
Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on their second signing of the summer after their permanent deal for Mathys Tel, and the fee Spurs are about to pay for their newest arrival has set a record.

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Spurs missed out on FC Copenhagen starlet Roony Bardghji earlier this week, with Barcelona ultimately winning the race for his signature, but Thomas Frank is still expected to be backed with more forward additions.
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025 |
Average match rating |
---|---|
Son Heung-min |
7.00 |
James Maddison |
6.98 |
Pedro Porro |
6.95 |
Dominic Solanke |
6.84 |
Dejan Kulusevski |
6.83 |
via WhoScored |
One of their key aims before deadline day on September 1 is signing another proven winger, and one who could replace Son Heung-min if he does in fact leave the club for Saudi Arabia after 10 years.
“Son will get a big-money contract if he moves to Saudi Arabia,” said ex-Lilywhites scout Bryan King to Tottenham News recently.
“Everyone else who has gone there has received a big-money offer, so why would a player of Son’s stature not receive that same kind of offer.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Tottenham receive a similar fee for Son as they did for Harry Kane. Son has been at Tottenham for 10 years, and he’s been a marvellous servant to the club. He has one year left on his contract, and Tottenham could cash in, as could the player.”
West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, Man City outcast Jack Grealish, Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo have all been linked recently, as has Lazio’s Gustan Isaksen, with Frank reportedly very keen to sign the Dane (Lalaziosiamonoi.it).
However, they could also bolster their ranks with fresh young defensive talent, and that is expected to be the case with Kawasaki Frontale gem Kota Takai.
The 20-year-old, standing at a towering 6 foot 4, is apparently on the verge of joining Spurs from the J-League.
Tottenham agree £5 million fee to sign Kota Takai
Tottenham will pay around £5 million to sign Takai, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, and this is apparently a J-League “record” for a Japanese player from that division.
Sharing further background on their surprise move for the talent, which practically came out of nowhere, reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed that Takai was personally identified by technical director Johan Lange as a promising young player for the first-team, and one who could make a similar impact to the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr after a brief settling in period.
Takai has already won four senior caps for Japan at international level, and captained Kawasaki against Yokohoma F. Marinos back in April – a game where he also got on the scoresheet in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
He also played a key role at the back for Kawasaki in their run to the Asian Champions League final, beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the semi-finals before they eventually lost out to Al-Hilal.