Tottenham scouting mission sparks swift swoop for elite Belgian talent as Man Utd also circle | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to accelerate their move to sign Belgian wonderkid Nathan De Cat, after it emerged that Manchester United are ready to step up their own interest in the midfielder.

Spurs are gearing up for their must-win clash against relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on Sunday, and they do so with a little momentum behind them after securing Igor Tudor’s first win as interim coach, having beaten Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.

Having crashed out of Europe, the focus now switches towards preserving the club’s Premier League status, although that does not mean that Tottenham transfer chiefs are not already looking ahead to signings for the summer.

Indeed, fresh reports claim they are ready to raid the Belgian Jupiler Pro League for teenage defensive midfielder De Cat.

Just to read the words ‘teenage talent’ is likely to tip most Spurs over the edge, given the club’s lack of experienced leaders – some would both on and off the pitch – but the north London side look like they are it again when it comes to the highly-rated Anderlecht youngster.

The 17-year-old has taken Belgian football by storm this season, earning rave reviews for his defensive midfield performances in his homeland.

Over recent months, it has been widely reported that Tottenham have set their sights on De Cat, although they will not get a free run at trying to secure the signature of a player who continues to be heavily linked with Manchester United as well.

A fresh report in Fussball Daten has revealed that Spurs have stepped up their pursuit of De Cat, with scouts impressed by what they’ve seen on recent visits to Belgium.

They view the youngster as the ‘ideal deep-lying playmaker’ for their system, but will need to act quickly if they want to beat Man Utd to the punch, while there’s also interest from Aston Villa and Brighton as well as Germany.

Indeed, Fussball Daten adds that Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen are also watching the Belgium Under-18 international.

In terms of Anderlecht’s stance over selling De Cat, whose current deal only runs until the summer of 2027, they are not actively looking to cash in.

However, it’s reported that the Belgian giants will entertain offers in the region of €30m-€35m (£26m-£30.2m) for the midfielder, which would make the deal a record transfer for any teenager from the division.