Palace want replacement lined up before sale

Spurs extend contract of captain Cristiano Romero

Tottenham have stepped up their pursuit of Eberechi Eze by holding further talks regarding signing the England forward, but Crystal Palace want to line up a replacement before sanctioning his sale.

Spurs, who confirmed contract extensions for their new captain, Cristian Romero, on Monday, are longstanding admirers of Eze, having made a move for him last summer. They are even keener to get him now that James Maddison is out with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Dejan Kulusevski, another of the club’s key attacking midfielders, is out with a knee problem.

Eze is represented by the influential CAA Base agency, which has close links to Spurs, and he is open to the transfer. The 27-year-old forward has also been tracked by Arsenal, the club he supported as a boy and played for during his formative years.