Tottenham Hotspur are following RB Salzburg starlet Roko Simic, but face a battle with a European heavyweight in the race to sign him.
What’s the story?
Ranked 36th in GOAL’s NXGN 2022 list which features the top fifty wonderkids around the world, the 18-year-old has seemingly caught the eye of some of the big clubs across Europe.
According to them, Antonio Conte’s side are joined by the likes of Real Madrid and Arsenal as teams who are tracking the teenager ahead of a potential move, despite seeing him sign a new four-year deal at Salzburg following his breakthrough into the first-team.
Conte would love him
One of the big issues that has continued to plague Spurs for a number of years now, is of course the lack of depth behind Harry Kane up front.
An injury to the England international would be Conte’s and the Lilywhites’ worst nightmare, and it’s exactly why a swoop for the talented Simic would represent a fine addition to this squad.
Despite only being 18, Simic has earned some rave reviews for his performances, with former Croatia and Everton striker Nikica Jelavic, saying: “Roko is certainly one of the greatest talents in Croatian football! That’s for sure, he’s a young and decent guy, brilliantly brought up and he’s a real rough diamond.
“He is gaining experience, I played with him and as one of the older players, we helped him along. Everyone knows who he is because of his famous father, but that’s a burden that will shortly be off his back because he’s good enough to write his own story. I am convinced that Roko will make a great career and that he will be a world-class striker, I really haven’t seen a more talented player than Roko for a long time.”
Indeed, a player profile done by GOAL likened him to Erling Haaland and Dusan Vlahovic, and read: “Red Bull Salzburg’s conveyor belt of attacking talent is showing no signs of slowing, with Roko Simic set to be one of the latest strikers to emerge at the Austrian champions.
“The son of Croatia legend Dario Simic, the 18-year-old joined Salzburg for €4m in the summer of 2021 having become the youngest scorer in Lokomotiva Zagreb history the previous season.”
This year has seen him take his game to a new level, bagging 17 goals in 26 games across all competitions, including five in seven in the UEFA Youth League, the Champions League equivalent for the U21s.
Bringing in someone of Simic’s considerable talent and potential would surely leave Conte delighted.
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