Tottenham are hoping to steal a march on Liverpool and Arsenal in the bid to sign Belgium World Cup hero Divock Origi, reports the Daily Mail.
The 19-year-old was the talk of the World Cup on Saturday after scoring a last gasp winner against Russia, coming on as a substitute for the disappointing Romelu Lukaku. He has since been linked with a move to the Premier League.
SCOUTING REPORTS
Both Arsenal and Liverpool are already well aware of the striker's talent having sent scouts to watch him play for Lille in Ligue 1 last season. However, it appears the scouting reports did not convince Arsene Wenger or Brendan Rodgers into making a move before the World Cup.
Now he has impressed in Brazil and Wenger and Rodgers remain unsure whether or not to make a move, Tottenham are ready to jump to the front of the queue by launch a bid of around £5 million.
ASKING PRICE
That offer is unlikely to tempt Lille into a sale. They are believed to be holding out for a figure of £8 million despite his unimpressive scoring record. In 30 games, Origi scored just five goals in the league but still did enough to earn a spot in Marc Wilmots' World Cup squad.
- Arsenal up interest in Divock Origi
- Liverpool & Arsenal watching Origi
His neat finish against Russia seems to have been enough for Mauricio Pochettino, who is desperate to add depth to the forward line at White Hart Lane.
BIDDING WAR
With Tottenham ready to open the bidding, Arsenal and Liverpool will both be alerted to the situation and may respond with a bid of their own.
Arsenal need at least two strikers this summer, but are hoping to sign someone more established first before finding a promising squad player like Origi. Similarly, Liverpool are in desperate need of some back-up to Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
As the two Premier League giants have the financial backing of Champions League football, it is likely both Liverpool and the Gunners will be able to outbid Tottenham and could easily meet Lille's asking price if necessary. Three interested parties could help raise the final price and LIlle will be hoping for a bidding war.
STRIKER SALE
Before Tottenham sign Origi, they may have to offload one of their current strikers Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor. Both are rumoured to be available after disappointing seasons with Spurs willing to take a big financial loss on both players.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms
