"?Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in a battle with FC Barcelona to sign Lille OSC's highly rated attacking midfielder Sofiane Boufal, writes the "?Evening Standard.
Boufal's agent has confirmed that the Spanish champions are also interested in signing Spurs' target, a player who has been on the North London clubs' radar since October 2015.
At 22-years-old, Boufal has found himself compared with former Lille midfielder, Eden Hazard. Taking the ball in crowded areas of the pitch has been earmarked as one of Boufal's best attributes, playing in a similar vain to the Belgium midfielder.
It is the sort of playing style that both Tottenham and Barcelona expect of their team, unsurprisingly making him a potential candidate for both suitors.
Boufal's representative Yvan Le Mee has confirmed that he met with the Nou Camp hierarchy over a potential move when speaking to Le10 Sport, stating that "there was an interest" from the Spanish side.
Barcelona are after another Spurs target as Sofiane Boufal's agent confirms talks #THFC #FCB https://t.co/la5nr6O7WD
However Tottenham may still secure the signature of the Moroccan, with Mee saying that Boufal must now reflect on whether to "compete with Messi, Suarez and Neymar or go to a club where he is going to start matches and express his exceptional talent".
Having signed for Lille in 2015, Boufal has gone on to make 43 league appearances in his year-and-a-half at the French club, scoring 14 goals in the process. The young talent is not scared of the physical side of the game having seen red twice in the 2015-16 season.
The battle that is to ensue between Spurs and the Catalan giants won't be the first time the two clubs have clashed.
French defender Samuel Umtiti was listed as a key target for both, however the Evening Standard writes that reports in Spain suggest the 22-year-old is close to agreeing terms with the Spanish side. Although no deal is expected to be announced until France's Euro 2016 campaign has concluded.
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