Scouting Rumored Tottenham Transfer Target Alvaro Vadillo

Real Betis winger Alvaro Vadillo is rumored to be a summer transfer target of Tottenham Hotspur.

The 18-year-old is under contract with Real Betis until 2016 but is still linked with some of the bigger clubs in World Football.

Reports from The Mirror suggest that while Manchester United, Real Madrid and Arsenal have their eyes on the Spaniard, it is Tottenham who appear to be the frontrunners to nab Vadillo’s signature.

Born in Puerto Real, Spain, Vadillo spent his entire youth career with his current club, Real Betis, playing from 2006-11. In 2011, Vadillo become the second youngest player to ever make an appearance in a La Liga match, starting in a 1-0 away victory against Granada CF.

He appeared in four more Real Betis matches during the team’s domestic campaign.

An unfortunate collision with Sergio Ramos forced the young player to the sidelines for six months to hear from a cruciate ligament issue.

Recovered and fully fit, the 2011-12 season saw Vadillo take the field in La Liga, the Segundo Division B, the Copa Del Rey and three International Friendlies for the Spanish U-19 side.

The Metro details a couple of reasons why the Hotspurs could well be interested in bringing Vadillo to North London.

First, the Gareth Bale issue: with the superstar winger’s future still unclear, Tottenham could be looking to bring on Vadillo as a replacement for Bale, should the Welshman take his footballing elsewhere.

Regardless of if Bale stays on board for this upcoming campaign, many predict Bale will not stay at Whitehart Lane for more than one more season.

While Vadillo is certainly not as accomplished as Bale just yet, the swap would make sense. The two play similar positions, are adept at skipping past defenders with pace and can be quite dynamic.

The second reason Tottenham could be itching for Vadillo (detailed by the IBTimes) is because of comparisons to another La Liga winger, Cristiano Ronaldo. Vadillo’s long strides and powerful bursts of speed have led to him being likened to the Portuguese standout. Grabbing a player with that sort of hype would be a big splash for Tottenham, a club with Champions League aspirations.

Regardless, it will be fascinating to see how Vadillo’s career pans out and if he moves to one of the major World Football powers this summer.

Make sure to keep up with Bleacher Report as we continue to bring you the latest news from the summer transfer window.