Tottenham could be about to launch a devious transfer plan to may scupper Arsenal's hopes of signing Benjamin Sesko.
The Gunners are known to be long-term admirers of the 22-year-old forward, who is valued by the Bundesliga outfit at £70 million this summer. Arsenal chief Andrea Berta is said to be leading the case to sign Sesko.
But with Spurs also wishing to bolster their ranks under Thomas Frank in the next few weeks, a target has been identified at RB Leipzig, with the Lilywhites rumoured to be pushing ahead with their interest.
Tottenham have their sights firmly set on RB Leipzig star
Under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs broke their long-awaited trophy hoodoo by winning the Europa League in May, but that didn't stop the former Celtic boss from getting the boot just a few weeks later.
One thing Postecoglou constantly berated the Tottenham board for was January signings, with injured players dominating the conversations he held with Daniel Levy. The likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven enjoyed long spells on the sidelines last season, and it appears new manager Frank is keen to tighten up his backline to avoid a repeat scenario next season.
With RB Leipzig set to be without Champions League football, after finishing 7th last season, many clubs have begun to enquire about various stars within their ranks, none more so than with Sesko.
But FootMercato say defender Castello Lukeba could be on the move too, with Tottenham, Liverpool and Bayern Munich all keen on the France Under-21 international. Lukeba, who broke through at Lyon, has become one of the best young central defenders in Europe, and at only 22, presents value in the market.
The report says Lukeba is open to leaving the club, and does have a release clause set at €90m (£77.6m). Under contract until 2029, the German side are set to demand a sizeable fee for his services, but that could mean Arsenal may have trouble getting a deal for Sesko over the line.
Keeping him may now be seen as more of a priority given the haggling over his price, and with Lukeba keeping their funds afloat, it may now result in the Serbian staying at the club. In FourFourTwo's view, we think Sesko is likely to leave before the window closes.
"I'm always hungry to improve and play at the highest level," he said after France's Under-21 European Championship exit recently. "I know that requires strong performances at club level."
A key indicator or not, Lukeba will be desperate to impress France national team boss Didier Deschamps with the World Cup next summer approaching. That may mean a move could soon be on the cards.
