Spurs launch ambitious move for £57m star who once turned down Arsenal

Spurs could continue their huge summer spending with an ambitious move for a £57 million star who turned down their rivals Arsenal.

After avoiding relegation, Roberto De Zerbi has been putting his stamp on Spurs with a flurry of new arrivals totalling £228 million.

Spurs have brought in Sandro Tonali for £100 million, a club-record signing that eclipsed the £85 million capture of Matheus Fernandes which was completed days earlier.

Jean-Paul Van Hecke has also been signed from Brighton for a fee of £52 million.

But Spurs are still pressing hard for further reinforcements, with particular focus on a new central defender following Cristian Romero's departure to Atletico Madrid.

According to TEAMtalk, they could launch a move for Paris Saint-Germain defender Illia Zabarnyi, who could well be available this summer.

Zabarnyi only joined PSG last summer in a £57 million deal from Bournemouth and won the Champions League in his debut season.

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However, it's claimed a summer switch is a "realistic possibility" and there could be developments as we move towards the end of the transfer window.

According to the report, Spurs have "taken a look' at the Ukraine international but are yet to follow that up with serious discussions.

The 23-year-old's situation appears to be one to keep an eye on, with a Premier League return very much a possibility.

He was linked with a reunion with Andoni Iraola at Liverpool but the Reds brought in Ronaldo Araujo from Barcelona, a move which makes a Zabarnyi pursuit unlikely.

Similarly, Chelsea snapped up Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace and look to be done when it comes to strengthening in central defence.

Spurs are now credited with interest and a transfer could make sense given Zabarnyi's strong ball-playing qualities and the way Di Zerbi likes to play out from the back.

Spurs target turned down Arsenal as Premier League return mooted

Zabarnyi may already have the love of Spurs supporters as he reportedly rejected a move to Arsenal in the summer of 2024.

The Gunners are understood to have sent scouts to watch him in action at Euro 2024 and looked to a deal.

However, he ended up signing a contract extension with Bournemouth.

After penning a deal until 2029, he said: "I’m so excited and so happy to be here.

"I’m really enjoying it, it’s a beautiful town and a really exciting project. I’ve enjoyed a lot of good moments, last season was important for me.

"We achieved a record points total but we can do more, it’s a really great place to be and I’m pleased to extend my stay."

Having joined from Dynamo Kyiv in a £24 million in January 2023, Zabarnyi went on to stay for another year before joining PSG, where has played a total of 38 times in all competitions.

Spurs are reportedly nearing a double deal to bring in both Savinho and Cody Gakpo from Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, while Folarin Balogun and Nicolas Jackson have been touted as striker targets.