Tottenham are reportedly interest in signing Marcus Rashford, while at the same time trying to gatecrash another Man Utd transfer.
Marcus Rashford
Tottenham are reportedly keen on signing Marcus Rashford
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If the early weeks of the transfer window are anything to go by, Tottenham look determined to make sure a flirtation with relegation and 17th in the Premier League is something they only want to experience twice.
Having survived on the final day of last season, Spurs suddenly have momentum and money, with ambition being shown to give Roberto De Zerbi a squad that can go from relegation scrappers to European contenders.
They have already signed Jan Paul van Hecke for £52million and are in talks with Newcastle over what would be the statement signing of Italy international Sandro Tonali.
Not content with that, they are considering rivalling Manchester United for West Ham's 21-year-old midfielder Mateus Fernandes, as well as trying to raid Old Trafford for Marcus Rashford. But perhaps United can use this to their advantage.
They are willing sellers of Rashford this summer, but only if the price is right, and it's hard to see any club offering the £40million fee at which United have told Rashford's camp they would do a deal. A salary of around £325,000 a week is a clear hindrance to paying that kind of money for the 28-year-old.
United will almost certainly have to negotiate at some point on Rashford, but they could offer Tottenham a sweetener if they cool their interest in Fernandes. That might happen anyway should they sign Tonali, with Newcastle said to be wanting close to £100million.
Fernandes is the deal United are currently working on, and the Portuguese midfielder looks set to be the second addition at Old Trafford this summer, but there is a reluctance to meet West Ham's current demands. To negotiate a lower fee, they really need a clear run at the player.
There has been talk of interest from Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid and Arsenal already this summer, but it is United who have been the most active, and there is a sense that West Ham really want a bidding war to drive his price up.
Their latest financial results revealed a £104million loss, and the Hammers hierarchy admitted earlier this year that sales were necessary even if they stayed in the Premier League. They will be an absolute must now that they find themselves preparing for life in the Championship.
Fernandes is clearly the club's most sellable asset, with Jarrod Bowen now 29, an age when clubs are reluctant to spend too much due to the lack of resale value. Fernandes broke into the Portugal squad earlier this year, although didn't make the cut for the World Cup, and has had another good season in the Premier League.
But if the Hammers need to do a deal swiftly to avoid falling foul of financial rules with the Premier League or EFL, then they would like some competition for his signature. United would like to be the only show in town.
Perhaps they could use Tottenham's interest in Rashford to make sure that remains the case.