Arsenal and Tottenham club icons have already had their say as £26m transfer battle ensues

Arsenal and Tottenham may reignite their pursuit of Simon Adingra as the summer transfer window draws to a close. The north London rivals have both reportedly shown interest in the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international, who plies his trade at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Despite the Seagulls’ firm stance on not letting go of Adingra, who netted six Premier League goals in 31 appearances last season, reports suggest that both clubs were eager to sign him this summer and sought to know his price tag – listed at £26million on transfermarkt – before being rebuffed. Brighton’s resolve to keep their star player will likely be strengthened following their 3-0 victory over Everton, where Adingra scored.

Arsenal’s transfer activity has been relatively quiet, with Mikel Arteta only adding goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford and centre-back Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna to his squad. Despite Kai Havertz being preferred in the false-nine role in their 2-0 triumph over Wolves, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka – who also scored – flanking him, Arteta might contemplate bringing in another winger to bolster competition within his team.

Arteta has received a glowing endorsement from the club’s ex-defender, Johan Djourou, for his interest in Adingra, with whom Djourou shared a dressing room at FC Nordsjaelland. The Swiss centre-half had high praise for the fast forward, affirming his future potential back in February.

Djourou said: “Simon is the typical young guy that wants to learn. It was never a question of if he was going to make it, it’s just to give him the platform to do it. It’s hard to put a limit on what he can do. For me, he’s one of those that can easily play in the next few years for (Manchester) City or Arsenal or those kinds of teams because he’s so talented and has a very great personality. He works, wants to be better everyday,” reports Football London.

Adding to their summer buzz, Arsenal is reportedly closing in on Real Sociedad’s midfield virtuoso Mikel Merino. Reports claim club president Jokin Aperribay jetted into London for final talks to secure a transfer deal purported to worth €35million plus €5million in bonuses (£29.9million plus £4.3million).

Spurs have also been active in the transfer market; they’ve captured Bournemouth’s forward Dominic Solanke in a whopping £65m move, snagged Archie Gray from Leeds for an estimated £30m, sourced attacking prowess from Lucas Bergvall of Djurgarden for a fee believed to be about £8.5m, and added wing talents Wilson Odobert and Min-hyeok Yang to bolster their squad further.

Ange Postecoglou is said to have had his sights set on Adingra before turning their attention to Burnley’s Odobert, swiftly securing the winger for a cool £25m after their initial interest was rebuffed. Yet, Adingra remains a blip on Spurs’ radar, potentially revisiting the prospect in the future.

Club legend Harry Redknapp has thrown his weight behind a potential move for the right winger. Impressed by Adingra’s performance last season, particularly during a match against Liverpool, Redknapp lauded him in October: “I’ve been keeping my eye on Adingra during Brighton’s games this season and boy did he play well against Liverpool.

“Every time he got the ball he looked like he was going to do something with it. He was giving Robertson, such an experienced player, all sorts of problems. I liked his finish for his goal too, he took it nice and early. He was unlucky to not get another and gives Brighton a different dimension on that side.”

After a lacklustre start to the 2024/25 season, failing to dominate Leicester City in their opener on Monday (August 19), Spurs are in dire need of bolstering their attack. However, with Brighton determined to retain their young star and the summer transfer window closing in just nine days, coupled with two years remaining on Adingra’s contract, Tottenham might find it a steep climb to bring him on board at this juncture.