Tottenham’s bid to land Milan Skriniar is getting closer as Football insider reports that they have been told that they can land the defender for less than the £55m asking price.
The Slovenian has been a long-term target of Jose Mourinho and the Portuguese manager may possibly get his man this summer.
The report claims that Spurs have had a representative meet with the defender’s camp earlier in the week and there is hope that the deal will be completed soon.
Spurs are exploring several options to ensure that they sign the defender without paying the entire £55m fee, including player exchange as well as staggered payments of the transfer fee.
They have also suggested signing him on loan with the option of making the deal permanent next summer, but Inter has turned down that offer.
After allowing Jan Vertonghen to leave the Tottenham Stadium for free this summer, Spurs have just Davinson Sanchez, Toby Alderwereild and Eric Dier as senior defenders to call on.
Japhet Tanganga is still inexperienced while Juan Foyth has never impressed Mourinho and he has been made available for sale.
Skriniar lost his place in the Inter Milan first team late last season and he is reportedly keen to make the switch.
What a welcome to the PL for Semedo,West Ham 4.0,bet he wishes he was still in Barcelona.Wolves fans saying he’s a quality player but they are already missing Doherty.Things can only get better.
Football doesn’t work like that. If Wolves wanted to keep him and he was integral to their plans they would have done their upmost to keep him. Obviously, they didn’t need him that badly. He, in reality went to a bigger club than Wolves, but one on the downward slide from where we were a few years ago. From what I read, no one else was in for him. Why? Because the top 5 have a better right back. If he came out and stated he wouldn’t sign another contract, no matter what, so be it, Wolves moved on with getting Semedo for £20m, minus the Doherty sell on. We got an Aurier upgrade. That is very good business for both teams.
Mr C, you’re a lone wolf on the Doherty debate. Few blogs, if any mentioned the lad, not because he is a superstar and out of our league but because Spurs needed to set their sights higher than him. Same with Hojbjerg. At the same time I asked the question on Leicester’s Pereira. A team always has their price, but Levy has rarely paid for absolute quality. It is all about sell on fees by buying potentials instead of top quality, ready made players. You can include our 23 year old Reggie in that. He could be very good, emphasis on the ‘could’.
Sooner or later, Levy has to start buying players who can just kick on from the start. That is how teams maintain success. Pereira would have been ideal for us. By not signing players at the top of their game we have invariably stuttered through campaigns or missed the chance of glory. Jol, Redknapp, AVB and Poch were given some oddities in transfers. Truly baffling at times. The next few seasons will be telling.
The Chelsea and Utd games will show where we are at because both these teams are more than beatable at the moment. Having been underwhelming v Everton, the first half v Southampton and the 2 Europa games we have to step it up.
On this site in a discussion about possible right backs in early August I asked the question could Doherty not be lured to Spurs ,as Wolves have no European football next season.We could give him his last chance to sign for a bigger club on more money and a new challenge as he had been at Wolves for ten years. I didn’t believe we would actually get him.Wolves didn’t offer him more money because they didn’t want to deny him the chance of a move he wanted.
In early August I asked on this site,when we were discussing right backs ,Could Matt Doherty be lured away from Wolves because they had no European football next season? I said he had played 75 pl games scoring 8 goals & 8 assists.At 28 years old this could be his last chance to move to a bigger club after playing for Wolves for the last ten years. I didn’t really think we would get him to be honest,he’s just a player I have watched doing a good job at Wolves going forward and able to defend.
Fair points, but if Wolves didn’t want him to leave they would have paid him more. I know all about the Mendes link and II dare say Semedo is on more than Doherty’s wage rise with us. His signing on fee is £3.5m. I think Wolves have upgraded there. European football may well be a draw, but not the Europa League. Playing against the third best Bulgarian team is not that enticing is it? Gone are the days when the UEFA cup could rustle up a Bayern Munich or Barcelona tie. Spurs are a bigger team than Wolves, so Doherty can always have that on his CV. I don’t know how Semedo will do, but if he had signed for Spurs it would have been seen as a good, exciting signing. Before Doherty signed, no one predicted it or thought ‘You know what, Doherty would be great.’ I like him and he is a better option than Aurier.
Semedo for the money he cost will not get the goal or assists Doherty will for less than half the money.
You look at Liverpool’ full backs they are not great defencively, that’s down to the CBs & goalie.
