Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has knocked back claims that Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham Hotspur had submitted a double bid for key Leicester duo James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
Postecoglou is quickly getting to work with Tottenham and reports yesterday suggested the North London club were ready to splash £50million on the key duo.
Romano though has issued an update suggesting the reports are wide of the mark. He explained on Twitter: "Understand Tottenham have not sent any official proposal for Harvey Barnes and James Maddison — would make no sense to submit joint bid for £50m, no chance.
"Spurs are working on both Maddison and Barnes deal but reports of bid are described as ‘wide of mark’."
With Leicester relegated from the Premier League and the pair contributing 23 goals and 10 assists over the course of the season, they are very much in demand.
Newcastle, Aston Villa and West Ham are also said to be interested.
Meanwhile, Celtic appear close to securing the services of Brendan Rodgers for a second time after pushing the boat out to bring their former manager back as Ange Postecoglou’s successor.
The Hoops have been on the hunt for a new boss since the Australian sealed his move to Tottenham last Tuesday.
After being linked with Manchester City assistant Enzo Maresca, Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen and West Ham manager David Moyes, among others, the Celtic board have now homed in on Rodgers, with whom they met in Majorca last weekend to initiate discussions.
The Northern Irishman left Celtic to take over at Leicester almost four and a half years ago, but he now appears set for a return to the club at which he won all seven domestic trophies available to him while laying the foundations for a remarkable quadruple-treble that was completed by his successor Neil Lennon.
odgers – who has also been linked with the Leeds vacancy – was barely backable with bookmakers to become the next Celtic manager on Wednesday, available at just 1/14 with Sky Bet at 6pm, amid suggestions that talks are firmly at the “advanced” stage.
The 50-year-old has reportedly been offered a salary that eclipses what he earned in his previous stint at Celtic as the Scottish champions – fresh from sealing their latest domestic treble – attempt to build on the impressive work carried out by Postecoglou over the past two years.
