According to a recent report from media outlet Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.
They state that the club are interested in a move for the midfielder this winter, though that is "highly unlikely" given his importance to Paulo Fonseca's side, and imply that it could be something that the club revisit in the summer.
Reijnders is a versatile midfielder, capable of playing in a deeper midfield role, or as a number ten. The 26-year-year old has scored three goals in four Champions League games this season, including a goal at the Santiago Bernabeu last night, as Milan pulled off an impressive performance in the backyards of the defending champions Real Madrid.
The clubs have recently done business, with Emerson Royal joining from Spurs in the summer. He also played in the game at the Bernabeu, conceding a penalty that some do not believe should have been given - though it mattered precious little regardless.
Furthermore, recent reports have linked current Spurs midfielder, and standput player this year, Dejan Kulusevski, with a move to Milan. As good as Reijnders may be, you would hope that there is no correlation between any potential deal.
During the European Championships over the summer, the Dutch midfielder looked impressive in a Netherlands side that reached the semi-finals, their best tournament performance since they finished third at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
In terms of negotiations, Reijnders has a deal running until 2028 as it currently stands, but clubs in Italy are always in need of money. When they signed Sandro Tonali back in 2021, the plan would not have been to sell him to Newcastle United two years later, but needs must and that is exactly what they ended up doing.
Plus, as mentioned above, the clubs have negotiated, successfully (albeit after taking ages) for a player as recently as this summer just gone, which could help things.
Milan are currently struggling in Serie A, sitting in 7th place, only three points above 11th place Empoli, and if that continues, the player himself may want a club in a better position when it comes to European football. If Spurs were to get Champions League football, and Milan not, that could be a huge tick in the box.
That said, Ange has, quite rightly, stressed that he would not want a player if they only wanted to come to play Champions League football. The bigger tick in the box from that point of view (Milan not qualifying for the Champions League) is that they would be in an even greater need for money than they were beforehand. Let’s hope Emerson has told him about how great the club is, and how they will make fancams of him regardless of performances.