Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Palmeiras centre-forward Flaco Lopez over a possible summer move, according to Brazilian journalist Diego Firmino, as relayed by Sport Witness.
The 25-year-old has plied his trade in South America his entire career, first developing with Independiente before joining Lanús, where he rose through the ranks.
His attacking output in Argentina for Lanús, where he netted 22 goals and provided five assists, caught the attention of Palmeiras, who secured his transfer in the summer of 2022.
Since he arrived at Allianz Parque, he has been one of the standout forwards not just in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A but also across the South American league, having played a pivotal role in Palmeiras’ CONMEBOL Libertadores final run, where they lost to Flamengo.
In 190 games for the Verdão, Lopez has netted 62 goals and provided 18 assists across all competitions and has begun the ongoing season in prolific form with eight goal contributions for Abel Ferreira’s side, with his goalscoring form now attracting interest from clubs in England.
According to Diego Firmino via Sport Witness, Tottenham have set their sights on Lopez for a possible move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to reinforce their attack next summer.
Amid interest from Spurs, the report adds that Palmeiras, who owns 70% of the 6ft 2in forward’s rights, are demanding an offer of £34-39m to sanction his departure after the World Cup.
Prolific forward
However, the North London club face stern competition from Premier League local rivals Fulham and West Ham United for the Argentine international’s signature, while LaLiga side Atletico Madrid have also expressed interest in the 25-year-old, as per the report.
Tottenham were among the most active sides in the last summer transfer window, reinforcing their attack with Randal Kolo Muani, while Mathys Tel’s initial loan move from Bayern Munich was made permanent.
At the same time, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke were already existing options at the club, making it four centre-forwards this campaign.
However, after 27 Premier League games, the quartet can only account for 12 Premier League goals, with Richarlison shouldering a bulk of that with seven goals.
In recent weeks, speculation has grown over the Brazilian’s future at N17, while Kolo-Muani and Tel were heavily linked with departures in January.
It’s increasingly likely that at least one of the forward options will depart the club next summer, and Lopez would be a viable option to step in to compete with Solanke next season.
