Spurs Make Move for Mateta as Goretzka Door Swings Open

Tottenham's January shopping spree shows no signs of slowing down, with the Lilywhites reportedly moving for Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta while juggling interest in Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka.

It's been a campaign to forget for Spurs thus far. They're marooned in the lower reaches of the Premier League table, have already waved goodbye to their domestic cup ambitions, and while they did scrape through to the Champions League knockout stages as group runners-up, there's precious little to celebrate on the north London horizon. Yet somehow, they've managed to stay busy in the transfer window, having already secured Conor Gallagher and Souza.

Mateta, who's entering the final 18 months of his Palace contract, appears keen to engineer a move away from Selhurst Park, much like Marc Guehi did before him. Forest had seemingly stolen a march on the competition with a reported £35m bid—though Palace are holding out for £40m—but Spurs have now muscled in on the conversation. According to transfer specialist Nicolo Schira, the north Londoners have opened dialogue with Palace over the French striker.

Should Spurs land Mateta, the move would pave the way for Randal Kolo Muani's departure, Schira revealed on social media. Aston Villa and Juventus, who had previously been frontrunners for the 28-year-old, appear to have cooled their interest in recent days.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka is another name on Tottenham's radar. The midfielder's contract at the Allianz Arena expires this summer, and with Bayern accepting that his departure is a matter of when, not if, they're now open to letting him depart this month for a nominal fee rather than lose him on a free transfer. Atletico Madrid are reportedly pushing hard to wrap up a deal, but Spurs remain in the mix as they look to bolster their midfield options.

According to reports from Spain, Bayern have essentially conceded that Goretzka won't pull on their colours again, with the German side preferring a modest winter payday to watching him walk away for nothing come summer. Atletico and Tottenham are understood to be the leading contenders for his signature.