Tottenham Hotspur 'keeping tabs on Gent striker Gift Orban'

The Lilywhites continue to face uncertainty over the future of talisman Harry Kane, as Bayern Munich fight tooth and nail to bring him to the Allianz Arena.

Bayern chiefs Jan-Christian Dreesen and Marco Neppe are said to have met with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in London on Monday, during which the German champions made a second bid worth £85m.

However, Tottenham - who value Kane at £100m, even with the striker in the final year of his contract - turned down that approach, and the 30-year-old is now said to be prepared to stay at the club if no agreement is found before their Premier League opener at Brentford on August 13.

Kane is supposedly willing to discuss a new deal if the Lilywhites' fortunes improve under Ange Postecoglou this season, but as things stand, the England captain is free to leave as a free agent in 2024.

Should Kane bid farewell to Tottenham at some point in the next 12 months, Postecoglou will be after a new number nine to compete with Richarlison, whose first season in North London left a lot to be desired.

Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson is believed to be on Spurs' radar, while a move for Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel has also been mooted, but the Frenchman is considered unlikely to leave the Allianz Arena this summer.

Now, the Daily Mail claims that Gent protege Orban is another name under consideration after the 21-year-old burst onto the scene with the Belgian side in the second half of last season.

Orban briefly represented Norwegian side Stabaek, who earned £2.8m through his sale to Gent in January, and the striker found the back of the net 20 times in 22 games during a terrific debut campaign.

The Nigerian striker netted five goals in six Europa Conference League matches - including a hat-trick in a last-16 second leg win over Istanbul Basaksehir - as Gent lost to eventual winners West Ham United in the quarter-finals.

Orban came up with another 15 goals in 16 Jupiler Pro League matches - in addition to two assists - while he has already found the back of the net in both of Gent's opening games in the 2023-24 season.

Tottenham will not secure Orban's signature on the cheap, though, as Gent have the 21-year-old under contract until the summer of 2027, and Forest's Johnson is still thought to be their number one target due to his home-grown status.

Brentford are believed to have failed with a £35m bid for the Welsh attacker, whom Steve Cooper is determined to keep hold of, but offers in the region of £50m will be considered.

However, Tottenham supposedly have no intention of forking out such a fee for Johnson, as the Lilywhites are also attempting to sign a new centre-back in the current window.

Manor Solomon, Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison have already touched down in North London this summer, while Dejan Kulusevski's loan from Juventus was converted into a permanent deal.