Will Levy pay up? Spurs need Calafiori but face high price tag
Tottenham Hotspur FC have been linked with a move for Italian center-back Riccardo Calafiori, with the North Londoners said to have held talks with the Bologna defender for a possible move in the summer transfer window.
The North Londoners are in dire need of a new center back in the off-season owing to the limitations they faced in the recently concluded season at the position as Ange Postecoglou was forced to play with full-backs centrally, hurting the Lilywhites prospects for Champions League qualification. The Australian gaffer would want to go into the upcoming season better prepared with his roster by bolstering his central defensive options in the transfer window.
Spurs did sign Romanian international Radu Dragusin from Genoa in the January transfer window in a £26.7 million (€31 million) deal with the Italian club, as the 22-year-old chose to join the North Londoners despite a late attempt to hijack the deal from Bayern Munich. Despite signing Radu, the Spurs remain determined to strengthen their central defense and are actively competing for the signing of Riccardo Calafiori.
Can they lure him from Juventus grip?
While Spurs pursue his signatures, it would be a difficult task to secure his services, as the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Napoli have expressed interest in signing him this summer. Though Italian giants Juventus have been tagged as the favorites to land his signatures in the off-season,.
However, Daniel Levy & Co. have held talks alongside Newcastle United over signing the Italian Euro 2024 star this summer, per CaughtOffSide.
One possible complication for Bologna this summer could be the fact that his current employers would have to pay 40% of whatever fee they receive for Calafiori to his former club Basel, which will make Bologna keen to not lose his services in the off-season.
There is an expectation that Bologna would demand at least €35 million for Calafiori, as he remains keen to reinstate his former manager Thiago Motta at Juventus. However, he is said to be open to a move to the Premier League if a move to Turin does not materialize.
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Calafiori is working his magic with Italy at the European Championships in Germany as of now, and it is to be seen if Tottenham could fortify their interests to lure him to North London.
