Tottenham abandon pursuit of £25m centre-back after Kota Takai deal
Kota Takai now looks set to be Tottenham’s second signing of the Thomas Frank era, but a new report has revealed what the Japanese defender’s arrival means for Spurs’ pursuit of a young Serie A defender.
According to reports, Spurs have agreed a £5m deal to sign Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale, with the 20-year-old arriving in the Premier League on the back of an excellent J-League and AFC Champions League campaign.
Tottenham saw off competition from three European clubs to land Takai, and the hope at N17 will be that the youngster has a similar impact to the one Lucas Bergvall did last season.
Just a few days ago, CaughtOffside had claimed that Spurs were preparing a €25m (£21.3m) offer for Parma’s Giovanni Leoni, and an update has now emerged regarding the Lilywhites’ pursuit of the player.
Tottenham set to call off their pursuit of Giovanni Leoni
The report in CaughOffside revealed that Spurs were battling Wolves as well as several Serie A sides for Leoni’s signature.
Tottenham’s interest in the 18-year-old is not new, with Giovanni Leoni also being linked with a move to Spurs last summer as well.
However, a new report from ParmaLive has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are no longer expected to bid for the Parma starlet.
Now that Takai is on the verge of completing a move to North London, the Premier League side have abandoned their pursuit of the Italy Under-19 international.
It is explained that Spurs found Parma’s €30m (£25.5m) price tag to be excessive, which is why they turned their attention to the Japanese defender instead.
However, Leoni continues to attract attention from multiple clubs, with AC Milan and Inter ready to challenge for his signature.
Will Tottenham sign another centre-back this summer?
It has been reported over the last two weeks that signing a centre-back is a priority for Thomas Frank this summer.
However, one very much doubts if Takai is the player that the Danish coach had in mind, with the youngster being one for the future rather than someone who would be expected to make an instant impact at the club.
Whether Tottenham add to their stocks in central defence this summer could depend on the future of the Spurs vice-captain, with Cristian Romero continuing to be linked with a move to Atletico Madrid.
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