Argentina star turns down Tottenham Hotspur move: Reports
Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has turned down a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
The 28-year-old only moved to the Spanish capital from Udinese for €35 million last year on a five-year contract but had a fairly underwhelming debut campaign. De Paul scored just four goals in 48 appearances across all competitions.
De Paul is a tenacious midfielder and his undoubted skills could make him an ideal addition to Antonio Conte's squad. Spurs have enjoyed a successful transfer window, which has included the signing of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma.
Rodrigo De Paul has turned down a chance to join Tottenham Hotspur.
- @TuttoMercatoWeb https://t.co/XSyMrK5Wj2
Tottenham are believed to be in the market for another central midfielder as Conte attempts to prepare his side for an upcoming Champions League campaign.
De Paul played 48 times for Atletico Madrid in his debut campaign. He is also set to become an important member of the Argentina team which will aim to win the FIFA World Cup later this year in Qatar. Transfermarkt claims that the imposing midfielder is currently worth £36 million.
The Tuttomercatoweb report claims that De Paul is not ready to give up on his Atleti career yet.
Atleti means happiness https://t.co/92P7sYDJan
Tottenham defender describes pre-season training under Antonio Conte as 'mental torture'
Following a transfer from fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, Matt Doherty initially struggled in north London. However, he was given a run of games under Conte towards the back end of the previous campaign.
Some of Tottenham's players were recently spotted collapsing due to heat exhaustion while doing a training drill in Seoul. Speaking to The Athletic, Doherty believes that his team will be one of the fittest outfits in the division, as he proclaimed:
“Yeah, pretty normal (the running drill). Even the week before in London was along those lines so I don’t know if there will be any teams fitter than us. It’s not like anything I’ve done before. This is hard. It’s the hardest pre-season I’ve had."
The Republic of Ireland international added:
“You get great satisfaction once the session is over. Your mind has been tortured in the middle of it but when it’s done, you feel proud and you go to bed at night time thinking, ‘Yeah, I’ve worked hard today.'"
“You’re just thinking, ‘Don’t quit.' Even if you crawl over the line or you have to jog or walk towards the end. It’s that determination the manager has kind of instilled in us to keep going and never quit.”