This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

According to a new exclusive report coming from talkSPORT, Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on Schalke's 23-year-old goalkeeper, Alexander Nubel.

But the Germans should make sure their talent doesn't leave the club just yet.

What's the word, then?

It seems that Jose Mourinho wants a new goalkeeper in his squad and Nubel, Schalke's young, up and coming talent, certainly looks like a juicy target for them.

This is reinforced even more with the fact that they are in serious need of another reliable man between the sticks. Hugo Lloris has been struggling with injuries and while Paulo Gazzaniga has held his own between the sticks, he simply hasn't been as good as they would have hoped, as was explained by talkSPORT in the same report.

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Nubel, although young and very much at the beginning of his career, is already captaining his club but could be on his way out seeing how he hasn't signed a new contract and his current one is slowly but surely running out.

And even though it makes sense for Mourinho to snatch the youngster away, for Schalke it could be disastrous.

An important piece

Needless to say, losing the captain of the ship is never really a good thing.

Schalke have been sturdy this season, having conceded just 15 goals in 12 games with Nubel between the sticks, and the 23-year-old has been a key figure in this development.

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Kevin Hatchard showered him with praise when talking to talkSPORT:

"He is the captain of Schalke and a goalkeeper in his early 20s. He is a very good goalkeeper with a [Manuel] Neuer vibe about him. He’s good with his feet, commanding, and he’s got a bit of arrogance about him which I don’t think is a terrible thing."

Losing him now would definitely be a hugely disappointing blow for the club to take.

Schalke are currently sitting in fifth in the table, level with the team above them and just two points off second-placed Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.

And while it's difficult actually seeing them fully contest for the crown, Nubel could play a key part in them making a mark on the Bundesliga this season already.

TalkSPORT don't make it clear when would Spurs be hoping to snatch him away but either way, the time is not right for him to leave just yet whichever way you look at it.

They'd be wise to make his contract juicier and convince the young goalie to stay.

Meanwhile, many Spurs fans haven't really been impressed with the club's recent links with a young defender already plying his trade in England.