Tottenham faces a potentially pivotal week of Antonio Conte's tenure, with the club desperate to offload Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, and Dele Alli to free up space for new signings in the squad.
The trio were all left out of the squad for yesterday's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, Spurs' final game before the transfer window closes at 11 pm on January 31, as Conte increased the pressure on the club to act on his recommendations this week.
Adama Traore is expected to become Conte's first signing, with Spurs close to agreeing a £20million deal with Wolves for the Spain international.
Offloading Ndombele, Lo Celso, and Dele will not be easy but the former has held talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a loan move. The clubs are still discussing terms, including what percentage of his £200,000-a-week wages, if any, will be paid by Spurs and whether the deal will include a permanent option.
Spurs are also open to letting Dele and Lo Celso leave on loan or in swap deals, with Sevilla reported to be interested in the Argentina international, who took to Instagram shortly after yesterday's team was announced to insist he was "100% in a good condition".Chelsea a class above as they brush aside obliging Tottenham to highlight the level between both clubs
Chelsea a class above as they brush aside obliging Tottenham to highlight the level between both clubs
Asked about Lo Celso afterward, Conte said only: “I selected the players for this game and this question is one for the club to answer.”
The Italian said something similar about Dele's absence, with Newcastle and Everton linked with a move for the 25-year-old.
While Dele is not currently close to an exit, Conte has given his squad time off until the weekend and the midfielder has thanked some members of staff in the event that a transfer is arranged before he returns to the club. Offloading the trio would free up huge sums in wages for new signings and make a new midfielder a priority, with Spurs considering a bid for AC Milan's Franck Kessie, who is out of contract in the summer.
The Ivory Coast international is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon and would prefer to move at the end of the season when he would be a free agent and guaranteed a signing-on fee.
Spurs and Wolves are both confident that Traore will move to north London this week, with the Midlands club having rejected an initial bid of around £15m. Conte wants Traore to play as a right-wing-back, where neither Matt Doherty nor Emerson Royal has convinced. Along with Traore and a new midfielder, Conte is also targeting a new forward, although Steven Bergwijn's impressive outings this week suggest he could deputize for Harry Kane up front if required.
Young defenders Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga are also available to leave the club, likely on loan, and their exits would free up space for Spurs to pursue a new center-half. Spurs would also listen to offers for Doherty, with Traore's arrival set to see the Irishman fall further down the pecking order.
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