Sky Sports punditSky Sports pundit Alex McLeish has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur starlet Harry Winks could be targeted by Premier League new-boys Nottingham Forest this summer.
The Lowdown: Winks’ Spurs journey
The 26-year-old is an academy product of the Lilywhites having worked his way up through the ranks since joining the club ten years ago, to now being a member of the first team where he’s made a total of 203 senior appearances.
Even though the midfield maestro still has another two years remaining on his current contract which is set to expire in 2024, Football Insider revealed earlier this week that Spurs are willing to listen to offers for the midfielder during the upcoming transfer window and are looking to receive a fee somewhere in the region of £20m.
The Latest: McLeish drops £20m claim
McLeish claims that freshly promoted sides like Forest would be interested in securing the signing of someone like Winks, but suggests that the asking price could be too much. He told Football Insider:
“There will only be a certain club who will pay that sort of money.
“It’s possible that teams who have come from the Championship, Nottingham Forest might look at Harry Winks or someone like that.
“He’s certainly got the good experience for some of the teams at a lower level than Tottenham.
“But £20million seems quite high, especially for a guy who’s been out the team for almost the entire season.”
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The Verdict: Best option for both parties
Steve Cooper’s side made the jump up to the Premier League after securing a 1-0 victory against Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final at Wembley last month, meaning that they will now be playing their football in the top division for the first time in 23 years.
The Hemel Hempstead-born talent played 28 times in all competitions throughout the 2021/22 season, but only 15 of those outings were starts, via WhoScored, and it appears that Conte obviously doesn’t view the club graduate as part of his long-term vision.
Making the move away from N17, whether that be to the City Ground or not, would be the best option for both parties, as Winks could find some much-needed game time elsewhere and the Italian could use his transfer fee to fund any new signings that he brings in as he continues to revamp his squad ahead of the start of the new campaign.