Tottenham closing in on cut-price deal for Metz's Pape Matar Sarr
By Tom Gott
Tottenham are close to striking a deal for Metz midfield starlet Pape Matar Sarr, who has been tracked by most of the Premier League's elite.
After joining from the Generation Foot academy in Senegal last summer, Sarr quickly established himself as one of Ligue 1's brightest young prospects last season, making 25 appearances in all competitions and helping Metz to a mid-table finish.
His form quickly caught the eye of Europe's biggest sides, with a number of reports suggesting Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea were all pursuing a deal worth close to the €30m mark, but according to RMC Sport's Joris Crolbois, it's Spurs who have snuck in to get a deal done.
The belief is that the 18-year-old's transfer to Spurs is 'almost completed', and surprisingly, the fee being mentioned is only €15m (£12.8m).
As the story goes, Metz were reluctant to offload Sarr this summer and were prepared to demand a huge fee for his services, but after a meeting with the DNCG (the organisation responsible for monitoring the finances of French clubs), Metz have realised that they need to make an urgent sale.
It's for that reason that Spurs have been able to strike a deal, which is believed to be worth an initial £8.5m with a further £4.3m coming in add-ons.
Should that price tag prove to be correct, there will likely be plenty of late interest in the teenager, but it seems as though Fabio Paratici has moved quickly to try and force his way to the front of the queue for Sarr's signature.
A versatile midfielder, Sarr spent most of last season operating at the base of Metz's midfield but spent time in both central and advanced roles over the course of the campaign.
He ended his debut campaign in France with four goals from 25 appearances, quickly becoming a fan favourite in the process.