Tottenham are eyeing up a move for Sporting Lisbon forward Marcus Edwards as Antonio Conte looks to add more firepower to his squad in the January transfer window in a bid to continue their strong start to the season.
The Lilywhites were unbeaten in the Premier League until the north London derby at the beginning of October, and have since gone on to lose to Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United in a tricky month for the club, who were missing both Dejan Kulusevski and new signing Richarlison through injury.
And now, Portuguese outlet Record claim that Conte is keen to add yet more firepower to his side, with the Italian weighing up a move for former Spurs man Marcus Edwards, who impressed when the two sides met in the Champions League earlier in the year.
Marcus Edwards channeling his inner Lionel Messi 😲
(via @ChampionsLeague) pic.twitter.com/J6wq89IOmM
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 16, 2022
Edwards was on the books at Tottenham until 2019, but managed just one senior appearance, playing the final 15 minutes in a 5-0 win over Gillingham in the Carabao Cup in 2016.
He has a £52m release clause written into his contract, but crucially Tottenham are set to land half of that, with a 50% sell-on clause having been inserted into his contract when he left north London.
In theory, then, it means that should they want to sign the player, the Lilywhites could do so for just £26m, and with finances tight at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, it appears to be something that they are considering.
“I think the club understand very well the importance of bringing in important players, good players, in January. I’m not the person who has to explain this to my club”, Conte explained ahead of his side’s Champions League showdown with Marseille.
“This season will be more difficult than last season because after the transfer market you have seen many, many teams have spent a lot. You have to face a lot of big teams. For sure there will be the time to speak with the club. To understand what is the best solution for us.”
And, as per Football.London, “after improving the quantity of the Tottenham squad – or “numerical aspect” as Conte called it – during the summer, they will focus purely on improving the quality of it in January.”
Adding Edwards, who drew Lionel Messi comparisons during his first stint in north London, would certainly help that.
