Tottenham Transfer News: Leroy Sane Bid Rejected, Latest Spurs Rumours

Schalke have rejected Tottenham Hotspur's £8.5 million bid for youngster Leroy Sane, according to Kicker (h/t talkSPORT).

Sane gained traction across Europe with his terrific Champions League performance against Real Madrid in March. He scored a fantastic goal at the Bernabeu before setting up Klaas Jan-Huntelaar for the winner in a confident snapshot of his quality.

The 19-year-old's goal can be seen below:

Sane made 13 Bundesliga appearances for Schalke last season, scoring three goals, per Soccerway. He is a versatile attacking midfielder who can play further forward or out wide. Schalke recently rewarded his progress with a contract extension, which keeps him tied to the club until 2019, reported Goal.com.

"Leroy is a very talented player who has already indicated in recent seasons how versatile he can be in the attacking area," noted Schalke general manager Horst Heldt on the club's website (h/t Goal). "Given his development and his great potential, we are very pleased that Leroy sees his future at Schalke."

Harry Sherlock of Goal suggested Schalke aren't willing to discuss letting the player leave:

However, talkSPORT's article indicated Spurs are expected to return with another bid for the player. Boss Mauricio Pochettino often utilises multifunctional stars—Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela among them—and may be looking to add further attacking impetus to his squad, which finished fifth last term.

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Pochettino is reportedly considering a number of options to improve the team's output, which largely relied on the goalscoring form of Harry Kane during 2014-15.

West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino and Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie are Pochettino's most wanted men, according to Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard. Versatile Chelsea attacker Victor Moses and Charlie Austin from Queens Park Rangers are also linked in Johnson's report.

Spurs' goal for the upcoming season, as ever, must be to challenge for Champions League football. Moving up to fourth is going to be an almighty task, especially considering all the sides around them continue to strengthen.

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A key plus for Pochettino is that he hasn't lost any key players—namely Kane, Hugo Lloris or Jan Vertonghen—an annoyance that so often hinders Spurs' progress. 

Sane would be an exciting addition to the squad, but as noted in Heldt's comments, Schalke are committed to making sure he progresses in Gelsenkirchen.