Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified Everton midfielder James Garner as a potential summer transfer target.
Spurs are currently enjoying a productive first campaign under Ange Postecoglou, accumulating 47 points from their 25 matches in the Premier League.
However, Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers has left the North Londoners just three points ahead of sixth-placed Manchester United, with fifth spot potentially being enough for Champions League qualification.
Postecoglou has a wide array of midfield talent at his disposal, with Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur regarded as his first-choice options and Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Giovani Lo Celso providing further competition.
Nevertheless, Hojbjerg and Lo Celso are likely to depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should a suitable offer arrive after the end of the season.
© Reuters
While Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, the England international has made no secret of preferring to remain with his boyhood club.
That is an opinion shared by head coach Mauricio Pochettino, yet much will depend on whether Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are willing to negotiate a new contract with a player whose current terms expire in 2025.
According to TEAMTalk, Spurs will give consideration to trying to sign Garner if they miss out on Gallagher.
After making the alleged £15m switch from Manchester United to Everton, Garner was not immediately handed regular first-team opportunities by then-manager Frank Lampard.
© Reuters
Now, the 22-year-old is viewed as an integral part of the squad under Sean Dyche, making 22 starts and one substitute outing in the Premier League this season.
With the England Under-21 international on a contract until 2026, Everton remain in a strong position over his future, yet their well-documented poor financial position means that they may have to be open to offers.
Although a potential transfer fee is not mentioned, Spurs are aware of Everton's need to meet the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules in the short and long term, the Merseyside outfit already facing two charges relating to such issues.
Gallagher has allegedly been valued in the region of £40m, a figure not currently realistic for Garner at this stage of his development, yet the Englishman's stock at Goodison Park has risen to such an extent that he is currently viewed as indispensable in the middle of the pitch.
Darren Plant
