Tottenham suffer transfer blow as club issues £66m response amid interest in key duo
Tottenham are interested in completing the signings of Sporting duo Marcus Edwards and Pedro Porro, according to reports in Portugal.
Edwards came through the Tottenham youth academy before completing a permanent transfer to Vitoria Guimaraes in 2019.
The 24-year-old impressed in the Portuguese top flight and joined Sporting for €7.5million in January 2022.
His form for Vitoria continued over to the Jose Alvalade Stadium, where he has shone for Sporting domestically and on the European stage.
In 39 matches for the Lisbon outfit, Edwards has 12 goals and 12 assists, including four goal contributions in this season’s Champions League.
When the winger joined Vitoria on a free transfer, Tottenham included a 50% sell-on clause in the deal.
He has a €60m release clause with Sporting and the clause apparently still stands, meaning if the Premier League side wish to re-sign Edwards, they would only have to pay €30m.
Edwards is not the only Lisbon player Spurs are reportedly interested in signing.
The Premier League club are in dire need of new signings this month and improving the right-wing-back position seems to be one of Antonio Conte’s priorities.
Matt Doherty has recently established himself as Conte’s first choice in that position, with Djed Spence out in the cold and Emerson Royal picking up minutes off the bench.
Spurs’ pursuit of Porro recently hit a stumbling block with Sporting telling the north Londoners to pay the Spaniard’s £40m release clause.
Conte’s side are not willing to do so, however, in classic Daniel Levy fashion.
While Spurs could do with another central defender, perhaps even a new winger, attacking midfielder and goalkeeper as well, their right-wing-back options are cause for concern, and it would be in Levy’s best interests to fork out the £40m to sign Porro.
As mentioned prior, Edwards has a €60m (£52m) release clause but Spurs would only have to pay half that amount, while Porro’s is €45m (£40m).
Sporting will only sell for these prices, meaning Spurs would have to cough up £66m to land the two right-sided players.
Given Levy’s track record, it is hard to envision him paying that, although the fact Edwards is available for a very respectable price could tempt him, even if signing a player in his position is not completely necessary.
Having played against Spurs twice in the Champions League this term, club captain Hugo Lloris tipped Edwards to have a big future in the game.
Lloris said in September following his side’s 2-0 loss in Portugal: “Yeah [he’s blossomed]. He’s more mature. He’s 23 years old now.
“It was the same quality that we could see a few years ago when he trained with the first team. He has the profile to play in that type of team, in that type of league, but obviously if he continues in the same way, he will have a bright future.”
READ MORE: Spurs find plenty of answers at Crystal Palace but still leave us with so many questions
