Fabio Paratici ‘prepares offer’ for Tottenham transfer target after Pau Torres rejection

In pictures: Tottenham v Man City

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Tottenham’s director of football, Fabio Paratici, is preparing to venture back out into the market for a centre-back after suffering two demoralising rejections. Granada’s Domingos Duarte is the latest target for the north London side, and the fact he would likely be available as a cheaper option could hint at future plans to go big on a striker.

Squad depth at centre-back has been a high priority for Nuno Espirito Santo since taking the reigns in north London, although his quest has been a mixed bag so far.

Both Jules Kounde and Pau Torres supposedly rejected the chance to move to Spurs, despite both of their clubs accepting bids.

With a lack of Champions League football posing an obstacle in completing their more ambitious signings, Duarte is a player who may be more attracted to the prospect of playing for a club in transition.

Nuno already has the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero to call on at centre-back, so spending big on another centre-half is not necessarily on the agenda.

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According to Spanish outlet IDEAL, Spurs are preparing a modest opening bid of around £8.5million, well short of the player’s £25m release clause at Granada.

With a contract not due to expire until 2023, the club are under no immediate pressure to sell, so Paratici may have to table a more tempting offer to get the job done.

The 26-year-old has been virtually ever-present for the La Liga side over the past two seasons, although they conceded by far and away the most goals in the division last campaign.

Nevertheless, Duarte has made two appearances for the Portuguese national team, which is presumably why Nuno is so familiar with his talents.

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Nuno meanwhile admitted that the ‘feel good factor’ from his side’s opening weekend victory over Manchester City was lost after their embarrassing defeat in Thursday night’s UEFA Conference League qualifier.

After giving many of their new recruits the chance to strut their stuff at Pacos de Ferreira’s 9,000-seater stadium, Spurs stumbled to a humbling 1-0 loss.

Both of their opening matches have been played without their talisman, Harry Kane, who is still short of match fitness after returning late for pre-season training.

The England captain is still heavily linked with a lucrative move to Manchester City, and the Blues are expected to push hard until deadline day to try and drag a deal over the line. 

While losing last season’s top scorer would naturally come as a bitter blow for Spurs, they have also been linked with Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic, who could come in to replace the 28-year-old.

Whether that deal progresses to the next level remains to be seen, but Nuno and Paratici have had an active summer since settling into their roles at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Three significant signings have been made so far, while Duarte and Vlahovic could take the total to five if Spurs get busy between now and the end of the month.

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