Premier League rivals join race for 27-year-old defender linked with Newcastle United move

In every transfer window it feels like there's a club who are copying Newcastle United's homework at seem to be mentioned as interested in the same players as us.

Recently it has been Chelsea who were mentioned in every transfer report involving Newcastle, to the point where we were expecting them to bid against us for their own players such is their desire to ensure they own all the players in the world.

This time, however, it's Tottenham Hotspur who are looking over our shoulder and taking down the names on our list and then trying to beat us to the signings.

Spurs were named as potential contenders for the signature of Abduokir Khusanov as both clubs look to add defensive numbers, and they were even said to be keen, along with Newcastle, on Jack Grealish - although we found that entire thing laughable.

Newcastle and Spurs are to compete for the signature of Fikayo Tomori

Now, Graeme Bailey has told The Boot Room that Spurs are now set to rival Newcastle in a bid for AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori.

Newcastle were linked with Tomori in the summer but the former Chelsea man had no intention of moving to Newcastle feeling like it wasn't a step up from Milan.

Since then, however, he has been frozen out of the side and is apparently open to a return to the Premier League.

We'll have Abdukodir, thanks

If the rumours about Tomori and Abdukodir are true, then at least whoever loses out on their primary target, whichever it may be, has a backup plan already lined up.

While we've not really seen much of Abdukodir, we'd prefer if Newcastle went for the Uzebeckistan defender based purely on age. Abdukodir may not be as good as Tomori yet, but he has the potential to be way better, whereas Tomori is 27 now and therefore heading into the decline of his career.

We could get a couple of good years out of him, no doubt, but for the same money we could get a player who could grow alongside Sven Botman, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall to become a beast of a defence for years to come.