Tottenham Hotspur are bracing themselves for Gareth Bale's eventual return to Real Madrid and are prepared to move for Stuttgart winger Nicolas Gonzalez to replace him.
Bale recently broke Spurs fans' hearts by admitting that his plan has always been to return to parent club Real once this season comes to a close, but club officials have always expected that and have been scouring the globe for potential replacements for the Welshman.
Back in January, Spurs were revealed to be tracking Gonzalez, and now Sky Sports News claim they have seen enough and are ready to pursue a move for the 22-year-old Argentine at the end of the season.
Gonzalez exploded onto the scene in the second tier of German football last season, racking up 15 goals and four assists in all competitions to fire Stuttgart back to the top flight, where he has managed a solid return of six goals in 15 games.
He remains under contract until 2024, but it is understood that Stuttgart are prepared to do business for the right price and would listen to offers of around £27m.
Also on the radar is Lille forward Jonathan Bamba, whose tallies of six goals and nine assists this season have helped his team launch a surprise challenge for the Ligue 1 title.
Lille are another of those sides who are happy to sell their top players for the right price. The French side like to make one major sale per summer, having sold Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal in 2019 and Victor Osimhen to Napoli last summer.
Spurs are looking for someone capable of filling the creative void Bale is soon to leave behind. After an injury-hit start to life back in London, the 31-year-old has bagged ten goals and three assists this year - an output only bettered by star forwards Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
None of Lucas Moura, Erik Lamela and Steven Bergwijn look like setting the world on fire with their goals anytime soon, and Jose Mourinho is keen to find someone who can come in and give his side an extra dynamic in attack.
Scouts appear to be intensifying their interest in Gonzalez, but Spurs are expected to consider a whole host of options before the summer transfer window opens.
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Source : 90min