Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly plotting a January move to re-sign former Academy star Marcus Edwards from Sporting Lisbon.
Marcus Edwards could be set for a return to Tottenham, with Antonio Conte plotting a move as early as January for the young winger.
That’s according to a report from Portuguese outlet A Bola, as relayed by Sport Witness, which states the Lilywhites have “taken the first steps” for Edwards and have now made an official enquiry via Super agent Jorde Mendes, alongside his agency GestiFute.
The 24-year-old came through the youth system at Tottenham Hotspur, joining the club at the age of eight, and was once seen as Lilywhites’ brightest prospect for a long time, but it never quite worked out as planned for him in north London.
While he made his first-team debut against Gillingham in the EFL Cup in September 2016, Edwards spent most of his time on loan at Norwich City and Excelsior before joining Vitoria de Guimaraes on a permanent basis in 2019.
The Englishman had a successful spell with the Portuguese club, scoring 20 goals and recording 14 assists in 96 competitive appearances, which led to a January 2022 switch to Portuguese giants Sporting CP.
Since then, the Englishman has been an important member of the Lisbon outfit. In total, he has made 39 appearances across all competitions for Sporting, scoring 12 goals while creating another 12, averaging a goal contribution every 0.61 games.
And the forward has taken his game to another level this season, bagging 18 goal contributions from just 24 outings. He was also a livewire in their Champions League games, notching up two goals and the same number of assists in just over 350 minutes of football action.
His current contract with Sporting is not due to expire until the summer of 2026 and is protected by a €60 million buy-out clause — a price-tag enough to price Spurs out. The Lilywhites, though, have a special but complicated clause that makes the deal feasible.
When Edwards signed for Vitoria Guimaraes, Spurs added a provision ensuring they would receive 50% of any future sale. However, when the 24-year-old joined Sporting, Spurs reportedly opted to carry over the clause until his next transfer.
So, Spurs would only have to pay half the amount of the player’s release clause as they would be owed the other 50 percent, which amounts to €30 million, per A Bola. While the mathematics is all too complex, the aforementioned reduced price tag feels like a bargain for a high-ceiling talent as Edwards, who has come leaps and bounds since leaving Spurs.
Tottenham have been on the lookout for attacking reinforcements next month, particularly with the recent injury to Richarlison, so a formal bid for Edwards might be lodged in the next week itself.
Spurs boss Antonio Conte is said to have been impressed by the attacking midfielder’s buzzing displays during the two Champions League games between the two sides this season. He nearly scored a stunning solo goal in Sporting’s 2-0 Champions League victory in September, only to be stopped by Hugo Lloris.
While Sporting are reluctant to let their star forward go easily, given the nature of his contract, they could be left powerless to prevent him from making the move to London if Spurs exercise their clause.
