BBC: Spurs to bid for Ryan Sessegnon, who wants move to White Hart Lane

The summer transfer window is officially open as of May 16.

Tottenham still have one very big game on their schedule, but they can’t afford to fall behind on transfer business for next season. Luckily, after more than a year without spending, they seem to have one player lined up as an early purchase.

According to the BBC’s reliable reporter David Ornstein, Spurs are set to bid for Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon, who apparently wants a transfer to North London.

Spurs are fond of Ryan Sessegnon and the feeling is mutual. He would have stayed at Fulham if they had stayed up, but now they’re resigned to his exit. They can’t afford to lose Sessegnon for nothing next summer - if he went abroad they’d only get half a million pounds in compensation and if it was a Premier League club it would go to a tribunal.

Tottenham are yet to make an offer but the sense is that a bid is incoming and it would then be down to the clubs to agree a fee. They envisage Sessegnon initially playing on the left wing before dropping to left-back long term.

There has also been strong interest in Sessegnon from Manchester United, PSG, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. Chelsea, too, but their transfer ban and the West London rivalry rules that out.

This transfer has been rumored for a while, but Sessegnon was a big part of Fulham’s promotion to the Premier League last year and ultimately wanted to stay at the club. Now that they have been relegated, his exit seems certain as he is too good a player for the Championship.

Sessegnon is 18-years-old for a couple more days. He’ll turn 19 on May 18th, so he’s still a very young player with a lot of potential to fulfill.

This season at Fulham was not his best. In 35 Premier League appearances he managed six assists and two goals playing primarily as a forward, but his stats and performances were definitely affected by a team around him that was not up to snuff.

The England international’s versatility is one of his main selling points. Ornstein says Spurs see him playing as a left-back long term, but he should be relatively comfortable playing on the left wing too. His defensive skills will have to improve a bit if his future is really at left-back.

Chelsea’s transfer ban gets rid of the other main threat to buy Sessegnon. He has lived his whole life in London, and apparently favors a move that keeps him in the capital.

No one likes to count their chickens before they hatch, but this seems like the transfer that will start off Spurs’ summer of actually spending money on new players.