Klopp leaves Spurs in transfer panic after winning Diaz race
Switch to Juventus striker Kulusevski to save face hlevy and Paratici braced for backlash from fans and coach
Liverpool have gazumped Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Porto winger Luis Diaz by agreeing an initial £37.5million deal, throwing Spurs into a panic with just 72 hours to save their transfer window.
An agreement has been reached between Liverpool, Porto and the player, ruling Tottenham out of the race less than 24 hours after the London club had also had their bid to sign Adama Traore from Wolverhampton Wanderers hijacked by Barcelona.
Sources have claimed that a state of panic has now gripped Tottenham, along with anger at missing out on Traore and Diaz. Tottenham have made a move for Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevski.
Head coach Antonio Conte is yet to see a single player signed before the transfer window closes on Monday night. Liverpool must still make progress to get the Diaz signing across the line.
The situation is complicated because he is on international duty with Colombia and was set to play against Peru in a World Cup qualifier last night. Liverpool have sent representatives to South America to finalise the contract and oversee a medical. Assistant sporting director Julian Ward, who replaces Michael Edwards as sporting director this summer, is leading negotiations.
Earlier in the window, Liverpool dismissed suggestions they would bid for Diaz because they thought a £60 million valuation was prohibitive. The situation changed after
Porto significantly reduced their asking price during discussions with Spurs.
Jurgen Klopp will welcome the additional firepower, given Liverpool’s reliance on Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota for goals. Diaz’s arrival would suggest fringe players such as Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino are on the move. On Thursday, Liverpool rejected approaches from Leeds United and Monaco for Minamino.
Tottenham Hotspur face a desperate race against time to salvage their January transfer window, as pressure mounts over the failure to land three of their main targets.
The London club have seen deals for Adama Traore and Luis Diaz hijacked by Barcelona and Liverpool respectively, while Italian sources have claimed AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie would rather remain in Serie A than join Spurs.
Successive disappointments in the transfer market have forced Tottenham quickly to change their plans, as chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici face the risk of a huge backlash from supporters.
Even worse, Levy and Paratici may well upset head coach Antonio Conte, who identified the need to sign at least a right wing-back, a midfielder and an attacker.
There is still time, just about, to rescue the situation, but it is fast running out for Levy, who was in the Bahamas at the start of the transfer window, and Paratici, who is understood to have returned to his native Italy during the international break.
Spurs are still working on a deal to sign midfielder Sofyan Amrabat on loan from Fiorentina, where he has spent the first half of the season on the substitutes’ bench, but that alone is unlikely to satisfy Conte and the supporters.
In addition, Paratici has now turned to his old club Juventus in the hope of completing a late, eye-catching deal for Dejan Kulusevski, who can play as an attacking midfielder or on the wing.
Any deal for the Sweden international would most likely start as a loan with an option to buy.
The fact the 21-year-old has started only half of the 20 Serie A games he has played for Juve this season may, however, suggest he will need time to make an impact in the Premier League.
Tottenham had a bid of £15million rejected for Traore last week and Wolverhampton Wanderers have since agreed to send him on loan to Barcelona, who will pay £26million for the winger in the summer.
Traore is thought to have been put off by the prospect of being converted into a right wing-back by Conte, which raises questions over why he was pursued by Paratici for so long. Tottenham first tried to sign Traore in the summer, and it appears remarkable that before reigniting the club’s interest in him this month, Paratici would not have held discussions over the role Spurs and Conte had planned for him.
The failed pursuit of Traore has left Tottenham scrambling to find an alternative. Conte is clearly unhappy with his right-sided options – even though the club spent £25.7million on Emerson Royal from Barcelona in the summer.
Missing out to Liverpool for Diaz is more understandable, although Spurs are said to be furious that news of their interest leaked, giving their Premier League rivals the chance to make their move.
But it remains a puzzle that Tottenham left a move for Diaz so late in the window, giving them a race against time to now attempt to clinch a deal for Kulusevski.
Spurs are still working to send Tanguy Ndombele on loan to Paris St-germain and secure late deals for Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso to leave on loan before the transfer window shuts on Monday night. Defender Joe Rodon could be targeted by Brighton, should Newcastle United complete a late move for Dan Burn.