Tottenham Hotspur are showing keen interest in signing Sunderland midfielder Daniel Neil, according to a report from Sunderland Nation.
The north London outfit are likely to face strong competition from Liverpool and Arsenal for the 22-year-old midfielder who is “technically gifted”.
Neil will help clubs satisfy their homegrown quote requirements, and as a result, there is a demand for him.
Sunderland Nation claims that Liverpool made an enquiry last summer, while Tottenham and Arsenal both watched the midfielder in person. Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon are also keen to sign him.
Neil is gradually developing as a quality player and has amassed over 130 appearances for the Black Cats already. It won’t be easy to lure him away from the Stadium of Lights.
Pressing needs
Spurs could be interested in signing a new defensive midfielder but it looks highly unlikely that they would move for Neil in the January window.
The north London club have been heavily linked with a move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. There have been suggestions that Spurs have been in talks with Chelsea over the signing of Gallagher, but as of now, there’s no progress on that front.
Neil will be a cheaper option than Gallagher but the Chelsea midfielder, on the other hand, will bring more experience and quality to the side.
However, signing a new midfielder in January is not their pressing need. Spurs are desperate to land a centre-back in January following injuries to several key players.
Cristian Romero is currently injured while Micky van de Ven remains a long-term absentee. Spurs have been linked with a host of defenders but it looks like they are focussing on signing Genoa defender Radu Dragusin.
Liverpool and Arsenal both could look to sign a new defensive midfielder, and whether they would make an effort to sign Neil remains to be seen. He has scored four goals and provided three assists in 25 games in the Championship this season.
He has a contract at the club until 2026 and may prefer to stay at Sunderland.
