Tottenham open striker talks for Argentine seen as Kane successor as Postecoglou greenlights £30m sale of Conte midfield favourite

Tottenham are reportedly ready to hijack Nottingham Forest’s move for an Argentine striker, while Ange Postecoglou has also greenlit an exit for a top midfielder.

Spurs are actively looking to bolster their attack as doubts over talisman Harry Kane’s long-term future continue to be the main focus of attention in north London.

Bayern Munich remain keen on striking a deal but are still some way off Daniel Levy’s valuation of the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.

And we’ve been told that Al Hilal are considering making a world record bid as they look to lure the England skipper to the Saudi Pro League.

Kane can quit north London on a free next summer, if he a fee cannot be agreed for his exit in the current window. To that end, it appears that Tottenham are looking to cover all their bases and are actively looking to bring in another central striker.

And, according to various sources, a deal for Rosario Central’s Alejo Veliz is close to being concluded.

The 19-year-old scored 11 goals and added an assist in 23 appearances in Argentine Primera Division last season. He’s also has made nine appearances for the Under-20 Argentina national team.

Spurs are expected to pay around £12million for the talented frontman, with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano confirming that while no agreement is yet in place the interest is ‘concrete’ and negotiations are ongoing for the Nottingham Forest target.

Veliz could be one of a glut of signings as the summer window draws to a close, with a deal for Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven finally close to completion.

Blackburn defender Ashley Phillips could also follow, although Rovers have upped their asking price for the talented stopper.

But while incomings are crucial to Postecoglou creating a team in his own image, there are still expected to be a number of exits too.

Tanguy Ndombele could be on his way to Turkey, while Davinson Sanchez is wanted by numerous clubs. But it’s a midfielder who was a key performer under Antonio Conte who could be the next man to leave after his sale was given the greenlight by the new Spurs chief.

READ MORE: A full list of every completed Premier League transfer in the 2023 summer transfer window

Hojbjerg exit gets Postecoglou thumbs up

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been a constant in the Tottenham engine room for the last three seasons and was one of their better players in a disastrous campaign last time around.

However, the Denmark international’s style of play does not fit in with how Postecoglou wants a new-look Spurs side to play.

That has led to talk of a switch to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, and it appears that move is now edging ever closer.

Levy initially wanted a fee in the region of £40m for the 28-year-old but has now dropped that figure closer to a more realistic £30m.

And while that figure still remains too high for Atletico, it’s thought that a compromise can be reached – especially with Tottenham seemingly closing in on a deal for Barcelona star Franck Kessie.

Hojbjerg has scored 10 goals in 145 games for Spurs and has become a hugely popular figure in north London.

However, Postecoglou wants more pace and dynamism from his engine room and clearly does not feel that the Dane offers either.

Tottenham are back in pre-season action on Sunday when they host Shakhtar Donetsk – one week before their Premier League opener at Brentford.

READ MORE: Man Utd star says yes to joining league champions, but proposed Tottenham move shelved as a result