Tottenham ‘determined’ to hijack deal for explosive attacker who ticks every Thomas Frank box | OneFootball

Reports in Spain claim that Tottenham are ‘determined’ to hijack a proposed Barcelona deal for a left-sided attacker, with TEAMtalk assessing why the player would be a perfect fit in Thomas Frank’s forward line.

The left side of the Spurs forward line has been an issue for Frank throughout the first half of the campaign, with no one player being able to make the position their own, despite numerous options being tried there.

Indeed, Frank himself admitted just that prior to Saturday’s much-needed home win over Brentford, saying: “There is competition for that left-side role. We are playing games every third or fourth day so we need rotation but also someone has not put their foot down on the left position.”

Randal Kolo Muani put in a decent shift on the left against the Bees before limping off, but it’s clear that Tottenham do not have the answer for that position currently at the club and need to dip into the transfer market to fix it.

While that was expected to happen in January, latest reports suggest they want to hijack Barcelona‘s bid to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal next summer instead.

That’s according to Spanish outlet AS, who state that Spurs are ‘determined’ to snap up the England attacker, who was heavily linked with a switch to north London, back when Harry Kane was wanted at Old Trafford, as part of a swap deal.

Rashford is currently at a career crossroads following his impressive revival at the Camp Nou, and it’s emerged that Barcelona remain indecisive about the £30million purchase option in his loan deal from Manchester United, creating uncertainty that several English clubs are eager to exploit.

His Camp Nou renaissance has persuaded the Calatans’ hierarchy to at least contemplate activating the permanent deal clause, but their precarious financial situation complicates matters.

To that end, Tottenham have identified Rashford as the ‘ideal’ profile to rejuvenate their attack, particularly when it comes to that left-wing spot.

Why Rashford could thrive at Tottenham

The 27-year-old showed during his loan stint at Aston Villa last season that a fresh start can make all the difference, and now he’s also done that further afield in Spain.

AS adds that Tottenham boss Frank is ready to offer Rashford an ‘immediate leading role’ in the team, although there could still be some serious issues when it comes to wage demands.

Rashford’s current salary is around £325,000 per week, which is significantly more than the £195k-a-week that top earners Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons currently earn in north London.

With all that being said, if some form of compromise can be reached, Rashford could thrive under Frank at Tottenham.

The Dane loves pace and directness from his wide players, and Rashford certainly ticks both of those boxes. And, while his end product has often been questioned, the attacker has made a big step up in that regard in Catalonia.

Rashford has scored six goals and laid on 10 more in 20 appearances in all competitions for a Barcelona side who currently lead LaLiga but sit down in 18th in the expanded Champions League group stage.

In terms of his long-term future, much will depend on Barca’s desire to make the deal happen, especially if Ruben Amorim is still in the Old Trafford hot seat, which would mean no way back at United for the forward.

To that end, Tottenham will be keeping a close eye on Rashford’s situation through the second half of the campaign, if indeed the report from AS is an accurate one.

Tottenham and other suitors of Samu Aghehowa are facing January disappointment having been informed that the Spanish striker is not pushing to leave Porto in January, TEAMtalk understands.

Elsewhere, Yves Bissouma faces the prospect of being axed by Tottenham after being filmed reportedly inhaling laughing gas, a year after being suspended for the same thing, while Thomas Frank is also facing up to two more stars missing game time through injury.

Finally, a number of English sides, including Spurs, have been alerted to the progress of Anderlecht winger Nilson Angulo, TEAMtalk can reveal.