Tottenham Hotspur have now stepped up their interest in signing Sporting CP attacking-midfielder Marcus Edwards, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Edwards' Tottenham career

Edwards came through the youth system at N17, but he only made one cameo appearance for the club, in a League Cup match, before being released in 2016, as per Sky Sports.

The midfielder went on to join Vitoria in 2019 before sealing another move to a Portuguese club, joining Sporting in early 2022, where he has impressed considerably, and now his former club are interested in bringing him back.

The Latest: Tottenham interested

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola (via the Express), Tottenham have now begun the first steps in re-signing their youth product, with Antonio Conte said to be impressed by his performances in their two Champions League clashes this season.

The report claims that Spurs would only have to pay £26m for the 24-year-old, as they are owed 50% of the next sale, with his current release clause set at £52m, which may give Fabio Paratici the edge if a transfer battle emerges.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Tottenham may have made a mistake by allowing the playmaker to leave in the first place, but there is still time to put that right, and it is a big boost that they would be able to sign him on a cut-price deal.

When the Lilywhites took on Sporting back in September, the Athletic's Tim Spiers likened some of the speedster's play to Diego Maradona, while football writer Joe Prince-Wright lauded him as being 'unbelievable'.

That performance was only a continuation of his fantastic form in Portugal this season, with Edwards weighing in with a fantastic 14 goal contributions in 17 domestic outings, and Paratici should now focus on getting a deal over the line to bring him back to Hotspur Way.