Veretout linked to Allan linked to N'dombélé

Veretout linked to Allan linked to N'dombélé

News today that may have a bearing on Tottenham's hot pursuit of Lyon central-midfielder Tangay N'dombélé.

Italian outlet Calcio Mercato claims that 26-year-old (27 next March) former French youth international and Fiorentina midfielder Jordan Veretout, is on the verge on joining Napoli on a 5-year contract.

Napoli have offered Amadou Diawara to help sweeten any deal, a player they have decided to let go this summer and one being tracked by Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan. The latter are Champions League qualifiers and are very keen on signing N'dombélé. AC Milan only made it to the Europa League.

Arsenal have met his agent, Mario Giuffredi according to La Gazetta dello Sport and Fiorentina have put a £22.16 million (€25m) price tag on him. They also say that PSG and Borussia Dortmund are taking a keen interest, which all suggests the Europa League side have little chance of signing him.

Other reports in TMW suggest he is being tracked by AC Milan and Inter Milan.

OK, so how does all this affect Tottenham. Well, Juventus have their eyes on Napoli's 28-year-old (29 next January) Brazilian central midfielder Allan. The player and his entourage have already agreed to join PSG, but PSG can't yet agree on a fee with Napoli.

PSG have offered £35.45 million (€40m) while Napoli wants £70.91 million (€80m).

Both PSG and Juventus have been named as suitors for Tangay N'dombélé. The more suitors who fall by the wayside or do not have Champions League football to offer the better for Spurs and the less of the bidding war Lyon want, there will be.

That should push the fee to the lower end of their expectations making a deal in the £50 million (€56.4m) range a distinct possibility.

Carlo Ancelotti does not want to lose Allan but it's the owners who buy and sell players, the coach merely has to work with what he is given and clubs in Italy are constantly fighting to balance the books.

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