Tottenham transfer round-up: Spurs ready to sell trio to hand Antonio Conte warchest

Daniel Levy is having to find new ways to squeeze every penny out of his sales in a bid to show Spurs can match the ambitions of Antonio Conte.

In the past, the Tottenham chairman has been the master of the deadline deal. But with the club needing to maximise the profit from a number of surplus stars before they can think about spending, Levy is having to focus first on exits.

Not least because he does not know whether or not there will be a Champions League budget or not.

The club is carrying a heavy coronavirus burden and has the stadium to pay for, but every penny Levy can put into the coffers will take Conte one step nearer the size of overhaul he envisages.

So if he is to persuade Antonio Conte the club matches his ambitions, Levy needs to be able to prevent the war chest as full - and as early - as possible.

His most immediate priority is striking a deal for Giovanni Lo Celso which could set the tone for the whole window.

Reports in Spain say Conte has decided already he is not up to the rigours of Premier League football, while his first La Liga goal at the weekend coupled with his part in taking Villarreal to the sem-finals of the Champions League suggest he is the ideal fit for Unai Emery.

However, no fee was set as part of the loan deal, and Levy will have to fight hard to squeeze the £42.7m he wants out of the Spanish club’s budget.

Even with their recent success, the Yellow Submarine have no appetite for that so Levy’s best hope is to try to drive a bidding war even though Lo Celso has made no secret of how happy he is at Villarreal.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is another “oven-ready” deal to be struck after Newcastle expressed an interest in the player Spurs signed from Southampton for £15m in 2020.

But while