According to Eurosport, Tottenham Hotspur and Fabio Paratici are now also preparing their opening bid to sign Southampton striker Danny Ings - coming amid the plethora of transfer developments in recent days.
The Lowdown: Spurs in hunt for striker?
Much has been made of Tottenham's weaknesses in defence and centre-half in particular, with reports from before the transfer window even detailing how the club want, preferably, a real leader to transform that position (football.london).
However, after Spurs opted against signing Benfica striker Carlos Vinicius on a permanent deal following his season-long loan, they have also been tipped to strengthen going forward.
The Telegraph even revealed recently that Ings in particular is now a priority target for Tottenham.
The Latest: Spurs now preparing offer...
As per Eurosport and journalist Dean Jones, the Lilywhites are preparing their opening bid to sign Saints star Ings this summer.
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Ralph Hasenhuttl's side are allegedly bracing themselves for offers with the player himself hoping for an exit, coming after he rejected new contract terms.
The Saints value Ings at around £20 million, but it is expected that Spurs will lodge a cheaper bid and negotiations will then open up over the forward.
Spurs and Paratici 'aim to get the ball rolling' on a potential move for the 28-year-old given Nuno Espirito Santo is likely to play two up front in spells throughout the 2021/2022 season.
The Verdict: Perfect striker signing...
Ings and links to Tottenham have only garnered praise from critics in the past, with podcaster Lee McQueen calling him 'absolutely phenomenal' when asked about a possible swoop for him last year (Last Word On Spurs).
The forward is also a proven Premier League striker, having racked up an impressive tally of 55 goals and 13 assists in 140 top flight experiences (Transfermarkt).
His new value of just £20m is arguably an absolute snip if he can stay fit and Paratici would be remiss if he didn't take full advantage and strike this summer.
In other news: 'Rather good in training'...Journalist suggests Nuno may play exciting barely-seen Spurs starlet, find out more here.