SPURS UP THE ANTE TO BRING IN PORRO

NEW TALKS WITH SPORTING TODAY

TOTTENHAM are finally closing in on their top January target Pedro Porro, after being frustrated in negotiations for the Sporting Lisbon full-back.

Talks have dragged on for most of the month, with the clubs set to resume negotiations today.

Having had at least one bid rejected, Spurs have indicated a willingness to meet Porro’s £39.6million release clause and believe Sporting are now dragging out negotiations. The structure of payments is still thought to be on the table, however.

The Portuguese side face rivals Porto in the country’s League Cup Final on Saturday, which may be a factor in their determination not to lose Porro before the weekend. Sporting are also keen to line up a replacement this month, and have made an approach for Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey on loan.

Spurs had offered Sporting players in part-exchange for Porro and tried to reduce their 40 per cent sell-on fee for Marcus Edwards, their former academy graduate who now plays for the Primera Liga club, as part of a deal.

Despite the back and forth, there is now confidence that the 23-year-old Spaniard (below) will become Spurs’s second January signing, following the capture of Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma on loan yesterday.

Antonio Conte has long wanted an upgrade at right wing-back, where Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal have both underwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Brentford have failed in a loan bid for Spurs wing-back Djed Spence, because they wanted to include a purchase obligation in the deal.

Porro’s likely arrival has prompted Spurs to give the green light for Spence to leave on loan until the end of the season, but they will insist that any deal does not include an option or obligation to buy the England Under-21 international. Southampton, Leicester and Lyon are also interested in Spence, who has been restricted to just four substitute appearances in the Premier League since joining from Middlesbrough in the summer.