Tottenham interested in 'huge talent' with Premier League rivals set to demand £40m

Tottenham are said to be interested in an attacker who could be interested in a move this summer. Thomas Frank took charge of his first game as Spurs boss on Saturday, albeit it was a pre-season friendly.

Spurs defeated Reading 2-0, and Frank will be pleased to see his men get minutes in their legs as they start to adjust to his ideas, and with another friendly just around the corner. Tottenham face Luton Town in their second friendly on Saturday, and Asia is the next stop after that, with a North London derby in the offing.

In the meantime, Tottenham will be working on more new signings after the capture of Mohammed Kudus, and it looks as though an attacking midfielder could be of interest. RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons has been linked, albeit at a reported price of around £60million.

One alternative could be Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey who, according to The Boot Room, is of interest to Spurs. Graeme Bailey has reported that Ramsey wants to play Champions League football, while Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have also been linked. Bailey said: “Jacob Ramsey is a huge talent, nobody has to tell Aston Villa that.

“But he is central to their plans? Maybe not, and the player knows that. Sometimes a move can just suit a player and a club, and this could be one of those instances.”

Ramsey primarily plays out wide but can also play in the attacking midfield role, which would come in handy for Frank given the need for depth behind James Maddison. Spurs could also do with another winger amid uncertainty over the futures of Heung-min Son and Richarlison.

Unai Emery previously highlighted how important Ramsey was to his plans, saying last summer: “Jacob Ramsey is a very important player. He grew up here in the academy. His progression is clear and getting better. I want to keep him here with us. Teams maybe involved in the possibility to sign him, because he is a potentially big, big player in Aston Villa and England. I want to keep him here 100%."

Despite that, Ramsey only started 19 Premier League games last season, and there have been reported that he could push for a move to be a regular starter.

Asking price claim

In terms of asking price, journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed Ramsey would cost between £40-£50million. He told Football Insider: “I think Forest would be able to get to the £40-50million mark. That would be enough to convince Villa to sell him. Obviously, having European football next year at the City Ground might just give them the edge over other Premier League clubs interested in Ramsey as well.

“I think, right now, Villa ideally would like to keep hold of Ramsey. They haven’t been very busy in the window so far, so Unai Emery is hoping to keep hold of his best players after they resolved their PSR issues. Ramsey still has a role to play at Villa, but if a big offer was to come in for him, Forest would be the favourites ahead of those other clubs.”

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