Victor Osimhen: Barca,Real Madrid battle for Spurs target

Barcelona and Real Madrid will battle for the signature of Tottenham Hotspur target Victor Osimhen in the summer, according to reports.

Lille striker,  Osimhen was one of several forwards to be linked with Tottenham for the January transfer window, with Jose Mourinho’s good relationship with the French club’s sporting director Luis Campos potentially giving them an edge in the race to sign him.

However, Mourinho ultimately opted not to sign a direct replacement for the injured Harry Kane, only bringing in Steven Bergwijn, who plays more as a winger.

Should Tottenham reignite their interest in Osimhen, they will face competition from two of Europe’s biggest clubs, as Le10 Sport reveal that Barcelona and Real Madrid have made enquiries about the player.

The two La Liga giants were both turned down by Lille when making approaches in January, but it is claimed they could come back in for the striker in January.

The Nigerian attacker is said to be valued at €35m by the French club, who only signed him last summer, but have seen their investment pay off with his 16 goals in 32 appearances this season and would be willing to cash in on him four-and-a-half years ahead of the expiration of his contract.

Barcelona failed to bring in another attacker in January, despite being linked with Valencia’s Rodrigo, meaning they could be looking for more depth up front in the summer.

As for Real Madrid, summer signing Luka Jovic has struggled for form, hence their interest in a more reliable deputy for this season’s top scorer Karim Benzema.

In other Tottenham news, Mourinho has explained how he had no chance of convincing Christian Eriksen to stay, following the playmaker’s move to Inter Milan.

“We didn’t tell because of a moral agreement with Christian, but from the first day I arrived [last November], he told me he was not going to sign [a contract],” said Mourinho.

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“So then it was for me and Mr [Daniel] Levy to manage the situation – for me to have a player without great motivation but still a good sense of professionalism and respect for the club.

“And Mr Levy, on the business side, managed to do a great deal with six months left on the contract.”