Tottenham eye last-minute swoop for Gabriel Magalhaes
According to a report from The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a late swoop for Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, who is close to agreeing a transfer to Napoli.
Gabriel, 22, has enjoyed a fine season with the Ligue 1 outfit, which has seen him attract interest from a host of European clubs. Tottenham are among the interested parties along with Arsenal and Everton, while Serie A side Napoli are also keen. (h/t The Sun)
In fact Napoli, reportedly, have already reached an agreement with Lille over a transfer fee of £20m for the Brazilian. Gabriel is also claimed to have agreed to a five-year deal worth £35,000-a-week with the Partenopei. (h/t The Sun)
However, Tottenham are set to launch a last-ditch attempt to pry away the defender. Jose Mourinho sees the Brazilian as a like-for-like replacement for Jan Vertonghen, who will be out of contract soon. (h/t The Sun)
The Belgian has agreed a short-term extension with the club till the end of the season. But it is unlikely that he will remain a Spurs player beyond that. Even if he does stay, the 33-year-old has looked past his best and needs to be phased out of the first-team.
So, securing the services of a new centre-back must be a top priority for Tottenham. Gabriel, to that end, would be a good option for the club. The 22-year-old featured 34 times in all competitions for Lille in 2019/20, bagging one goal, while helping the team to 13 clean sheets.
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The Brazilian international has shown immense potential in his burgeoning career in Europe so far. However, with Napoli already ahead of us in the race for Gabriel, it remains to be seen if the club can convince him to snub the Italians and move to Tottenham instead.
