Tottenham make contact to sign £80m Chelsea target as Eberechi Eze alternative

Tottenham have made an approach to sign Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers as they scramble for alternatives to Eberechi Eze, according to reports.

Spurs appeared to be closing in on a deal to sign Eze from Crystal Palace before their bid was hijacked at the 11th hour by bitter rivals Arsenal.

An injury to Kai Havertz saw the Gunners revive their long-standing interest in Eze on Wednesday, with a deal and personal terms agreed just a matter of hours later.

The remarkable developments are undoubtedly a hammer blow for Spurs, who were ready to make the 27-year-old their marquee summer signing for Thomas Frank.

The north London club were already dealt a similar setback earlier in the summer when Morgan Gibbs-White turned his back on a move to north London and instead signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

But Daniel Levy and Co. must now scramble for replacements as they look to provide Tottenham with vital added depth in the attacking midfield department.

And according to The Independent, Spurs have now turned their attention to Rogers, who has emerged as one of the most impressive young talents in the Premier League since his move from Middlesbrough in January 2024.

The report adds that Tottenham have already made contact with intermediaries to assess whether a deal could be possible in the final days of the transfer window.

However, Spurs would likely have to pay a fee far in excess of the £60m they were set to pay to sign Eze.

Having let Jacob Ramsey depart to Newcastle for £40million, Villa are in no need to sell such a key player and are expected to demand as much as £80m for Rogers.

The versatile 23-year-old can play across the midfield line and registered 18 goal contributions for Unai Emery’s side in the league last season.

Rogers signed a new contract in November last year, which does not expire until the summer of 2030, and is also highly thought of by Chelsea, who have been linked with a move should their pursuit of Xavi Simons prove unsuccessful.

Elsewhere, Tottenham have also been linked with a move for Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, while a bid for Manchester City winger Savinho also remains a possibility.

Speaking before Spurs’ opening game of the season against Burnley, Frank said: ‘We are looking of course in the market.

‘Not only for 10 position but just to see if we can strengthen the squad. The players we are looking [at] are only players we think can improve the squad.

‘That’s the right thing we want to do. If we can pick the right player and it fits, then we will do something.’

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