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Football FanCast's News articles summarise the biggest stories in world football, based on information from other sources.
Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to sign Juventus striker Paulo Dybala on transfer deadline day, per The Athletic correspondent Jack Pitt-Brooke.
What’s the word?
Sources have confirmed to Football FanCast that Spurs have been interested in signing the Argentina international throughout the transfer window.
Hopes of a deal were raised over the past 48 hours, with sources confirming that the north London club were attempting to strike a deal prior to Thursday’s 5pm deadline.
Pitt-Brooke, though, who covers Spurs for The Athletic, reports that the deal is unlikely to beat the clock, with Dybala’s image rights proving too big a hurdle to overcome.
Indeed, the Star Image Company currently owns the forward’s rights, and a fee will be needed for Spurs to buy them.
He said in a Q&A on the website (August 8, 13:04): “I'm afraid the word from Turin on Paolo Dybala's proposed move to Tottenham is increasingly pessimistic. Both clubs would love to do this deal but they just do not have enough time to unpick the image rights issue.
“There are too many people to deal with, and not enough time to do it. I don't expect it to be suddenly revived in the next four hours either.
“Spurs fans will have to be happy with (Ryan) Sessegnon and (Giovani) Lo Celso.”
Excitement comes to nothing
A deal for Dybala would probably have been Spurs’ best of recent transfer deadline days.
They have secured the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Moussa Sissoko and Lucas Moura on the final day of the window in previous months and years.
But a swoop for the Juve star would have knocked all of those down a rung on the ladder.
A genuinely elite forward who has scored 78 goals in 182 senior outings for Juve, Dybala would have added zip and flair to a forward line that could do with reinforcing.
As Pitt-Brooke says, the supporters will have to be happy with the acquisitions of Lo Celso and Sessegnon.
Sources say that both deals are progressing and should be announced prior to the 5pm deadline, barring any late hitches.
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