After Inter agreed to sell Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, another Serie A star could be on his way to the Premier League in the coming days. As per Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are confident of acquiring the services of Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Spurs hold a long-term interest in the Japan international, who has soaked up the limelight as one of the most exciting defensive prospects in Serie A over the past couple of years. Despite completing a big-money move for Atalanta’s Cristian Romero only yesterday, the London giants are on the hunt for another defensive reinforcement.
Romero is expected to take Toby Alderweireld’s place in the starting XI. The Belgian centre-back left the English capital to link up with Al-Duhail in late July. Tottenham transfer guru Fabio Paratici is now working on bringing in another top-class Serie A talent in the form of Tomiyasu.
Paratici and Tomiyasu reportedly have a gentleman’s agreement in place, which gives Tottenham an upper hand in the upcoming negotiations with Bologna. The 22-year-old was away on international duty with Japan at the Olympics Games until recently and will now be looking to sort his future.
Tomiyasu is understandably keen on joining Tottenham as it would be a massive step in his career. After giving his blessing to the Premier League powerhouse, the Japanese starlet has tied Bologna’s hands, forcing the Italian outfit to come to the negotiating table.
Since arriving in Serie A from Sint-Truidense in summer 2019, Tomiyasu has grown into one of the league’s best defenders. His versatility enables him to operate on the right-back, though his preferred position is a center-back.
During his two-year spell at Renato Dall’Ara, Tomiyasu has accrued 63 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and laying on three assists.
Though no price tag has been mentioned, the Italians are likely to make a substantial profit from the Japanese’s departure. Bologna paid around €9m to capture Tomiyasu’s signature, so they will now be looking to at least double that figure.