Tottenham are interested in a move for Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic and would be willing to meet his economic demands.
That’s according to Sport Italia journalist Gianluigi Longari, who says the Serbian defender is a potential target for Jose Mourinho’s side.
Maksimovic is out of contract in the summer and having managed just seven appearances this season, looks likely to be leaving on a free transfer.
Napoli are trying to work on a renewal but at the moment that appears unlikely and so, as they have done with Arkadiusz Milik, they may look to move the centre back on this month to ensure they got some sort of fee for him.
“About HysajI have more hope, while I believe that Maksimovic will go away,” he told Il Napoli Online.
“On him, there are many teams ready to satisfy him even at an economic level, including Tottenham.
“Napoli has a great relationship with the agent of Hysaj, Mario Giuffredi, therefore they are very optimistic about the renewal of the Albanian-back.”
Now Longari makes no mention of when Tottenham would be looking at signing Maksimovic, or whether they’ve even been in contact with him.
It’s safe to assume they must have been if he’s saying they’re happy to match his wage demands, although what they are is also not make public.
Spurs aren’t in desperate need of a new centre back at this moment in time anyway, given they have five in the squad and signed Joe Rodon from Swansea last summer.
But with Toby Alderweireld getting on and linked with a return to the Netherlands recently, perhaps they’re eyeing up long-term replacements for him.
This certainly feels like one they’re looking at for the summer as opposed to this month and is one to keep an eye on if the defender doesn’t sign a new deal with Napoli as expected.
