Tottenham, Man Utd have work to do as Real Madrid steal a march on top target
Tottenham and Manchester United have work to do as Real Madrid have stolen a march on a top transfer target, a report has claimed.
Spurs and United have both been dipping their toes into the Serie A market in recent weeks. The two Premier League sides share a need for reinforcements to get back to where they want to be in the table.
Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic is one addition they would both like to make. And AC Milan midfielder Frank Kessie is another player of interest in north London and Manchester.
But 24-year-old Kessie, who will be a free agent next summer, has also emerged on the radar of Real.
And the Spanish giants have now intensified their negotiations with the Ivory Coast international, according to Todo Fichajes.
They see him as an ideal replacement for Casemiro. Aside from him, both Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are on their way out at the Bernabeu.
The hierarchies at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Old Trafford will now have to move quick to prevent Kessie moving to Spain.
Tottenham and Arsenal firmly in running to raid Serie A for deadly striker
He will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with Real in just a month’s time.
AC still hold out hope they can get him to agree to stay in Milan. And they are focusing solely on contract renewals this winter.
Their sporting director Paulo Maldini recently said: “The January transfer window is a market for making repairs. Our team is competitive and at this time we have no plans to do anything. We will focus on renovations.
“With Kessie and Romagnoli, we are there and there are negotiations: while there is time, there is hope.”
The Italian club look like they will not be cashing in on Kessie come January. They are right in the title race and don’t want to lose an integral part of their side.
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Further Tottenham swoop is on
Meanwhile, Antonio Conte has been told experienced winger Ivan Perisic is ready to make the move to Tottenham with talks seemingly advancing in recent days.
Sport 1 claim north London now ‘looks the most likely’ destination for the Inter Milan midfielder and that discussions are already ‘well advanced’.
Everton are also said to be in the picture for Perisic, though the affect of Conte – who managed the player at Inter – gives Spurs the edge.
His contract at the San Siro is due to expire in the summer. Like Kessie, he is eligible to open talks with overseas suitors on January 1.
READ MORE: ‘Very serious’ – Conte addresses Tottenham injury blow and January implications
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