After Arsenal cooled off their interest in Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila, London rivals Tottenham have emerged as strong contenders to lure him to the Premier League.
Arsenal were favorites to sign the highly rated French midfielder this summer but after prolonged speculation, they have decided to stop pursuing him. M’Vila was touted as the top transfer target for the Gunners ahead of the next season but the youngster’s disciplinary history has raised enough doubts in the Arsenal camp to put the deal off. M’Vila was involved in a brawl with former French coach Laurent Blanc after their disappointing exit from the Euros and had to be reprimanded by the French FA.
Tottenham have meanwhile, shown interest in the Rennes star and could be poised for a move as they continue to seek replacement for Luka Modric. Spurs, who missed out on Champions League qualification narrowly last term, have appointed Andre Villas Boas as their new manager and want to consolidate their squad before the new season commences. They are willing to offer the Ligue 1 club a fee of around £9.5m although Rennes value the player at £12m.
Inter Milan were also believed to be interested in M’Vila and the French side are confident that Spurs’ interest will rekindle Inter’s and help them get a better offer for the highly talented midfielder.