Montpellier chief will only sell Spurs target to English or German clubs

Tuesday, January 22, 2013
2:33 PM

Transfer news: Montpellier president Louis Nicollin has boosted Tottenham chances of landing Younes Belhanda by slamming the wantaway star and rebuffing interest from Fenerbache.

The Turkish giants, who were believed to be frontrunners for the 22-year-old’s signature, announced that they had made an agreement with the midfielder but are yet to agree on a price for the Moroccan international.

Tottenham have been heavily linked with Belhanda, though are yet to table a bid, while reports in France have also named Everton and Inter Milan as potential destinations.

However, Fenerbache’s vice-president, Abdullah Kigili, told AA: “They’d reduced their original price to €10m [£8.4m] but we’ve offered them €8m [£6.7m]. We have an agreement with the player himself, now we just have to wait for Montpellier to accept our offer.”

Nicollin has all but scuppered the Yellow Canaries’ chances by dismissing their advances in an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe.

“Apart from Turkey I do not know who wants [him], but Turkey is complicated,” he said.

“I’ll only sell my players to English and German clubs.”

But it does appear Belhanda’s days at the Ligue 1 champions are numbered along with those of team-mate and Newcastle target Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

Nicollin added: “Belhanda and Mapou, it was set in their heads what they wanted. Do I want them now? No. They showed a lack of professionalism, which is evident in view of the wages they were seeking.”