Tottenham Hotspur manager José Mourinho is interested in a move for Valencia's Geoffrey Kondogbia as he looks to add more competition for places in his midfield.
The Central African Republic international has spent the last three years at the Mestalla following a move from Italian giants Inter, making 89 appearances for the club where he's been directly involved in 12 goals.
The 27-year-old only has two years left on his contract with Valencia, and Sky Sports report Tottenham could look to prise him away from Spain at the end of the season.
It's claimed Mourinho wants to add a more physical presence to his midfield, likely after being unimpressed with Tanguy Ndombele's performances since his club-record €62m arrival in north London.
"I was expecting players not tired to give more to the team," Mourinho said about Tottenham's club-record signing. "Somebody has to realise that this is the Premier League.
"I hope that next season he can be fantastic because until now it is not enough."
The club don't have an out and out defensive midfielder on their books, but it appears Mourinho wants Kondogbia to fill that gap next season.
Tottenham's chief scout Steve Hitchen has been keeping tabs on Kondogbia for a number of years, but the club stepped up their interest in the midfielder during their search for Mousa Dembélé's long-term replacement in 2017.
Carlo Ancelotti's Everton have also been tracking Kondogbia.
If Mourinho is unable to get a deal for Kondogbia over the line, the Portuguese manager could be tempted to reignite his interest in Southampton's Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, formerly of Bayern Munich.
Tottenham enquired about the Dane's available during the January transfer window but Southampton wouldn't entertain the prospect of selling Højbjerg until their future in the Premier League was secure.
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Source :
90min
