Tottenham hijack Sunderland move for £51m winger as rival ‘enquiry’ made
Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race for Sunderland winger target Geny Catamo, according to a report.
Tottenham’s summer overhaul included the capture of two new wingers, as Savio and Mykhailo Mudryk both arrived in N17. Spurs paid Manchester City an initial £75million for Savio, and the transfer could eventually be worth £85m through add-ons.
Spurs turned to Chelsea outcast Mudryk after failing to sign key target Cody Gakpo from Liverpool.
Mudryk has returned to Premier League action after his doping case was resolved on July 31. Roberto De Zerbi convinced Spurs to sign the Ukrainian on loan, having previously worked with him at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Spurs have the option to sign Mudryk permanently for £75m at the end of the season, though he would have to play extremely well to convince them to pay such a high fee.
Despite the summer additions of Savio and Mudryk, Sporting CP wide man Catamo has emerged as a January target for Spurs, according to Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness).
Spurs have expressed interest in the 25-year-old right winger and are monitoring his form with a view to making a January move.
The race to sign Catamo is getting busy, as Sunderland continue to show interest in him after failing with talks over the summer, while clubs in Saudi Arabia are also in the mix.
Plus, the report adds that Como have contacted Sporting to make ‘preliminary enquiries’ about Catamo’s availability.
We revealed on August 6 that Sunderland were in pole position to sign the Mozambique international after accelerating talks with his camp.
By August 19, Sunderland were preparing to activate Catamo’s €60m (£51m) release clause.
Tottenham, Sunderland both keen on Geny Catamo
However, despite holding negotiations with Sporting, Sunderland ultimately could not strike an agreement for the player, and he remained in Portugal.
If Record are to be believed, then Sunderland are now facing competition from Spurs for Catamo’s signing.
Whether Spurs are actually aiming to bring in a third winger in a matter of months remains to be seen. Catamo likes to play on the right flank, a position Savio is very comfortable in.
Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski can operate there too when fit. Kudus is working his way back to full fitness, while Kulusevski has returned to training as he looks to make his long-awaited return in the coming months.
De Zerbi, meanwhile, is under pressure after Spurs went four league matches without a win or even a goal.
Club chiefs have reportedly made a decision on whether De Zerbi will be sacked at this early stage of the season.
