Spurs Keen on Llorente; Fabregas Inching Closer to Barca Move

Redknapp Eyeing World-Class Talent

According to The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp is targeting Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente. Redknapp is reportedly looking to add Llorente to the squad prior to selling his other strikers. If a deal with Llorente can be reached soon, out of form striker Peter Crouch may be set for a move to Stoke City, who launched a final attempt to sign the England international this week. Athletic Bilbao are expecting Spurs to match Fernando Llorente’s buy-out clause of €36 million (£31.6 million) in order for a deal to be reached.

Where Would Llorente Fit in at White Hart Lane?

Llorente’s physical stature makes him an ideal fit to play as the lone striker in Harry Redknapp’s 4-3-3 formation. At six feet five inches tall, Llorente has the ability to command the aerial game like Peter Crouch. However, Llorente is much better on the ball. His skill level is incredible for such a tall player and his eye for goal would provide Tottenham with a legitimate world-class striker.

Llorente at Athletic Bilbao

Fernando Llorente, known as “Lion King” in Spain, made his La Liga debut with Athletic Bilbao in 2004-05. During his first three seasons with Los Leones, Llorente bagged just 12 goals in 69 appearances. In his fourth season in Spain’s top division, Llorente matched his output from the previous three seasons combined (12 goals) in 29 less games. It was evident that Llorente was making great strides to becoming one of Spain’s most complete strikers. Since 2008-09, Llorente has become one of the most prolific goal-scorers in La Liga. In that span, Llorente has tallied 60 goals in all competitions and earned himself 18 caps for the Spanish national team, scoring seven goals.

Fabregas Set For Barca Move, Again

The Telegraph has reported that Barcelona have increased their bid to bring Cesc Fabregas back to Catalonia. The bid is rumoured to be in the region of £35 million, with Arsenal apparently set to give in to the midfield maestro’s wishes. Fabregas has not played at all in Arsenal’s preseason, fueling speculation that a move is imminent.

What Will Wenger Do With the Fabregas Money?

With Samir Nasri also rumoured to be sold to big spenders Manchester City, Arsenal will have around £60 million to spend in the remaining three weeks of the summer transfer window. After sealing the signature of midfielder Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Wenger is surely set to turn his attention to grabbing a centre-back. The favourite seems to be Chris Samba, largely because he, like Wenger, is a Frenchman. Other reported targets for Arsenal include Bolton’s Gary Cahill, Everton’s Phil Jagielka, and Birmingham City’s Scott Dann. Dann and Cahill are also rumoured targets of Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool. But if it came to down to choosing between Arsenal and Liverpool, Dann would likely choose the Merseyside, seeing that he was born in Liverpool. That leaves the Gunners with three possible targets to fix their centre-back problems.