Transfer gossip: Tottenham to make opening bid for dominant midfielder; Liverpool handed huge lift in chase for Ligue 1 sensation

Tottenham are ready to make an opening bid for Sporting midfielder Joao Palhinha, while Friday’s transfer gossip claims that Liverpool have been handed a big lift in their chase for Monaco man Aurelien Tchouameni.

Tottenham are still considered one of the favourites to land Sporting midfielder Joao Palhinha this summer and are ready to make an opening bid for the player.

Antonio Conte is the market for a new central midfielder, with Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso all set to move on.

And according to Jornal de Notícias, Spurs are ‘preparing an initial offer’ for the Portugal international.

There is strong competition for the player though. Manchester United are known admirers, while Wolves are also in the running for his signature.

Sporting are looking to cash in on Palhinha this summer but the 26-year-old will not come cheap. Indeed, the Portuguese outfit are wanting around £25million for his services.

The player actually has a release clause of £51m but Sporting know that is unrealistic.

To that end they are hoping that a bidding war ensues between Premier League clubs to drive the price up.

Palhinha’s potential arrival at Tottenham could see fan favourite Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg move.

The Dane has surprisingly been tipped to leave the club this summer, with Palhinha viewed as a direct replacement.

The Portugal star is a destructive player but gets around the pitch quicker than Hojbjerg, which is what Conte wants.

Liverpool have been handed a boost to their chances of signing Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, according to Football Insider.

Reds’ sporting director Julian Ward is already compiling a list of summer transfer targets, with Tchouameni believed to be at the top.

The report states that