Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in talks with Galatasaray to sign Denmark international defender Victor Nelsson for €25 million, with fringe star Davinson Sanchez going the other way for €8 million.
That is according to Turkish outlet Hürriyet, which says Spurs are the front-runners to sign the 24-year-old Danish centre-back, and that the player has asked club officials to reach an agreement with Tottenham.
Tottenham have been busy in the transfer market, already securing the signings of Dejan Kulusevski, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, and Manor Solomon. The club is expected to focus on strengthening at the back and have the likes of Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven on their list.
But Spurs look like they are pushing to get a deal over the line for another centre-back in Galatasaray star Victor Nelsson. Nelsson, who appeared for his country in Qatar at the World Cup last year, has already gained a reputation as one of the best young defenders in Europe.
The 24-year-old is coming off the back of a rock-solid campaign in the Turkish top-flight, where he was a regular starter for a Galatasaray side that boasted the meanest defence in the Super Lig and cruised to a 23rd league title by eight points.
While he is arguably yet to be tested in a more demanding division like the Premier League, it is clear that Nelsson is a big talent and would fit the bill for Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs as a ball-playing centre-back. It is claimed that the player is now desperate to sign for a Premier League move after Sevilla attempted to snap him up in the summer of 2022.
The reigning Turkish champions are resigned to losing the Denmark international and would demand a fee in the region of €25 million to sell their prized asset. They have also identified Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez as an ideal replacement for the Dane.
Spurs forked out a then club-record €45 million to sign the Colombian defender from Ajax in the summer of 2017. But after playing a bit-part role in recent years, he only has a year left on his deal. The north London club are ready to listen to offers for the defender and have slapped an asking price of €12 million, which is €4 million more than what Galatasaray are willing to pay.
The report adds that Okan Buruk’s side are currently in negotiations with Spurs to sell Nelsson for €25 million and sign Sanchez for around €8 million. Spurs have a history of doing these types of deals, which are basically two different operations rather than a straight swap or player-plus-cash deal involving the two players.
Earlier this summer, they snapped up James Maddison in a €45 million deal, with Harry Winks moving in the other direction for a fee in the region of €12 million. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to do something similar to bring in Nelsson from Galatasaray this summer. The player remains keen on the move.
At all costs Sanchez should go
What a complete waste of time and money this signing will be, Nelsson is just another Eric Dier.
If this deal actually goes through I think the Spurs faithful will slaughter Levy for it.