Tottenham continue to pursue Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Axel Witsel according to the London Evening Standard.
The 26-year-old Belgian international has proven a success since leaving Benfica for Russia in 2012 and is a quality campaigner who could greatly improve on the central midfield assets Mauricio Pochettino currently possesses.
The London Evening Standard state that the North London side were willing to pay £17m for the experienced Zenit star but that sum would be below the club’s £25m valuation.
Witsel is a proven player of real pedigree who played a key role in helping Andre Villas-Boas’s side secure a Russian Premier League title in 2014/15.
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Pochettino has cleared out Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Lewis Holtby and Benjamin Stambouli, and currently calls upon Nabil Bentaleb, Ryan Mason and Moussa Dembele as his main midfield options.
Tottenham have started the season poorly and are without a win after securing three draws following an opening weekend defeat to Man United.
Axel Witsel helped Standard Liege to two Belgian titles before moving to Benfica in 2011 and lasted just a year in Portugal before his move to Zenit.
The cultured Liege born midfielder already has 60 Belgian national team caps to his name and a potential move to Tottenham would see Axel Witsel team-up with compatriots Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Nacer Chadli and the aforementioned Dembele.