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Could Gareth Bale return to Tottenham Hotspur?
It sounds highly unlikely but, according to the Real Madrid winger’s leaked contractual agreements, the Welshman’s former club have first option on him should he choose to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.
Essentially, if Los Blancos were to accept a bid from any other Premier League club before June 30 2019, Spurs would have 72 hours to match the offer, which Real would then have to accept.
It may still sound far-fetched, but that did not stop Mauricio Pochettino from addressing the possibility yesterday. "I think if we have the option to sign him - why not?” he asked. “He's a great player and a player that can improve our squad."
Moving on to more realistic targets and Fulham’s Moussa Dembele , who would be reluctant to return to the Championship club on loan if he moves to White Hart Lane this month.
The London Evening Standard
Show all 20 1 /20Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers <b>INS:</b> Jackson Martinez (Atletico Madrid) According to reports a bid of £22.8m has been rejected for the Atletico Madrid striker. The 29-year-old has failed to make much of an impression since joining from Porto in the summer, but apparently his current club aren't keen to do business. If claims he has a release clause of £26.6m are true, Spurs could be tempted to up their offer and give Atletico no option.
Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Sandro Ramirez (Barcelona) Spurs have been offered the although it is not clear whether Barca would want to sell or loan him - either way, any deal would include a buy-back clause. The Spaniard is capable of playing up front or on the wing, although he finds his path to the first team blocked by Messi, Suarez and Neymar.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint-Germain) In the last year of his deal with the Ligue 1 champions, the Argentinian could provide an explosive forward presence for Tottenham and add experience to a young squad.
Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Adrien Rabiot (PSG) The attacking midfielder, 20, has been linked with a number of clubs including Chelsea and Arsenal, with Spurs now joining the race for the Frenchman’s services. He would add another dimension to Mauricio Pochettino’s offence, however he has recently made his way back into Laurent Blanc’s plans and PSG would be foolish to allow such a prospect to leave.
Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Timo Werner (Stuttgart) Spurs were reported to have tried to sign the striker in the summer, and could return with another bid in January. He would act as an excellent foil to Harry Kane, although he can play behind the striker or on the left wing. The 19-year-old has three Bundesliga goals this season.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Franco Vazquez (Palermo) The Italian playmaker could fit into any of the three attacking midfield slots behind Harry Kane, and his cultured left foot has carved out many defences in Serie A, notching a goal and four assists so far this season. However, Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has stated that the 26-year-old will not depart the club in January.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Moussa Dembele (Fulham) The striker, 19, is a raw talent blessed with pace and strength, and he has displayed excellent potential in the Championship for Fulham this season. He could act as a viable replacement for Harry Kane from the bench, with Spurs lacking depth up front. Fulham are said to want a Spurs youngster in return.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion) The obvious choice to become Kane's back-up would be the England Under-21 international Berahino, given he has Premier League experience and has proven his calibre at this level. Berahino has be reintegrated back into the West Brom side by manager Tony Pulis, but he has made his intentions perfectly clear that he wants out, and another pursuit from Spurs could trigger his tendency to tweet before he thinks.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Michy Batshuayi (Marseille) The Belgian, 22, has been hugely impressive in Ligue 1 this season and is drawing interest from elite clubs across Europe. The striker, who can also play out wide, is valued at around £24m. However, Marseille are desperate to keep him during this window and will offer an improved contract to keep him at the Stade Velodrome.
Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg) The Belgian attacking midfielder, 26, is rated at around £25m. He has long been linked with a move out of Russia, although the highly rated former Standard Liege man is keen to play Champions League football. Chelsea are also interested having been close to completing a deal in the summer.
Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Rico Henry (Walsall) The Walsall left-back is attracting mass attention across the Premier League’s top teams after being touted as the ‘next Ashley Cole’. Despite his tender age of 18 years old, Henry looks set for a Premier League move in the near future, and with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City also linked, Spurs could look to gain a march on their rivals with a January bid.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Amadou Diawara (Bologna) Chelsea have been linked with an agreement to sign teenager Diawara from Bologna, although reports elsewhere suggest Spurs are still in the hunt for the talented midfielder. However, interest is also coming from Italian heavyweight Juventus and Inter Milan, and with his contract running until 2020, he could stay at Bologna for quite some time.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Wissam Ben Yedder (Toulouse) The striker is reportedly at the centre of a £7.5m deal. Already in double figures for the season, the 25-year-old is being considered by various clubs, although prising him away from his Toulouse might be difficult with the French outfit fighting a relegation battle.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Alexandre Pato (Sao Paulo) The former Brazil international is currently plying his trade in his homeland with Corinthians, but he is keen on a return to European football and the Premier League has been touted as a likely destination with Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea all linked. It may take an £8m bid to sign him and he would not be a guaranteed success, but if he can rekindle the form he showed to win Europe’s Golden Boy award in 2009 then the deal would prove a coup.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Simone Zaza (Juventus) The 24-year-old looks to be on his way out of Juventus – by either transfer or loan – given that manager Massimo Allegri has the likes of Alvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic available to him. A permanent move could cost as much as £22m, but Spurs might have to make a decision quicker than they will have wished after Norwich emerged as shock leaders in the race to sign him.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Sofiane Boufal (Lille) The 22-year-old midfielder has made his intentions clear after admitting he would like to leave the club, but only to one competing in the Champions League. Should Spurs follow up their interest with a £21.6m offer as is being reported, Boufal would likely spend the rest of the season on loan with the Ligue 1 side – although that would be putting a lot of faith in to Spurs to finish in the top four this season.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Adalberto Penaranda (Granada) The 18-year-old Venezuelan has impressed for Granada since making his debut in November. Liverpool have also been linked with the youngster.
Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers <b>OUTS:</b> Andros Townsend (Tottenham) A number of clubs are interested in Townsend after he was exiled from the Spurs squad following a training ground bust-up with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner. However, the player has indicated he wants to remain at White Hart Lane and fight for his place.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Milos Veljkovic (Tottenham) As The Independent revealed, the highly-rated young defensive midfielder looks to be on the verge of a White Hart Lane exit in January with Germany a likely destination. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Spurs look likely to cash in while they can in January.
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Tottenham: Players linked with January transfers Federico Fazio (Tottenham) Having failed to make an impact since his £8m arrival in the summer of 2015, Mauricio Pochettino is prepared to sell the defender. His former club Sevilla are reportedly in talks.
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Staying in the Football League, Coventry City manager Tony Mowbray has claimed that the club have received no official bids for teenager James Maddison .
The midfielder caught Tottenham’s eye last summer but a move to White Hart Lane collapsed. He has since matured at the Ricoh Arena, with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool also sniffing around.
However, despite reports of offers coming in for the 19-year-old, Mowbray denied any official moves.
“There has been no formal approach or bid. I’m sure every club in the Premier League is aware of the talent down here, not just James Maddison, but as in formal bids, no.”
The name of Barcelona’s Sandro Ramirez has also cropped up again.
According to the Daily Express
The Argentinian boss is, however, reluctant to include a buy-back option in the deal, despite the Catalan club’s desires.
Real Betis have already seen a loan bid rejected for the forward, who has found his first-team opportunities limited under Luis Enrique this season.
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