A new central midfielder is high on Ange Postecoglu's shopping list at Tottenham this summer and the Spurs boss may have found his man.
The Australian has struggled to find a settled midfield pairing this season, with Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr starting the season well before their form dipped after their African Cup of Nations return.
Rodrigo Bentancur is yet to hit the same heights he was achieving before his knee ligament injury, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been linked with a move away this summer.
A four-game losing streak has seen Spurs' dreams of a top-four finish fade, but with the club set to return to European football next season, there is plenty of work to be done in the summer transfer window.
And that could start with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, who has also attracted attention from the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
CaughtOffside report that Spurs are advancing in talks with Sudakov’s representatives as they look to pip their Premier League rivals to the signature of the 21-year-old who is likely to cost in the region of €70million.
Details of Chelsea’s interest in the Ukraine international came to the fore earlier this week, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side will likely have to raise funds by selling players if they are to splash out on Sudakov and remain with profit and sustainability limits.
Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin was a recent guest at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea beat Everton and admitted to the media afterwards that the midfielder could be on the move this summer.
“This summer window, he has a big chance to move to some big clubs,” he said of Sudakov. “We have had some contacts with big clubs and some are not negotiating with us directly but are getting a feel for the summer environment."
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