Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku as a potential replacement for Harry Kane.
Since the end of last season, the future of Kane has been a hot topic of debate, a consequence of the England captain heading into the final year of his contract.
For much of that time, it has appeared that a switch to Bayern Munich has been unlikely, yet the relevant parties are now at the final stages of completing a deal.
While Spurs will be losing one of the greatest players in their history for an alleged £86.4m fee, Ange Postecoglou also has the task of securing a replacement for the club's all-time top goalscorer.
At this stage of the market, that may prove a difficult task with many of the leading names in that position having already determined their future for 2023-24.
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However, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Spurs are ready to involve themselves in the race to sign Lukaku from one of their London rivals.
Chelsea's owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have been trying to part ways with the Belgium international all summer without much success.
Inter Milan pulled out of the race when it became apparent that their former star man and loanee had been holding negotiations with Juventus, a rival team.
Although Juventus remain keen to sign Lukaku, negotiating terms has proven complicated with Chelsea not willing to sign Dusan Vlahovic in part-exchange.
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Furthermore, Juventus supporters have protested, on more than one occasion, against the potential acquisition of Lukaku due to his association with Inter.
From Chelsea's perspective, they are becoming increasing desperate to find a buyer when they wish to make a clean break from the frontman and substantially lower their wage bill.
Should Kane complete a transfer to Bayern, Spurs could theoretically express a desire to sign the 30-year-old, aware that Chelsea are prepared to sell for a fee in the region of £34m.
As it stands, Son Heung-min, Richarlison and Alejo Veliz are all regarded as striking options for Postecoglou, yet the Greek-Australian will want to add someone of Kane's profile and experience to his ranks as soon as possible.
Darren Plant
