A player previously linked with Newcastle United could be set for the Premier League with a different club.
According to Sky Sports, Takehiro Tomiyasu is now on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, despite them still being managerless.
Spurs have opened talks with the Japan international, who plays his club football with Serie A side Bologna.
Despite having no manager, Spurs do have new director of football Fabio Paratici on the deal.
The development comes after Tomiyasu was said to be of interest to Newcastle.
The Chronicle claimed in September that the Magpies had been scouting him before lockdown.
Tomiyasu, 22, is highly rated. Walter Sabatini, a director at Bologna, previously suggested he was someone capable of playing for one of the top teams in Italy.
It is a blow for Newcastle if Spurs are indeed positioning themselves to sign the star.
Tomiyasu would be a fine signing for Newcastle
Hopefully Newcastle reignite their interest in Tomiyasu as he would be a cracking addition.
He can play at right-back and centre-back, which would make him very handy.
Newcastle’s last Japanese signing in Yoshinori Muto hasn’t worked out so well, but Tomiyasu has really exciting potential.
Arguably it’ll be a missed opportunity if he heads to north London, with Newcastle needing to bolster their backline.
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