With reports suggesting that Jan Vertonghen will be allowed to leave Tottenham on a free transfer in the summer, Jose Mourinho has already set about finding his replacement.
The Belgian has been a fine servant for the north London club, but according to Gazzetta Dello Sport and cited by the Daily Star, contact has been made with Hellas Verona over the €30m transfer of their highly-rated 20-year-old, Marash Kumballa.
Already with one senior cap for the Albanian national side, the youngster is continuing to make waves, and a move to England may well appeal if he wants to test himself against some of the best strikers on the continent.
The potential sale price, which equates to £26.6m, should be well within budget and that’s likely to satisfy the money men at the club including chairman, Daniel Levy.
However, Spurs face competition from both Everton and Inter Milan to secure his services according to Gazzetta Dello Sport and cited by the Daily Star, so it remains to be seen if the pulling power of the Special One still has the desired effect.