Tottenham linked to Portuguese right back

The Portuguese sports news outfit Mais Futebol reports that Tottenham Hotspur will be meeting with the representatives of Sporting right back Miguel Lopes. Lopes has apparently been sent to practice separately from the team, and his future is unsettled. Lopes' agent Artur Fernandes revealed to the press that he has scheduled a meeting with Tottenham to see if they are interested in Lopes.

Miguel Lopes continua à procura de uma saída profissional para a próxima época, depois de ter sido colocado a trabalhar à parte do plantel do Sporting por não entrar nas contas de Marco Silva.

Nesse sentido, o empresário do jogador, Artur Fernandes, tem um encontro agendado com o Tottenham para a próxima terça-feira para discutir o interesse do clube inglês no jogador.

It is not clear from the story why Spurs would be interested in a 27-year-old right back who is not in Sporting's plans for the season.

It is clear, however, why Fernandes might be working to drum up interest in his client. Lopes' wages, Mais Futebol reports, are "prohibitively" high for most teams in the Primeira Liga. Sporting are looking, it appears, for anyone to take Lopes and his contract off their hands.

The article closes with the suggestion that Lopes could look for a loan or transfer to an Asian side. This seems a much more likely destination for him than Tottenham. But when Fernandes and Sporting enter into negotiations with that Asian club, they can cite a whole passel of reports in the media that big old Tottenham Hotspur are also in the running for Lopes, so you need to move fast if you want him.

This is a new kind of dubious rumor. I don't think Mais Futebol has made anything up. I am highly suspicious that its source, Artur Fernandes, has made up or massively exaggerated a link to Spurs as part of a campaign to get Lopes some sort of move out of Portugal.