Tottenham Hotspur are planning to return with an improved bid for Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, according to the Evening Standard.
They tabled an initial proposal worth £20 million plus Giovani Lo Celso, but the Villans turned it down.
Villa want to keep Ramsey in the squad although they’re one of several clubs that need to raise funds before June 30 to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
However, they consider Tottenham’s initial offer unacceptable and are holding out for a fee of around £50m for Ramsey.
Lo Celso is familiar with Villa manager Unai Emery. He played under him at Villarreal, but his inclusion in the swap deal wasn’t enough to convince Villa to sell.
Tottenham’s interest in Ramsey reportedly stems from a need to sign home-grown players to comply with UEFA regulations in the Europa League next season.
Spurs are also in the market for a striker, and Lille’s Jonathan David is on their radar.
The Canadian striker is available for a bargain as he enters the final year of his contract, but Spurs will have to fend off interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.
Tottenham must steer clear of Ramsey
Ramsey barely kicked a ball for Villa last season. He spent most of the campaign sidelined with injury problems, featuring just 16 times in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old is considered a top talent, but there’s no guarantee he can recapture his best form.
Spending significant funds to sign him is a gamble that could come back to bite Spurs.
If they need to sign a home-grown talent, they should turn their attention to Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.
Gallagher has one year remaining on his contract but will command a similar fee as Ramsey, although he’d be a better value-for-money signing than his countryman.
He was a mainstay in the Chelsea team last season, bagging seven goals and nine assists in 50 appearances across all competitions.
