VFL Wolfsburg “assume” Maxence Lacroix will stay in Germany this summer despite interest from Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur, managing director Jorg Schmadtke has told Kicker.
Spurs’ desire to strengthen an error-prone back line has taken them across Europe this summer, from Florence to Milan and Lyon to Seville.
But after the London giants hit a brick wall in their pursuit of Jules Kounde and Milan Skriniar, it seems an ongoing chase for the highly rated Lacroix is also destined to end in disappointment.
Last week, Sky Germany reported the cultured centre-back, once likened to former Premier League winner Rio Ferdinand, had emerged as a “dream signing” for new Tottenham director Fabio Paratici.
But after qualifying for the Champions League last season, Wolfsburg are under no pressure to cash in on Lacroix.
Especially when you consider the France U20 international, who moved to Germany from Sochaux last summer, has another three years left on his contract.
Will Tottenham miss out on Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix?
“I assume so,” Schmadtke says when asked whether Lacroix will stay at the Volkswagen Arena.
Kicker adds Wolfsburg have received two £18 million bids for Lacroix so far, one of them from Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig.
Die Wolfe are refusing to budge, however, despite recently reinforcing one of the league’s most reliable back lines with last week’s arrival of Sebastiaan Bornauw from Cologne.
Lacroix, then, seems to be going the same way as Kounde and Skriniar for Tottenham.
Fortunately, Spurs appear to have reached a breakthrough in their attempts to bring in Cristian Romero from Atalanta.
The Argentina international was named Serie A defender of the year in 2020 and played a key role as Lionel Scaloni’s side beat Brazil in the Copa America final earlier this month.
Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to arrive from Serie A outfit Bologna too.
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