Tottenham have been dealt a fresh blow in their bid to find a replacement at a vital position this summer. James Trafford is likely on the move to Inter Milan, rather than Tottenham.
Spurs are currently battling for Premier League survival, and that battle is not going particularly well. New boss Roberto De Zerbi is still searching for his first win after seeing his side concede a stoppage-time equaliser against Brighton over the weekend.
To make matters worse, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United went on to win, while West Ham matched Tottenham's result with a draw against Crystal Palace on Monday night.
That means Tottenham remain two points behind West Ham, but they are crucially now five points behind Forest, and Leeds are virtually uncatchable with an eight-point lead with five games remaining.
Tottenham looks less likely to sign James Trafford now
Tottenham's path to safety is becoming more complicated, but battle on they must, and plan for the summer they must. The club's recruitment chiefs will already likely have a plan for the Premier League and the Championship when it comes to summer shopping, given clubs can ill-afford to be caught on their heels.
One player who has been linked, likely in the case Tottenham stay up, is Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford, who could be on the move just a year after his £27million move. Trafford was signed by City with the idea of him being number one, but hey later signed Gianluigi Donnarumma, leaving Trafford the clear number two.
Reports suggest Trafford could now leave as he looks to be a Premier League starter, and Tottenham have been touted as a possible destination, given Vicario is likely to leave this summer. The current Spurs starter is expected to return to Italy, with Inter Milan said to be the most likely destination.
Whether Tottenham would be able to talk Trafford into making the move, given their failures over the last two seasons - including this one - is an element of its own, while relegation to the Championship would likely take the Lilywhites out of the conversation altogether.
But in either case, the presence of other interested clubs is going to be a problem. Champions League-bound Aston Villa have also been linked, which is problem enough, and now it is claimed that Juventus are interested in snapping up Trafford this summer.
That's the sort of club Spurs are unlikely to be able to compete with whether they stay up or not, and the only hope would be that Trafford wants to stay in England, but Villa would be a problem given they will almost certainly be playing Champions League football next season.
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