Transfer News: Tottenham Hotspur set to compete with Arsenal for PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes
According to CalcioMercato (h/t football.london), Tottenham Hotspur are looking to secure the services of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes in the summer, but will have to battle arch-rivals Arsenal for his signature.
The 27-year-old joined the French club in 2019 after impressing at Zenit Saint Petersburg, and since then, the player has been a regular feature at the Parc des Princes as he helped them to two Ligue 1 titles.
He is an experienced Argentina international as well, most recently being a key player for La Albiceleste as they won the Copa America last year. Evidently, Spurs seem to have identified a talented midfielder to add to their ranks – if they manage to beat interest from the Gunners.
They are not the only ones who are keen on signing Paredes, however, as the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid, and AS Roma are also interested in making a move for the Argentine. The player had previously turned out for Roma from 2015 to 2017 and was impressive during his time in Italy.
Down the pecking order
Despite being a familiar face on the pitch for the French juggernauts, the arrival of new boss Mauricio Pochettino seems to have jeopardised the midfielder’s future in Paris. The ex-Tottenham manager seems to prefer Danilo Pereira and Marco Verratti in the middle of the pitch, which has seen the Argentine fall down the pecking order this season.
With the player not getting enough minutes on the pitch, he could be tempted to depart the club and look for opportunities elsewhere. If so, it is said that a bid of €20m could be enough to convince PSG to part ways with the ex-Roma man.
For a player with much experience on the international stage and in Europe, the transfer price to secure his services this summer seems like a bargain. At 27, he is about to enter the prime years of his playing career, which makes it look all the more a great price to nab the midfield star.
However, with other clubs interested in him, it will not be easy to sign the PSG player at the end of the season. In fact, Arsenal seem intent on taking our rivalry with them into the transfer market in the summer.
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We are currently locked in a top-four battle with them, as the race to finish in fourth place heats up as we approach the business end of the season. Although we occupy the desired position in the Premier League table, the Gunners are level on points with us and also have a game in hand to take advantage of.
Securing a Champions League qualification spot over Arsenal could even give us an edge over them in the race to sign Paredes- although that is just a theory. Having played UCL football regularly while at PSG, it isn’t completely wrong to assume that the midfielder would want to continue that streak and join a club that offers him the chance to play amongst the elite in European football.