Barcelona have joined Manchester United in the race to sign Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld, with the Belgian defender's days in north London numbered.
Alderweireld's contract expires this summer and, while Spurs have the option to extend his deal by a further year, doing so would activate a clause which would allow him to be bought for just £25m in the final two weeks of the summer transfer window.
With Barcelona struggling desperately at the back, the Mirror report that the reigning Spanish champions are considering a mid-season move for the 29-year-old in order to beef up their ranks ahead of a hard second half of the season.
Summer signing Clement Lenglet and Gerard Pique are Ernesto Valverde's only starting centre-backs for the next month or more, with Samuel Umtiti likely to be out until 2019 and Thomas Vermaelen set to miss six weeks with a new muscle injury.
Pique's form has gone dramatically downhill over the last year, the 31-year-old struggling for Spain at the summer's World Cup and early in the current domestic season, but Valverde has been left with little choice but to continue to start the veteran in the absence of other options.
Just seen Daniel Levy's comments on why Tottenham didn't buy anyone in the summer.
— Hi, My name is Joe (@SayNoMore33) October 15, 2018
He said their summer plans were based in part on certain players leaving. Meaning he was expecting funds from the sales of Alderweireld and Rose. Somehow United never managed to do a deal 🙄🙄
Any possibility of Tottenham sanctioning a move for Alderweireld is likely to depend on Spurs' progress through the Champions League, along with the north London side securing a suitable replacement.
That replacement could be Bournemouth's Nathan Ake, with reports in the current international break suggesting that Mauricio Pochettino's first signing at the new White Hart Lane could be the young Dutchman.
Source: 90min
