Tottenham Hotspur to battle Barcelona for signature of La Liga playmaker - Reports
Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to join Barcelona in the race to sign Real Betis star Nabil Fekir. The Frenchman has been linked with a move to a number of Europe's top clubs in recent weeks and is expected to leave Manuel Pellegrini's side this summer.
According to Marca, Tottenham boss Antonio Conte is keen to continue the progress his side made during the recently concluded January transfer window. The north London club managed to sign Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus, and will now reportedly prioritize signing an attacking midfielder.
Tottenham Hotspur loaned out Giovanni Lo Celso to Villarreal until the end of the season in January. Lo Celso is expected to secure a permanent move away from the club this summer. Conte reportedly views Nabil Fekir as a massive upgrade on the Argentinean.
Nabil Fekir joined Real Betis from Lyon in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth โฌ20 million. The 28-year-old endured a difficult first season with the club, but has arguably developed into Real Betis' talisman over the last one-and-a-half seasons. Fekir has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 31 appearances for the La Liga side so far this campaign.
His performances have helped propel the club to third place in the La Liga table, eleven points behind league leaders Real Madrid and just five points behind second-placed Sevilla.
Tottenham are, however, likely to face stiff competition from La Liga giants Barcelona for the signature of Nabil Fekir.
Barcelona are preparing themselves for the potential departure of Ousmane Dembele this summer. The 24-year-old's contract with the club is set to expire at the end of the season and he has thus far rejected the chance to extend his deal with the club. Xavi Hernandez is reportedly a fan of Fekir and views him as the ideal replacement for Dembele.
Nabil Fekir has scored six and assisted six so far for Real Betis this season ๐
Barcelona are interested in the former Liverpool transfer target ๐ต ๐ด
โ๏ธ @riksharma_
Nabil Fekir reportedly prefers a move to Barcelona over Tottenham Hotspur
Reports suggest Nabil Fekir will only leave Real Betis to join Catalan giants Barcelona. Xavi Hernandez's side have made immense progress in recent weeks. The club managed to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal on a free transfer, Adama Traore on loan from Wolves, and Ferran Torres from Manchester City during the January transfer window.
Free-kick ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ท from @NabilFekir! ๐ฏ
#LaLigaSantander https://t.co/QZMGTi8beD
Barcelona have also won three and drawn two of their last five games in La Liga. The club currently sit in fourth place in the league table, just four points behind Real Betis. The La Liga giants have shown signs of improvement under the management of Xavi Hernandez and seem to be heading in the right direction.