Tottenham Hotspur are "insistently" pushing to sign Galatasary defender Victor Nelsson this summer, and they need just £21 million to sign him.
Who will Spurs sign?
The north Londoners, lead by new manager Ange Postecoglou, are said to be making moves for new defenders behind-the-scenes after sealing a few major deals already.
Spurs have already confirmed the signings of Guglielmo Vicario, who joined on a permanent deal for £17.2 million, midfielder James Maddison for around £45 million and winger Manor Solomon on a free transfer.
They join the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, who's joined the club permanently after 18 months on loan from Juventus, and Pedro Porro after the Spaniard made his own move from Sporting Lisbon a permanent one.
Maddison's capture represents a significant coup for Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy in particular, with Tottenham's head coach expressing his delight at the signing in mid-week.
“Really excited to get James as part of the group," said Postecoglou.
“Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals.
“They’re not easy to come by. He’s proven himself at that level in the last few years as somebody who can do that.
“When you look at Tottenham the last few years, they’ve been really reliant on the front three to get their goals. I thought it was a really good fit for us to look for a player like James."
However, after conceding more goals than any other top flight above 15th last season, it is reported that Spurs now want to add central defensive quality to their ranks.
The Lilywhites have been in advanced talks to sign Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven, and an agreement is apparently close, though there are reports Tottenham could make more than one signing in that area.
Galatasary star Nelsson, who featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for Denmark, is a player of serious interest to Spurs and a report from Fanatik claims they're pushing hard for him.
According to the Turkish news outlet, Postecoglou's side are "insistently" pursuing the 24-year-old but face competition from north London rivals Arsenal.
Nelsson himself continues to negotiate a transfer away behind-the-scenes amid Spurs' interest but the club won't need much to do a deal. It's believed that, if any side pay his €25 million (£21m) release clause, Nelsson is highly likely to make the move.
Davinson Sanchez, meanwhile, could be heading in the opposite direction with Galatasary chasing the Colombian.
How good is Victor Nelsson?
The Dane stood out as a star defensive player for Galatasary last season, making more blocks per 90 and winning more battles in the air than any of his teammates (WhoScored).
Indeed, Nelsson was also an undroppable for manager Okan Buruk, having featured over more Turkish Super Lig minutes than any other outfielder in their squad (WhoScored).
Sections of the Turkish press have even called the former FC Copenhagen ace a "star player" of Galatasary's squad and his £21m release clause is arguably affordable from Levy's perspective.