffered relegation from the German top flight.
Spurs, Wolves, Newcastle and Southampton are all said to be showing an interest in the 6ft 3in forward.
Tottenham are expected to be in need of at least one new No.9, if talisman Harry Kane gets his wish to leave. Promising young forward Troy Parrott is also expected to be loaned out again.
And while Hoppe does not currently fill the requirements of a top goalscorer, he could be a useful bench option.
Schalke are expected to be under pressure to sell, following their relegation. While, there is no mention of a fee in the report in the Shields Gazette, Hoppe is currently valued at just €4.5m by transfermarkt.
Hoppe, who is still awaiting his full USA debut, has seemingly done enough to convince Premier League clubs he is worth a punt.
It now just depends on which club is willing to take the gamble in bringing him in.
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Tottenham face tough task landing midfielder
Meanwhile, Tottenham will not be given an easy route on the path to securing an impressive midfield transfer despite it being his ‘dream’ to play in England, per a report.
Spurs finally put to bed their highly publicised manager hunt by appointing Nuno Espirito Santo in late June. The Portuguese was not initially high on the club’s shortlist. However, it cannot be argued he has not proved himself in the Premier League.
With the aid of several key transfers for fellow countrymen, Nuno firmly established Wolves as a solid mid-table team over their three years of top flight football.
His transfer budget at Tottenham will undoubtedly be larger. Nonetheless, many expect him to once again rely on his Portuguese connections.
One player who has already been linked with a move to North London is Joao Palhinha.
The Sporting Lisbon midfielder, 26, was a key cog in the club’s engine room on route to breaking Porto and Benfica’s dominance in the Portuguese top flight last year.
Palhinha impresses at Euro 2020
His displays were rewarded with several appearances for his national side at Euro 2020, and Tottenham duly took note.
A previous report in June detailed their interest, and noted the player holds a €60m release clause.
Portuguese outlet Record stated a bid of between €40m-€50m might be too good for Sporting to resist. But the latest news has indicated Spurs will have to go the extra mile.
Sport Witness (citing today’s edition of Record) declare Sporting ‘do not plan to sell the midfielder in this transfer window.’
As such, the only way Spurs will be able to secure the player is by paying his €60m get-out fee.
Sporting’s stance is deemed to be ‘well expressed’ and at present, they appear determined in their cause.
Wolves have also been credited with interest along with Everton. However, the figures in question may prove a step too far for that duo.
READ MORE: Pundit claims Nuno needs more, spotting weakness with reported Tottenham transfer
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