Tottenham Hotspur are supposedly pushing to win the race for 17-year-old Gambian starlet Gibril Sima, who shares similarities with Thierry Henry.
The Lilywhites completed a £65m deal for Dominic Solanke to fill Harry Kane's boots last summer, and even though his first season has been bedevilled by inconsistency, he scored Spurs' most important goal of the campaign so far in midweek.
Solanke's penalty in a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt sent Tottenham through to the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they will take on Bodo/Glimt for the right to meet Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in the showpiece event.
Success in Europe's secondary competition will earn Spurs a ticket to the Champions League, boosting their chances of attracting top talent, but failure to go all the way will condemn them to a season with no continental football in 2025-26.
A disastrous Premier League campaign has left Tottenham in a lowly 15th place in the table, leading to the expectation that Ange Postecoglou will be sacked if Spurs' bid for Europa League glory ends in failure.
The Lilywhites may need open-heart surgery this summer, but the club are also looking to the future, as Football Insider claims that they are keeping a close eye on the embryonic Sima.
Who is Spurs-linked sensation Sima?
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The 17-year-old represents Dutch Lions in his homeland of The Gambia, where his team sit 11th in the 16-team GFA League First Division table.
The report claims that Sima has been earning 'rave reviews' in the top flight and has even been likened to Arsenal legend Henry, leading to interest from Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund also.
All three teams are apparently prepared to pay 'big money' to sign the 17-year-old - who turns 18 in June - in the near future, and Dutch Lions are under no illusions that they will lose him eventually.
Nevertheless, the Gambian outfit announced on Friday that Sima had signed a new long-term deal with the club until the summer of 2029, thus boosting their hopes of receiving a sizeable fee through a sale.
Tottenham attacking exodus could make room for Sima arrival
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Having only competed in Gambian football so far, Sima would certainly not be expected to jump straight into the Spurs first team if they win the race for the 17-year-old sensation.
A loan move to a lower-league team or stint in the academy ranks would be the next step in his development, but some attacking exits could free up space in the senior ranks if he impresses enough.
Tottenham will not be signing Timo Werner on a permanent basis from RB Leipzig this summer, while the out-of-favour and injury-plagued Richarlison could be targeted by teams in Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
Captain Son Heung-min's agreement only runs until the end of next season too, and Postecoglou recently delivered an update on the South Korean's contract situation.
Ben Knapton
