Soccer

Tottenham’s move for Paulo Dybala is off

Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani Lo Celso are set to undergo medicals at the club on Thursday

Paulo Dybala, Ryan Sessegnon and Giovanni Lo Celso may all join Tottenham on transfer deadline day. Photo: Getty Images

Marcus Christenson
Fabrizio Romano
Thu Aug 8 2019 - 08:18

Tottenham’s move to sign Paulo Dybala has broken down after the two parties failed to agree a deal over the player’s image rights. Spurs had been hopeful of finding an agreement with the player’s representatives on Thursday but the potential move was called off after a long meeting.

Spurs had agreed personal terms with the player and were close to finding a deal with Juventus but the issue of the image rights proved too difficult to solve. Juventus were keen to sell the player to ease their wage bill but he will now stay and fight for a place in Maurizio Sarri’s first XI.

Manchester United had been interested in signing the 25-year-old as well but that move also failed to materialise largely because of the image rights issue.

In better news for Tottenham they have agreed fees for Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani Lo Celso, £25m (€27m) and £55.3m (€60m) with Fulham and Real Betis respectively, and the two players were having their medicals on Thursday.

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The deals for Sessegnon and Lo Celso, the latter being an initial loan for one season as well, are far more straight-forward. Spurs have agreed an initial fee of £25m (€27m) for Sessegnon. The 19-year-old England Under-21 left-back is due to have a medical at Spurs on Thursday with a view to complete a deal that, with add-ons, could reach £30m (€32.5m).

The Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino, is a long-standing admirer of Sessegnon. The defender, who can also play further up the field, made his first team debut for Fulham aged 16 years and 81 days in 2016 and was outstanding as the club were promoted to the Premier League in 2018.

Last season was a difficult one for player and club as they were relegated and had three managers, Slavisa Jokanovic, Claudio Ranieri and Scott Parker, during the season. Sessegnon made 35 Premier League appearances, scoring two goals.

It is expected that the Tottenham midfielder Josh Onomah will join Fulham as part of the deal.

Tottenham also expect to seal the signing of Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis for €60m with the Argentina midfielder also set for a medical at the club’s training ground on Thursday.

The fee for the former Paris Saint-Germain player would match the amount Tottenham paid for Tanguy Ndombele at the start of July, with Pochettino having urged his chairman, Daniel Levy, to back him in the transfer market having reached the Champions League final last season. – Guardian