Tottenham ‘open talks’ to hijack £40m Forest transfer as ‘door open’ to sign Bayern Munich star | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly ‘opened talks’ to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta, while they face competition from Atletico Madrid for another signing.

Spurs are enduring another shambolic season as they languish deep in the bottom half of the Premier League table, while they have exited the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

The north London outfit have fared better in the Champions League as they finished fourth in the group phase to qualify for the round of 16, but it still comes as no surprise that they have been active in the transfer market this month.

Thomas Frank‘s side have already signed Conor Gallagher and Souza in this window, but they remain in the market for further additions.

Spurs have been loosely linked with Mateta in recent weeks and they now appear to be stepping up their interest in the Crystal Palace forward.

Mateta has entered the final 18 months of his contract at Crystal Palace and it’s become apparent that he is looking to follow Marc Guehi in leaving.

Aston Villa and Juventus were initially leading the race to land Mateta, though their interest appears to have decreased in recent days.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, have reportedly made a £35m move for Mateta, who is valued by Palace at £40m.

However, journalist Nicolo Schira claims Spurs have now ‘opened talks’ with Palace over Mateta, with it noted that this deal could lead to Randal Kolo Muani’s exit.

Schira said on X: ‘#Tottenham have opened talks with #CrystalPalace for Jean-Philippe #Mateta.

‘If #Spurs sign him, #THFC will give the green light for Randal #KoloMuani’s departure.’

Spurs are also linked with a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka, whose contract is due to expire at the end of this season.

A report from Spanish outlet Fichajes claims Bayern Munich have ‘opened the door’ for Goretzka to leave this month and Spurs are ‘in the running’, though they face competition from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.

Diego Simeone’s side are said to be ‘trying to finalise’ a deal for Goretzka with an ‘offer now’.

The report explains: ‘Leon Goretzka’s situation at Bayern Munich is clear. The player will not renew his contract, and the German club assumes his departure is inevitable, either now or in the summer. Given this scenario, Bayern Munich prefers to receive a small transfer fee in January rather than lose him for free in a few months.

‘It’s widely believed in Germany that the midfielder will not wear the Bayern Munich jersey again at the Allianz Arena. The only question is his destination, with Atlético Madrid and Tottenham the two leading candidates to secure his services.’