Fabio Coentrao linked to Spurs in deal separate from Bale transfer

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly refused Fabio Coentrao as a makeweight in the negotiations over Gareth Bale's proposed transfer to Real Madrid, but at least one outlet thinks that Spurs are still interested in the left back. The Daily Star are reporting that Coentrao is set to seal a move to Spurs for £13m in a deal that is entirely separate from the Bale deal.

Of course, the Daily Star are pretty far down the reliability totem pole as far as English papers that cover transfers go, and it's not like the top of that totem pole is anything widely respected or always correct. This is still very much in the rumour stage -- and honestly, this is borderline #batcountry -- but the directness of the Star's language has led me to put it here. They're not saying that a bid is forthcoming, but rather that he is "set for White Hart Lane".

If anything comes of this, I'll be happy about it. Coentrao is 25 and it's possible that his best years are still ahead of him. Though he doesn't fit into Carlo Ancelotti's plans, he's a very good attacking left back who has put in some good shifts for Madrid. While he's a much better attacker than defender and much more a wingback than a fullback, he's certainly not deficient defensively. It's very likely that Coentrao will live up to his transfer fee and fit in well at Spurs.

Danny Rose or Benoit Assou-Ekotto will find their days numbered at Spurs if Coentrao (or a similar left back) is brought in, but good luck guessing which one.