Tottenham launch spectacular hijack of Chelsea winger target as €70m offer matched – report | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly plotting the stunning hijack of a Chelsea and Liverpool winger target after matching the €70million offer on the table from their London rivals, although TEAMtalk can reveal why a proposed January move has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Bringing in a new left-winger is arguably the club’s biggest priority in the winter window, with Thomas Frank so far unable to find the right solution for that spot after Son Heung-min’s summer exit.

Multiple options have been tried without a great deal of success, leading Tottenham to be linked with January moves for the likes of Antoine Semenyo, Ademola Lookman and Maghnes Akliouche.

However, a fresh report from Spain claims that Spurs are looking to leapfrog the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool and secure the stunning capture of Athletic Bilbao attacker Nico Williams instead.

The Spain international is widely regarded as one of the best wingers in European football and has chalked up a combined 49 goals and assists in 91 career appearances from the left flank.

According to a report from dubious Spanish outlet Fichajes, Chelsea have already offered €70m (£61.5m / $80.6m) in order to sign the Spanish international attacker. However, they are now expected to face competition from Tottenham, who have decided to match that offer.

The report adds that Bilbao could be tempted to accept that offer, although it’s unclear at this stage which club they would be willing to sell to. It’s also reported that both clubs are willing to triple to Williams’ current salary in order to convince him to sign.

Nico Williams to Tottenham a wow signing, but…

If Spurs could pull off the signing of Williams in January, there is no doubt that it would be a real statement of intent from majority owners ENIC.

The Lewis Family have invested a further £100m in the club ahead of the winter window in order to make improvements to Frank’s squad, and getting Williams on board would do just that.

However, Fichajes are by no means the most reliable of sources and there has to be some doubt over the validity of the report, as much as Tottenham fans would love it to be true.

When you also add in the report stating that ‘both clubs are willing to triple his wages’, that is where things really start to fall apart.

According to Capology, Williams currently earns £263,000-a-week at Bilbao and, remarkably, is under contract until 2035. Without even adding to that current salary, the Spaniard would instantly become Tottenham’s highest earner, by some distance too.

However, there may be some hope over signing a player who has also been on Liverpool’s radar for a length of time.

Bilbao are currently way off the top four in LaLiga and if Champions League qualification is looking bleak come January, the exciting winger could decide it’s the right time to move – especially when it’s been indicated in the past that he is excited about the prospect of playing in the Premier League.

Now, the wage structure could still present an issue, but if Tottenham are serious about changing the profile of the club and genuinely looking to challenge for top honours, then the capture of Williams could set a precedent going forward.

Latest Tottenham news: Semenyo chase update; new keeper reports rubbished

First up, Manchester United could get help from a coach as they look to beat Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City to the sensational signing of Bournemouth ace Antoine Semenyo.

Elsewhere, Spurs have moved quickly to dampen speculation that the club is urgently hunting for a new first-choice goalkeeper, and TEAMtalk understands Thomas Frank has a different top priority for January.

And finally, Tottenham are on the lookout for midfield targets ahead of January as Thomas Frank’s side anticipate the potential exit of Yves Bissouma, TEAMtalk understands.