Tottenham’s initial offer for Real Sociedad Willian José has forced the Spanish club to consider selling this month.
Spurs are keen on signing the Brazilian striker as they search for a replacement for Harry Kane, who is out until April at the earliest with a hamstring injury.
We’ve covered reports over the past two days that Spurs have already made their move, with José pulled out of La Real’s 2-0 win over Espanyol last night because of Tottenham’s interest.
According to Diario Vasco that was very much the case, with the newspaper reporting that the striker requested to be released from the squad because of the transfer rumours.
Tottenham have made a bid close to €30m to buy José outright, according to the newspaper, and although that is far below his release clause of €70m, it forced Real’s bosses to agree to leave him out of the squad as it is close to his ‘market value’.
They are aware that the striker is looking on the move to the Premier League ‘favourably’ and have thus set out to negotiate a deal that suits all parties.
José signed a new deal not long ago and is the Spanish side’s best-paid player, the offer from Tottenham is ‘superior’. He is also ‘attracted’ by the chance of playing in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
La Real’s chairman, Jokin Aperribay, knows he cannot make an ‘uneconomic decision’, i.e., refusing to sell a player for more than his ‘real value’.
José arrived for €6m in 2016, and that has now been amortised, so any fee they receive from Tottenham would be pure profit.
Selling the striker would leave a ‘gaping hole’ in their team, though, so they have to weigh up the situation before accepting a Tottenham bid. The suggestion is, though, that if Spurs make a good enough offer, a deal can be done quickly.
