Tottenham, Celtic fighting to sign Ligue 1 winger with speed to burn
Tottenham and Celtic are reportedly going head-to-head for the signature of Nice winger Deji Sotona, who looks set for a move back to the Premier League.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Sotona is on his way back to England, having left Manchester United back in 2020. The pacy attacker quit Old Trafford to join Nice on a free transfer, having featured regularly for United’s youth teams.
The 19-year-old, who hails from Ireland, showed some real potential at Old Trafford before moving on.
He scored four goals and added two assists in 16 Under-18s Premier League outings for the Red Devils before his exit.
His claim to fame during his time at Manchester was being recorded as the club’s fastest player, ahead of Marcus Rashford.
Chelsea reportedly tried to complete a deal for Sotona last summer and remain keen. However, the report from Telegraph states that both Spurs and Celtic are looking to complete a transfer.
Sotona has yet to make a first-team appearance for Nice. However, it appears that his reputation has got a number of clubs chasing his signature.
The report does not state what sort of a fee Sotona will command, although it’s likely to be minimal.
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Tottenham star set for January exit
Meanwhile, a Tottenham exit in the January transfer window looks to hold serious potential, with Fabio Paratici soon set to face a crunch call on the player’s future.
Next month offers Antonio Conte the first chance to make his impression on the Spurs squad. The new era for the club should truly start to take shape, with arrivals and departures expected.
The Italian manager has had plenty of opportunity to assess his current crop of players. One who does not seem to figure in his plans is Steven Bergwijn.
The winger has played just 15 minutes since Conte’s arrival in north London in early November.
Understandably so, Bergwijn, 23, wants more game time than that. As such, Ajax have been heavily linked with a move for him.
And those links are only growing stronger. The latest report on the situation comes from Algemeen Dagblad (via Soccer News), who claim he is one of their targets for the winter.
The Tottenham board, led by Paratici, is said to have told the Eredivisie side to wait for discussions until after the festive period earlier this month.
Paratici has tough call to make
The clock is therefore ticking for the director of football to decide whether to grant Bergwijn his wish or keep him for Conte’s disposal.
Spurs now have just three matches remaining in 2021. After those it seems clear that Ajax will be eagerly knocking at the door.
Reports from Bergwijn’s homeland indicate the Dutch club would like a six-month loan deal before having to buying him next summer.
All Bergwijn is conscious of is the World Cup at the end of 2022. He has been involved with Netherlands this season despite his lack of appearances.
More action with Ajax will further his case for a place in the tournament squad. He missed out on Euro 2020, and will be desperate to avoid that fate again.
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