Tottenham Target Krzysztof Piatek to Join Hertha Berlin From AC Milan on Permanent Deal
Hertha Berlin are set to secure the permanent signing of AC Milan's Krzysztof Piatek, with the striker due to fly to Germany on Wednesday to finalise a deal.
Piatek only joined the Milan outfit a year ago for €35m from Genoa, netting nine goals in his first 18 appearances for the club in an impressive start to life at San Siro.
Krzysztof Piatek from AC Milan to Herta Berlin, here we go! Total agreement reached on a permanent deal. He’s going to fly to Germany on next hours. Milan refused Tottenham bid because was just on loan. 🇩🇪 #Milan #ACMilan #Herta #HertaBerlin #transfers #THFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 29, 2020
His form has dipped dramatically this season though, with the club bringing in 38-year-old forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to the club in a bid to improve their firepower. That move seemingly signalled the end of the Pole's time in Serie A, and a move away from Milan has been mooted throughout the January transfer window.
One of the interested parties has been Tottenham, who have been scouring the European market for a stop-gap in place of the injures Harry Kane. Despite showing concrete interest in the striker, 90min understands that no deal has been found with Spurs only wanting to bring the player in on an 18-month loan while Milan were adamant on a permanent move. Premier League clubs also believed there was a lack of readiness from the player to move to the English top flight.
Due to the impasses in negotiations, Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin have stolen a march on their Premier League counterparts, with a late bid to sign the 24-year-old striker on the cusp of completion.
As reported by trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano, there is now a 'total agreement' between the two parties for the Polish international to join. Piatek is now en route to the German capital to thrash out the remaining necessities before the transfer deadline.
While on the surface it appears as if Spurs have missed out on a key target, their unwillingness to strike a permanent deal stems from a combination of Kane's projected April return and Piatek's indifferent form.
Milan were demanding in the region of €30m for Piatek, a substantial fee for a player who has scored just four league goals this season, although the Rossoneri were looking to recoup the fee they initially paid 12 months ago. Meanwhile, Spurs are on the lookout for someone to fill Kane's void only temporarily.
For more from Ross Kennerley, follow him on Twitter!