Tottenham Hotspur eyeing cut-price deal after former Chelsea man opens up transfer opportunity

Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on AC Milan forward Noah Okafor after being alerted that he may be available for transfer in January.

Milan Live write that Okafor looks set to lose his place to former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who made the move to San Siro on loan from Roma on transfer deadline day.

That could make Okafor surplus to requirements with immediate effect, and it’s claimed that Spurs are eyeing the forward with a view to a January transfer.

Tottenham are said to be willing to put forward a deal worth €20m (£16.9m) plus add-ons for the Swiss international – and Milan are said to be likely to accept such a bid.

Okafor joined Milan from Red Bull Salzburg last summer and alternated between playing on the wings and at centre-forward, but was not able to establish himself as a regular in either position in an injury-hit campaign.

The 24 year old found himself unable to nail down a  first-team place even before he was ruled out with a hamstring issue in November, with the bulk of Okafor’s appearances coming from the bench.

Okafor made a goalscoring return to action the week before Christmas, playing 13 minutes as a substitute against Monza, but was then sidelined again for another four weeks.

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Although his six goals in 28 appearances doesn’t look overly impressive on its face, those goals came in just 871 minutes of Serie A action – representing a goal every 146 minutes.

That’s better than anyone in the Spurs squad managed last season bar Richarlison (11 in 1,493 minutes, or one every 136 minutes) and the little-seen Alejo Veliz (a statistically insignificant one in 45 minutes, for a strike rate of, erm, one every 45 minutes).

Okafor was included in Switzerland’s squad for Euro 2024, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing on penalties to England – but played no part in the tournament having been an unused substitute throughout.

Tottenham have made the most mixed possible start to the new Premier League season with one win, one draw and one defeat from their three games to date.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will host North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.