Tottenham are reportedly closing in on their third signing of the summer after reaching an agreement with Bologna for Takehiro Tomiyasu.
According to a report from Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of completing their third signing of the ongoing transfer window, with a deal for Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu on the horizon.
Tomiyasu, 22, has been with Bologna since 2019, having signed from Belgian outfit Sint-Truiden and has been a regular fixture in the backline for the Serie A outfit, with his ability to play at right-back and left-back making him a valuable member of the team. To date, the versatile defender has featured 63 times for Bologna, scoring and assisting three goals apiece.
Tomiyasu, who is currently away on international duty with Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham all summer. It is no secret that the Lilywhites are in the market for defensive reinforcements in the ongoing transfer window following an underwhelming last season.
Toby Alderweireld has departed the club while Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez have been consistently inconsistent. Joe Rodon has shown promise but needs a proper partner alongside him to flourish, which is why Spurs are pushing hard to secure the signing of Copa America-winning defender Cristian Romero from Atalanta.
At the same time, the right-back slot is also a concern with Serge Aurier entering the final year of his contract and admitting his desire to leave Tottenham this summer. Such a move would leave manager Nuno Espirito Santo with Matt Doherty as the only senior right-back. Thus, the interest in Tomiyasu makes a great deal of sense.
Not only the Japanese defender be a primary option at right-back, but he can easily provide cover at centre-half in case of any inopportune injuries or suspension issues. To that end, negotiations had been going on for a while, and it seems like a breakthrough has finally been made, if the aforementioned report is to be believed.
It is claimed that an agreement in principle has been arrived at after Tottenham decided to increase their offer to €20 million excluding bonuses, even though Bologna were initially holding out for a fee of €22 million. The finer intricacies of the deal now need to be finalised, with negotiations now being held over the ‘terms of payment’, following which a deal should be all but completed.
Indeed, the report adds that the transfer could be pushed over the line immediately after Tomiyasu returns from his Olympics duties. So, as things stand, Tottenham could potentially be on the verge of clinching their third signing of the summer after goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and winger Bryan Gil.
