Tottenham to rival Man Utd and Liverpool for £39m player who is 'top' of Erik ten Hag's shopping list

Tottenham are reportedly set to join Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool in the race for one player who is 'top' of Erik ten Hag's shopping list.

Spurs have experienced a drop-off in form in recent weeks, having suffered three consecutive Premier League defeats to Chelsea, Wolves and Aston Villa.

A flurry of injuries have not helped the north London side, with Micky van de Ven currently sidelined until next year with a thigh problem. While Cristian Romero is serving a suspension.

As a result, manager Ange Postecoglou was forced to play full-backs Emerson Royal and Ben Davies as centre-backs during their 2-1 defeat to Villa, leaving the club in desperate need of reinforcements.

Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo has been identified as a potential solution, with the January transfer window fast approaching, according to the Evening Standard.

The 23-year-old has impressed in France and helped his side challenge Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1.

The report adds that he could be available for £39 million, but there is expected to be plenty of interest in the France international, with both Liverpool and Manchester United thought to be interested.

The Red Devils may have an advantage due to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who currently owns Nice and is expected to take on the sporting director role at Old Trafford in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Todibo is thought to be "top of United's shopping list" claims journalist Dean Jones.

He told Give Me Sport: "If there is one transfer to look towards then I do think Todibo would be at the top of United’s shopping list but it’ll be interesting to see how that sort of deal comes out in the wash when you consider that Jim Ratcliffe has fingers in both pies.

"There’s nothing stopping it legally - as things stand - but as a first transfer, to move a top player from your French club to your English club, may look a little odd. But it’s true United have identified him as a player that could really help transform their defensive future and when you consider how things are looking for Raphael Varane then there has to be an eye on recruitment in that area.

"We’ve seen plenty of players turn around their situations at United so maybe he can too, but at this moment he’s not happy and will be hoping he gets some interest that really motivates him to move and in turn he’ll hope United agree to sell."

Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United, Football, Transfers, Erik Ten Hag, Nice, Ligue 1

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno