Tottenham Hotspur have the opportunity to move for a Barcelona star they've admired for a long time – and they might just land him for nothing.
The Lilywhites have been busy in the transfer market this summer with the biggest deal of their window being a £60 million capture of Everton forward Richarlison – who was suspended for the first game of the season against Southampton. Spurs promptly won that fixture 4-0.
The likes of Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Djed Spence have also been brought in to add depth to Antonio Conte's side, while Barcelona star Clement Lenglet is on a season-long loan to add cover to the back. But he might not be the only Barça star heading to north London this summer.
According to ESPN, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie are facing a race against time to be registered for Barcelona's opening fixture in La Liga, with the Catalan giants still in a quandary as to what to do with their bloated squad.
It's well known that the Blaugrana are desperately trying to shift Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong – a target for Tottenham's Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United – but now free signings Christensen and Kessie might not start the season.
Given that Tottenham have tracked Franck Kessie for a long time, it's possible that they may still be interested in his services, despite bringing in Bissouma to fill the void that they had in a No.8.
Christensen, meanwhile, has plenty of experience in a back three playing both under Antonio Conte at Chelsea and the successor who let him go this summer, Thomas Tuchel. He may well be possible to snare as extra cover.
Despite the opportunity that Barça's predicament has caused, it seems highly unlikely that Conte will move for either player. The Italian has already added a central midfielder and a centre-back to his squad ahead of the new season and is already planning ahead for competing on four fronts.
Christensen is valued at around £31.5m by Transfermarket, while Kessie is thought to be worth around £40m.
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Antonio Conte has spoken of his excitement for the new season and said that his new signings must earn their places in his team. Dejan Kulusevski has already eyed consistency this term, while his manager has asked Spurs to be "dreamers".
Conte has also stated that his stars will not be distracted by the World Cup and admitted that his team are a long way off winning a title.
Meanwhile, Ivan Perisic has revealed the role a former Tottenham star had in convincing him to join.
