Tottenham Hotspur have plans to finalise a transfer for Udinese wing-back Destiny Udogie by next week, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter.
Tottenham opened negotiations for Udogie earlier this week (Fabrizio Romano), with both Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici said to be fans of the defender’s qualities. Romano has now revealed that Spurs have scheduled a new meeting with the Serie A outfit as they try to reach a full agreement and strike a deal.
Udinese left Udogie out of their squad for their Coppa Italia clash against Feralpisalo on Friday amid rumours of the potential move to Tottenham. However, the wing-back is expected to stay with Udinese for the 2022/23 season on loan, after which he will move to N17 in the summer of 2023.
Calcio Mercato reported that Juventus, Inter Milan, Lazio, Man City and Brighton were also interested in the 19-year-old, but is keen to work under Antonio Conte. Both Calcio Mercato and Gianluca Di Marzio have reported that the fee agreed between Tottenham and Udinese is around €25m (£20.9m).
Romano has since later today claimed that Udogie has agreed personal terms with Spurs.
Full agreement on personal terms between Destiny Udogie, his agents and Tottenham, five year contract. Deal expected to be completed next week with Udinese. ⚪️🤝 #THFC
Paratici and Conte want Udogie as part of future project, so he could be loaned back to Udinese. pic.twitter.com/NgXXXGMITN
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 6, 2022
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Udogie was a regular for his side in the previous campaign, having made 37 appearances across all competitions. He also has racked up a tally of five goals and three assists during that period (Transfermarkt) which is quite an impressive feat for someone who is taking his initial steps in senior football.
The Italian youngster is touted to be one of the biggest talents of this generation in Italy, perhaps even being in line to break into Roberto Mancini’s plans for the future. Signing him now before he makes a name for himself is a wise choice as we would not have to deal with increased attention moving forward.
At the same time, securing Udogie’s signature right now would ensure that we would not be paying an increased fee in the future should he continue to develop in this trajectory. The 19-year-old has played as a left-sided wing-back for his side in the 2021-22 campaign, making him ideal for Conte’s system.
Since we already have Ivan Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon as options in that position, loaning back Udogie would be the right choice as his progression would be halted should he stay with us. Remaining in the Italian top flight would ensure that he can continue his development in a surrounding that he is already used to in the upcoming season.
