Tottenham transfer state of play with new targets picked amid injury fears and brutal snubs

Tottenham have been left in transfer chaos after missing out on a THIRD big target this summer. They could now turn to Monaco midfielder Maghnes Akliouche after the latest snub from Eberechi Eze who is set to join bitter rivals Arsenal.

And Tottenham's crisis is made even worse amid fears that Dejan Kulusevski could be out until the end of the year with his knee injury. There is still no definite return date but his delayed absence only increases the need for urgent reinforcements.

That comes on top of James Maddison's long-term knee ligament injury which prompted the move for Crystal Palace star Eze.

But they are set to miss out on Eze which comes on top of Morgan Gibbs-White snubbing a move to stay at Nottingham Forest while Bryan Mbeumo decided to move to Manchester United rather than Spurs.

They have struggled to build on last season’s success of winning the Europa League and also qualifying for the Champions League.

READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Eze to Arsenal twist, Newcastle chase Isak replacement, Man Utd deal off

READ MORE: 'I thought I was joining Tottenham but then Arsenal called and I immediately signed'

They are now scrambling around for signings with £40m-rated Akliouche on their list of targets with Bayer Leverkusen also interested while Monaco want to keep him for at least another season.

Tottenham like Como playmaker Nico Paz and he is another option if they cannot persuade Akliouche to move.

Tottenham also like England star Morgan Rogers but there is scepticism other whether that deal could actually be done because there will be strong resistance from Aston Villa.

Manchester City do not want to sell Brazil winger Savinho while Spurs are also keen on Southampton's Tyler Dibling.

RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons has his heart set on Chelsea and it means the Eze blow is a huge setback for Tottenham because they are left scrambling with just ten days left.

There is a feeling at Tottenham that Arsenal were always hovering in the background and, despite agreeing personal terms and also Crystal Palace’s terms, they had to wait until after the Europa Conference League tie on Thursday night.

That gave Arsenal a window of opportunity which they took on a player who Mikel Arteta has been courting all summer and the interest was established before Kai Havertz’s injury even if that only heightened the need.

Arsenal are hoping Havertz’s knee is not too serious but he will face a lay-off and Eze’s impending arrival softens the blow and has been a hugely popular move for the fans.

Tottenham are left licking their wounds and having to look elsewhere. But they feel that they tried everything to get a deal done and even if they had paid the release clause earlier in the window then Arsenal might have gazumped them.

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.