Tottenham keen on Bundesliga striker, but he won’t come cheap

As Marcus Thuram gets set for France’s Euro 2020 opener against Germany, rumours of his possible move to Tottenham ramp up. 

If Spurs are serious about signing the 23-year-old, they’ll have to shell out a pretty penny to secure his services. The highly touted attacker’s £26 million release clause recently expired, ensuring his price tag will be more prohibitive. His estimated market value is in the region of £35 million, but Borussia Mönchengladbach will invariably increase their asking price substantially. The German club will almost certainly demand a club-record fee to relinquish their top asset.  Granit Xhaka, who joined Arsenal in 2016 for £39 million, holds the current club record.

Thuram’s eventual suitor will be forced to invest at least £40 million to get this sale over the line. And there are no shortage of interested parties. AC Milan showed were, and still are, keen on the dynamic Frenchman, but Spurs have recently climbed to the top the top of the rumour mill ladder, with RMC’s chief sports editor, Mohamed Bouhafsi, confirming the advancement of talks between Mönchengladbach and Spurs.

Completing a deal of this weighty financial commitment is chockfull of complexities, and, now that the exit clause has expired, probably won’t happen until France’s Euro 2020 fate is decided. Usually a deal of this magnitude would be contingent on Tottenham having their new manager confirmed and in place, but we’re in the midst of a conspicuously unconventional period.

More from Hotspur HQ

• Storybook ending after difficult period for Tottenahm’s Richarlison
• Tottenham comeback showcased invaluable intangible Ange has cultivated
• Tottenham player ratings in 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United
• Tottenham projected starting 11 for Sheffield United
• Tottenham’s Richarlison says he’s going to seek psychological help

Fabio Paratici, who doesn’t officially take on his sporting director responsibilities until July 1, is pulling the strings behind the scenes while Paulo Fonseca, whose post is expected to be confirmed imminently, will have to catch up with proceedings on the fly. That isn’t so surprising considering Daniel Levy’s history of signing managers willing to play ball with shackling restrictions and parameters in place.

The other principle question is whether Thuram is seen as a replacement for Harry Kane or a complement. Knowing Daniel Levy’s fiscal imperatives, I can’t see Tottenham buying Thuram and keeping Kane. The financial side of that aspirational outcome don’t add up, especially with Levy, in his latest interview, reiterating the importance of balancing the books in regards to outgoing and incoming players.

If Kane stays, Tottenham could feasibly still purchase Thuram by offloading Erik Lamela and/or Lucas Moura. There’s also the option of opting not to extend Gareth Bale’s loan from Real Madrid.

But Spurs usually like to pad the bank account before making a relatively big-money move. So, as usual, there’s a lot of unknowns to this scenario, not to mention the fact that Thuram’s price tag could still rise depending on his performance level at Euro 2020.