Which is why we also need fullbacks that do the same, which we now have in Sergio & Matt.
Skriniar does not seem to be 1st choice now coz Conte changed to a back 3 & didn’t fancy Skriniar in a back 3.
In a 2 Skriniar is brilliant, I doubt Jose would be buying him if he were planning to change into a 3.
Part of me kinda wishes we got Rubens Diaz instead, he seems the better younger CB to me, but looks like Man.C have him now
Semedo for the money he cost will not get the goal or assists Doherty will for less than half the money.
You look at Liverpool’ full backs they are not great defencively, that’s down to the CBs & goalie.
Which is why we also need fullbacks that do the same, which we now have in Sergio & Matt.
Skriniar does not seem to be 1st choice now coz Conte changed to a back 3 & didn’t fancy Skriniar in a back 3.
In a 2 Skriniar is brilliant, I doubt Jose would be buying him if he were planning to change into a 3.
Part of me kinda wishes we got Rubens Diaz instead, he seems the better younger CB to me, but looks like Man.C have him now
NES didn’t want Doherty to leave.Wolves gave him a move to a bigger club,playing European football,on bigger wages after 10 years of service otherwise Semedo wouldn’t have been purchased.Wolves have shares in Jorge Mendes agency,NES,Jose Mourinho,Doherty and Semedo are all clients.
I explained below what I read in an article about how he managed to play 40 games but is now not in the team.
Also Skriniar & Conte don’t get on, maybe something to do with Conte changing system from a 2 to a 3 at the back?
Toby is still No.1, he is making use of Dier while he can.
Jose saw like we did when Dier had the ban that our defence was much better when Toby & Sanchez were at CB.
Semedo for the money he cost will not get the goal or assists Doherty will for less than half the money.
You look at Liverpool’ full backs they are not great defencively, that’s down to the CBs & goalie.
Which is why we also need fullbacks that do the same, which we now have in Sergio & Matt.
Skriniar does not seem to be 1st choice now coz Conte changed to a back 3 & didn’t fancy Skriniar in a back 3.
In a 2 Skriniar is brilliant, I doubt Jose would be buying him if he was planning to change into a 3.
Part of me kinda wishes we got Rubens Diaz instead, he seems the better younger CB to me, but looks like Man.C have him now
You wouldn’t have picked many, if any of those Barca players, Messi included after the Bayern game. The team were a abysmal, all sorts of internal issues. Davies certainly had him on toast, but that guy is one of the best in the world. Semedo did well v us in both group games (2018-19) and I have been impressed with what I have seen. Doherty v pace is a concern for me, but as stated, I like him. Pace is the defining component of a defender. Walker made mistakes, but his speed saved him. NES at Wolves thought selling Doherty and buying Semedo was a good deal, but what does he know?
Can you believe the rubbish Jenas is coming out with on bbc website.
Trying to stir up trouble in the camp, anyone would think he’s a double agent.
I’m starting to get the idea someone is abit bitter about how things ended for him @Spurs.
Everytime he does one of our games he can’t wait to be negative.
It’s all becoming clear.
Why did Conte his manager lose his job at Chelsea,some people just have different opinions on how good a job you’re doing.Good manager. Good player,still played 40 games.
Who knows with Conte. Toby is class but lost his place under Poch for non footballing reasons.
I’m reading that Hoijberg who has missed one senior game since 2014 is now out injured after 2 games thanks to that hatchet man Romeu. Typical
Why did he lose his place at Inter if he is that good, just saying.
After watching Semedo play against Bayern Munich in the mauling I was thinking that we dodged a bullet,and was delighted we got Doherty instead for half the money.It was the only time I watched Semedo play so could be totally wrong.
A loan deal would be a great option. We are short at CB, not in numbers, but quality. I don’t completely trust Dier or Sanchez, whilst Tanganga is very ‘green’ and still needs time to learn. Toby is great, but he needs a partner with the legs and brain to play with. However, Skriniar is not a first choice at Inter, so anything near £55m seems excessive, especially if Sane went to Bayern for less. Would we get £55m for Dele if an offer came in? Also, is anyone 100% positive Skriniar is an upgrade on Sanchez or Dier, I am not sure. That is why I would have a loan. On a side note, Doherty was a good, solid buy, but it irks that Wolves signed Semedo. He is quick and can play and although I have warmed to Doherty, I just wish we’d got Semedo.