Romano: Tottenham make contact for £40m star who Everton are in talks for

Fabrizio Romano has shared an intriguing transfer update involving Tottenham, with the Lilywhites now making contact over signing a big name.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank has been dealt a couple of killer blows ahead of their blockbuster UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG, both of which emphasise the need for Daniel Levy to reinforce his squad.

Firstly, the north Londoners waved an emotional goodbye to former captain and club legend Son Heung-min last Sunday, with the 33-year-old playing his last-ever game for the club in a friendly against Newcastle in Seoul.

Son was given a guard of honour and a standing ovation as tributes poured in for the winger, following his announcement that he would be leaving N17 this summer, and it was hard for him not to burst into tears.

“It was a perfect moment,” Son told Tottenham’s official website, via ESPN.

“Sharing these beautiful moments are something that I will never forget and I will always appreciate it – from the fans, the players and the gaffer. He understood my situation and was always on my side. He always listened to me and asked what I wanted to do. I have a huge respect and am very grateful.”

“I wish them all the best. There are five competitions ahead, and I hope they win all the five competitions. That’s my wish. Spurs will always be in my heart and the boys will always be in my history books. It was incredible.

“They’ve gone so fast, the 10 years. I can only think about the beautiful moments, amazing moments.”

Frank now faces the task of finding a replacement to somehow fill Son’s shoes, with the former Bayer Leverkusen star securing a £20 million move to the MLS with Los Angeles FC – where he’ll represent a city with the largest population of fellow Koreans outside South Korea itself.

On the same night they lost Son, star playmaker James Maddison also returned to the treatment table after suffering a serious injury to the same knee which kept him out of the Europa League final.

The England international now faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines, with Spurs now confirming Maddison is set to undergo surgery for a ruptured ACL that will keep him out for the majority of the season.

Frank has been left very short of attacking options in what is a dire situation, making this last three weeks of the window absolutely vital.

Tottenham make contact over signing Man City winger Jack Grealish

Levy needs to find a replacement for both Son and Maddison before the transfer deadline on September 1, after they unceremoniously missed out on a deal for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White last month.

As per Romano, Man City outcast Jack Grealish is among their potential targets.

The 29-year-old’s stock has fallen dramatically since being a key member of Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side in 2023, and Grealish has been training away from the City squad this summer as the Blues seek to find a new home for him.

City have put a £40 million price tag on the ex-Aston Villa captain’s head if any side wishes to strike a permanent deal, but the most likely outcome right now appears to be a loan deal, considering Grealish’s sky-high wage packet of around £300,000-per-week.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano claims that Tottenham phoned City to make an enquiry over Grealish “in recent days”.

However, Everton are now in active talks for the Englishman, so if Levy wants to advance on a deal, he’ll need to hurry.

“Everton are working on a deal to sign Jack Grealish,” said Romano.

“There was a call also from Tottenham in recent days to understand the situation of the player, but it was just a call – no advanced negotiations.

“From what I’m told now, Everton approached Manchester City after speaking to the agent of the player last week. Now, Everton are in talks with Manchester City for Jack Grealish – they want to try for a loan. Let’s see the conditions of this loan, let’s see what Jack will decide to do – but Jack Grealish is the dream target now for Everton.”

Grealish actually came close to joining Tottenham for £25 million around seven years ago, and he admitted to being disappointed after missing out on a move.

“Of course, there’s going to be disappointment there,” Grealish told The Telegraph about his failed Spurs switch in 2018.

“You’ve just got to look at what Spurs have done this season. They’ve beaten Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford, they’re playing Barcelona in the Champions League next week.

“I felt that if I’d gone there, I could have maybe been in the England squad by the end of the year. I would never have gone there just to make up the numbers.”