Sevilla manager Unai Emery has indicated that Federico Fazio is nearing a move to Tottenham Hotspur by revealing that the defender is unlikely to play in their La Liga game against Valencia on Saturday.
Spurs are believed to have triggered an £8m release clause in the contract of the Argentine, who inspired Sevilla to a Europa League triumph and fifth-place finish last season, after giving up in their pursuit of his compatriot Mateo Musacchio of Villarreal.
Emery has stressed that no deal has yet been completed, but hinted that Fazio was poised to leave Spain by wishing him well and praising his service, and he believes that Spurs are getting a bargain by meeting a release fee that was agreed before the 27-year-old's improvement over the last couple of years.
"Federico belongs to our staff but he has little or no chance of playing for us tomorrow," Emery told reporters. "We cannot deny the fact he gave a very high level of performance in his last game, the Super Cup, which was instrumental in teams being interested.
"Clearly we would all prefer him to stay, but thinking about tomorrow's game we will have to look elsewhere. The player has constantly given his all to Sevilla. It remains only that we wish him well.
"When I arrived he was criticised as a player and about to leave for an amount much lower than this. But he has grown so much, and in his renewed contract his price was set far above what was previously offered for him. But his performances have been so high that he has outgrown that clause. Fazio is worth more than that, but those are the rules of the game."
Fazio, who stands at 6'5", has made over 150 appearances for Sevilla since joining them in 2007.
Joe Fish
