Tottenham will compete with Newcastle United to recruit outstanding RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan this summer, according to sources.
Ange Postecoglou is looking to add more defensive reinforcements to his squad after signing Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin this season.
Van de Ven, in particular, has proven to be an invaluable asset. He’s made 20 Premier League appearances and helped Spurs keep five clean sheets.
The 22-year-old also scored an excellent goal against Nottingham Forest on Sunday and appears to be getting better with each game.
Van de Ven is statistically the quickest player in Premier League history, clocking 37.38 km/h in a February encounter.
It appears that Postecoglou is trying to bring in another quick defender from the Bundesliga to partner Van de Ven.
According to Sky Germany writer Philipp Hinze, Tottenham and Newcastle are both ‘interested’ in bringing Simakan to England.
Hinze writes on X that Simakan is ‘open’ to leave RB Leipzig, but his large release clause may pose a barrier for potential bidders.
“There is a release clause in Mohamed Simakan’s contract! Valid from this summer. Value: In the region of €70m (£59.9m)!” Hinze wrote.
“Simakan is open and ready for a transfer, the Premier League appeals to him. But: Would only leave if he can take the next step.
“Tottenham and Newcastle are interested. RB Leipzig are relaxed and in a very good position due to the high sum, however.”
Simakan, 23, signed for Leipzig from Strasbourg in 2021 and has now established himself as one of the German club’s most important players.
The French centre-back, who can also play right-back, has made 37 appearances in all competitions this season, helping Leipzig keep nine clean sheets. He has also scored two goals.
According to Speedsdb, Simakan faster than Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk and Tottenham’s Timo Werner, having recorded a high speed of 22.06 mph vs Werner’s 20.75 mph.
With that in mind, Simakan might be Van de Ven’s ideal defensive partner, providing backup for Pedro Porro and Emerson Royal at right-back.
Newcastle are also interested in the RB Leipzig star.
Injuries to Sven Botman and, more recently, Jamal Lascelles have exposed Newcastle’s lack of centre-back cover.
Eddie Howe has made recruiting a new centre-back one of his top goals for the summer transfer window, and the Magpies have a few fascinating options on their wishlist.
Newcastle recruitment chiefs, for example, are huge fan of Juventus youngster Dean Huijsen, but they will face stiff competition from Manchester United and Liverpool for his signing.
Simakan has emerged as a fascinating option to Huijsen, and it will be interesting to see if they can outperform Tottenham in the race.
As previously stated, Simakan’s contract has a €70 million (£59.9 million) release clause, so it would be intriguing to see whether the Premier League duo can persuade Leipzig to trade him for anything less.
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