Tottenham Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Isco, Callum Brittain

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino reportedly called Real Madrid star Isco to convince him to move to England last year, according to the latest rumours from Spain. Meanwhile, MK Dons starlet Callum Brittain is said to be of interest to Spurs and Chelsea.

According to Jose Felix Diaz (via Euan McTear) of Madrid-based newspaper Marca, Pochettino tried his luck with Isco in the summer of 2016, when the former Malaga man appeared to be on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Real man was little more than a bench player and expected to move to England, but per the report, he told the Spurs boss he wished to stay in Spain. His salary demands would also have posed an issue, given Tottenham's strict wage structure.

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Isco has since become a pivotal player for Los Blancos and signed a new contract that should keep him at the club for the foreseeable future. Tottenham have also fared well, slowly building their youthful squad.

Sport Witness noted how it's not exactly a secret Pochettino likes to phone players to convince them to join, usually to great effect, but those confirmed reports have in turn led to an awful lot of speculation.

AS (h/t Goal), another Madrid-based outlet, reported last summer a phone call had taken place, but a loan move back to Malaga seemed more likely at that time.

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Elsewhere, MailOnline's Simon Jones reported Spurs and Chelsea are both following Dons full-back Brittain, who is set to become a free agent next summer and has impressed in the lower leagues and as a member of England's under-20 setup.

The 19-year-old set up two goals in the friendly win over Italy on October 5, boosting his value in the process. The former winger and MK Dons have yet to agree to an extension, and Brittain could try his luck in the top division.

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The League One side have developed a solid reputation for nurturing young talent, and Spurs have done business with them in the past―Dele Alli moved to the capital from Milton Keynes in 2015. Everton's Brendan Galloway and Sheyi Ojo of Liverpool are also academy graduates.

As a pending free agent, he could well be worth a punt, with few risks involved.