Tottenham are looking to interfere in the race to sign Gabriel Magalhaes this summer.

That's the word of Foot Mercato who claim they could look to hijack Napoli's plan to sign the defender once the window opens.

Lille and Napoli supposedly recently agreed on a deal for the Brazilian to move to Serie A, with a €22m (£19.8m) fee on the line.

Gabriel has even agreed a contract with the Italian club on a five-year salary but it still looks as though the deal isn't formally completed yet.

As a result, Spurs have emerged as contenders to prise the 22-year-old away from Ligue 1. Everton are also present in the chase and have met Gabriel's wage demands but Jose Mourinho's men are looking to make a late surge for his signature

GIVEMESPORT'S Matt Dawson says...

Standing at 6 foot 3, Gabriel is quite the presence in the backline, and given his sheer ruthlessness in defence, should have no trouble adapting to the Premier League.

He has won a mighty 3.5 aerial duels per game this term in the French top division, making 3.3 clearances each match too. On top of that, he produces 1.7 successful tackles. Comparing that to Toby Alderweireld, he is miles ahead of the Belgian who only wins 2.2 headers a match.

That points to a player who can pretty much do it all when it comes to defensive battles, but it also suggests he could improve Tottenham's backline considerably.

Since Mourinho walked through the door, the north London outfit have struggled to keep clean sheets, denying the opposition from scoring just twice in the league this calendar year.

Yet, with the addition of someone like Gabriel, it would surely only be good news, especially with Jan Vertonghen leaving. 

Daniel Levy has often been found guilty of refusing to spend in the window but he simply has to sanction this move. The Lille centre-back is still young but £19.8m is a mere snip in today's market.