Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly pursuing Metz striker Habib Diallo this summer, reports say.
According to L’Equipe, as cited by Sport Witness and relayed by Ricky Sacks, Tottenham and newly-promoted Premier League rivals Leeds United have reached out to Metz to enquire about his availability in the summer.
Diallo scored 12 goals and supplied three assists in 26 games in Ligue 1 last season.
The 4-cap Senegal international, who hails from the same Generation Foot academy where Liverpool forward Sadio Mane earned his stripes, broke through the ranks after arriving at the Stade Saint-Symphorien in 2014.
The Lilywhites and Leeds are both in need of a striker, as Spurs are desperate to find a backup for Harry Kane, while the Whites largely depended upon former Chelsea man Patrick Bamford last term.
The French publication claims Metz will let the 25-year-old go so long as they receive a “satisfying offer,” believed to be in the region of €20m (£17m).
Spurs have a history of signing cheap firepower from the French top flight, only for the transfers to go horribly wrong, as ended up happening with Clinton N’Jie and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou.
N’Jie’s ill-fated spell in the English top flight was an experience many will want to forget.
The Cameroonian did not start a single Premier League game for former boss Mauricio Pochettino, making a mere fourteen appearances in total, and an assist against Manchester City remained his only contribution of note until he was shipped out on loan to Marseille the following summer.
His time in north London was blighted by a knee injury, before he was finally put of his misery by leaving the club for good a year later.
Granted, Diallo has survived his career relatively unscathed so far, but he has never been tested at the top levels of the game. Whether or not his body will be able to cope with the rigorous demands of the Premier League remains to be seen and this may be a risk that is not worth taking.
Moreover, the Senegalese striker has holes in his game he still needs to work on before he can even be considered a serious option, as he must improve his passing and his ability to hold onto the ball, and Daniel Levy may decide to look elsewhere instead.
Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sign Diallo this summer? Let us know down below!
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