Tottenham Hotspur are targeting a young French striker, dubbed "the next Thierry Henry" in some circles.
Hugo Ekitike has thoroughly impressed this season for Reims and was linked with a £33m move to Newcastle United during the winter transfer window – though the move never came to fruition. The 19-year-old has scored or assisted 12 times in 21 Ligue 1 games this season and has drawn comparisons to the legendary Henry for his movement, confidence and ability to cut in from the left.
Now, the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal are linked with a move for the youngster, with Tottenham apparently stealing a march ahead of their local rivals when it comes to securing Ekitike's signature.
According to Calciomercato, the Lilywhites are in the driving seat for this deal, which would cost around £20m. Landing a young striker would not only provide cover to the talismanic Harry Kane, it would ensure a contingency plan for if the England captain were to leave in the next couple of transfer windows.
Tottenham have been linked with younger profiles of late, after landing 21-year-old Dejan Kulusevski in January from Juventus. Keane Lewis-Potter of Hull City and Alex Scott of Bristol City have both been rumoured to have interested the north Londoners.
Kulusevski has hit the ground running at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – and there's hope yet that the club will be able to secure the Swede's former Juve teammate in Paulo Dybala on a free transfer this summer, too.
Tottenham are still in the hunt for top four football – and signing a target ahead of Arsenal would be a strong start to the summer for Antonio Conte's side. Reportedly, the fee would be around £20m.
Ekitike is valued to be worth around £18m by Transfermarkt.
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