Tottenham, Aston Villa eyeing €35m Belgian star amid ferocious transfer battle – sources | OneFootball

Nathan De Cat, the wiry 17-year-old orchestrating Anderlecht’s midfield like a veteran conductor, has become the epicentre of a continental bidding war that includes Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, we can reveal.

The Belgian wonderkid – blessed with a wand of a left foot and an uncanny knack for threading passes through needle-eye gaps – has racked up four goals and six assists this season, turning heads from the English south coast to the Spanish capital. Insiders at Lotto Park confirm that no fewer than seven top-tier clubs are locked in a feverish pursuit, each desperate to secure the signature of a player still months shy of his 18th birthday.

In England, the chase is ferocious. Brighton, architects of shrewd continental raids, have earmarked De Cat as the cornerstone of their next evolution, with the Seagulls impressed and enamoured by his press-resistant poise.

Aston Villa’s recruitment machine views him as the ideal partner for Boubacar Kamara in their midfield pivot.

Tottenham, craving creativity beyond James Maddison, and Nottingham Forest, seeking a spark to ignite their survival bid, complete the Premier League quartet.

Early feelers suggest Anderlecht would demand north of €20million (£18m) upfront, plus performance add-ons that could push the package toward €35m (£31m).

Europe’s traditional powerhouses refuse to be sidelined. AC Milan’s scouting network, honed on Serie A’s tactical chessboard, sees De Cat slotting into their 4-2-3-1 formation as a deep-lying playmaker with flair.

Bayern Munich leading race for Nathan De Cat

Atletico Madrid, ever pragmatic under Diego Simeone, covet his duel-winning ferocity to bolster an engine room thinned by departures.

But the real juggernaut emerges from Munich: Bayern, having initiated formal talks with De Cat’s representatives, dangle the allure of the Rekordmeister’s fabled academy-to-first-team conveyor belt. With Jamal Musiala as a living blueprint, the Germans are prepared to eclipse rivals with a €38m (£34m) total package, sweetened by a potential loan-back clause to ease his transition.

Anderlecht sporting director Olivier Renard acknowledges the “exceptional interest” but stresses any exit must fund squad reinvestment. The player, a product of Brussels’ melting-pot streets, offers measured diplomacy: “Anderlecht is home, but big clubs make you think.”

January looms as the battleground. Will De Cat trade purple for Seagull blue, claret, lilywhite, garnet, red-and-white stripes, Rossoneri red-black, or Bayern’s crimson? The kid they call “The Kitten” is one of the brightest talents to watch in world football.

Spurs in Liverpool battle; latest on struggling Villa man

Meanwhile, sources have confirmed to us that Liverpool will fight Spurs for one of the very best forwards in the Premier League.

Harvey Elliott left Liverpool for Villa over the summer amid his search for game time.