Report claims Newcastle United and Tottenham have now both opened talks for £25m defender

Newcastle United and Tottenham were both slow out of the blocks when it came to making a move for Uzbecki defender Abdukodir Khusanov but both are now said to be catching up.

It was Championship side Leeds United who had reportedly made the first move to sign RC Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov as they try to get a step ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Both Newcastle and Tottenham have been keeping tabs on the 20-year-old defensive monster and now, a new report has claimed that both clubs have opened talks with a view to a move.

Graeme Bailey has told The Boot Room that the £25 million-rated centre-back is now in talks with the Premier League duo.

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Newcastle and Tottenham both see Abdukodir Khusanov as Premier League-ready

Newcastle are still searching for a new centre-back after failing to land Marc Gheuhi in the summer, while Tottenham are having to resort to fielding young midfielder Archie Gray as a centre-back as they suffer a defensive crisis.

Both clubs have apparently determined that Khusanov has the attributes to make him an instant success in the Premier League.

We had previously suggested that Leeds may have the advantage over Newcastle and Tottenham as they can throw him straight into the first-team for six months in the Championship in order to build him up ready for the Premier League, however, it now seems he's already Premier League standard.

Beating Tottenham on Saturday should give Khusanov a good indication of where to move in January

At just 20 years old and for around £25 million it makes a lot more sense to go for Khusanov rather than chasing some Premier League player who is likely to cost twice as much and be considerably older.

If Newcastle are confident of a couple of outgoing transfers in January, then funding a £25 million move for Khusanov isn't that unrealistic despite the club's insistence that they're at the upper limits of PSR again.

Battering Tottenham at their own stadium on Saturday would send a good message to Khusanov over which way he should lean if it comes to making a choice between the two clubs.