Tottenham Ready to Pay £60m to Hijack Move to Sign ‘Unbelievable’ Star
Tottenham Hotspur are ready to pay £60m to sign Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi, despite the Ukrainian international agreeing a five-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain, according to RMC Sport.
It’s been a relatively slow start to the summer transfer window for Spurs, who appointed Thomas Frank following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou. Mohammed Kudus has arrived through the door from West Ham United, while any other additions confirmed have only been loan signings being turned permanent, or non-senior reinforcements.
After such a disappointing Premier League campaign last time out, finishing 17th in England’s top flight, further reinforcements will be necessary to help Frank build a squad capable of climbing back into the top half. With a new manager comes a new system, so Spurs will have to find players who will fit with what Frank is trying to build at the north London club.
Tottenham Ready to Pay £60m to Hjiack PSG Move
Zabarnyi has agreed a five-year deal with PSG
Illia Zabarnyi during a pre-match warm-up at Bournemouth
According to a report from RMC Sport, Tottenham are ready to pay £60m to sign Bournemouth defender Zabarnyi. The Ukrainian centre-back has already agreed a five-year deal with PSG, and he only wants to join the Ligue 1 outfit, but the two clubs are yet to agree a fee. This is where Spurs could swoop in if they are prepared to cough up the cash, but it will depend on whether Zabarnyi would be open to joining Frank’s side if a move to PSG falls through.
Ilya Zabarnyi Premier League Stats 2024/25
Games
35(1)
Minutes
3113
Tackles p/g
1.4
Interceptions p/g
1.1
Clearances p/g
5
Blocks p/g
0.6
Zabarnyi, described as ‘unbelievable’ by Philip Billing, is in demand during the summer transfer window, and it’s no surprise considering the performances he produced for the Cherries during the 2024/2025 season. The 22-year-old formed an impressive partnership alongside Dean Huijsen, despite the duo being new to the Premier League and having minimal senior experience, but neither player looked out of place as they flourished under Andoni Iraola.
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Tottenham plot stunning hijack of Nott’m Forest playmaker target after bid rejected
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking to take advantage of a failed Nottingham Forest bid for an impressive playmaking talent, in what could be viewed by some as somewhat of a revenge mission following the embarrassing Morgan Gibbs-White episode.
Much has been written about Spurs missing out on Gibbs-White, with the latest suggestion that they never actually triggered all the clauses in the midfielder’s exit clause before he then ended up signing a record-breaking new contract at The City Ground.
The failed transfer left Tottenham with egg on their face and Forest chairman Evangelos Marinakis claiming a big victory for his side, while it also meant Thomas Frank would have to cast his net wider to bring in a new creative midfielder.
In terms of those options, Manchester United are now looking to keep hold of Kobbie Mainoo after his impressive pre-season performances so far, while a report on Tuesday evening claimed that Spurs are also after Leicester star Bilal El Khannouss.
In a more speculative report, Frank is also said to be looking to raid West Ham again for a cut-price star, but TBR Football stated over the weekend that a move for Manchester City’s James McAtee could be more likely.
Tottenham’s interest has now intensified, though, after Fabrizio Romano revealed that City have actually rejected a £25m (€29m / $33m) offer from Forest for the 22-year-old.
They deem that figure not high enough, despite the fact that McAtee only has a year remaining on his existing contract at The Etihad.
Indeed, City transfer chiefs are believed to be demanding in excess of that figure for a player Guardiola has great admiration for but is struggling to guarantee regular minutes.
