The Ghana superstar’s future destination may not be as sure as first thought.
Despite reports last week suggesting that Andre Ayew’s switch to AS Roma was a done deal, recent rumours indicate that Tottenham Hotspur do not believe that the opportunity to sign the Ghana international has passed.
According to Calcio Mercato, Spurs are now favourites to recruit the Black Star, due to problems with his agreement with the Giallorossi.
While Roma had felt that the player’s desire to play in the Champions League would lead to Ayew accepting a switch to the Stadio Olimpico, the club were reportedly unwilling to meet the player’s wage demands.
According to his agent, Bruno Satin, Ayew wanted a yearly salary of €3,000,000, equating to €57,691-per-week, but talks have broken down following a meeting ahead of the Europa League final.
Roma are believed to be keen to raise funds this summer due to the menace of financial fair-play [via Forza Italian Football], with Radja Nainggolan and Miralem Pjanic both having been linked to the exit door at the Italian capital.
The Olympique de Marseille man’s inability to agree terms with Roma may see an opportunity arise for Spurs, who are unlikely to baulk at Ayew’s wage demands.
The player’s recent comments lend weight to suggestions that he may be turning out in North London next year.
Ayew has made little secret of his admiration for the Premier League, admitting in a recent interview that he would love to ply his trade in England’s top flight in the future.
“It's true I'd like to play in England,” Ayew began, speaking to the Daily Mail.
“I'm 25 now and it is a good age for me to take the next step in my career. I have offers from England, Italy and Germany but it would be unfair to say who from. I speak to my friends such as Morgan Amalfitano at West Ham and Joey Barton at QPR and they always talk well about the league and the atmosphere.
“I have been fortunate to experience Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford in the Champions League but I want to play at Anfield and other grounds."
Similarly, while his father, Abedi Pele, has claimed that his son is keen to test himself in the Champions League, the 25-year-old has confirmed that he would accept a move to a club not competing in Europe’s premier club competition.
"It doesn't have to be a Champions league club. I've played in the competition before, it's the best competition in the world but it's not the first criteria," he began, speaking to BBC Sport.
"I think the first criteria is the team project, what the team wants to do in the future because I want to play for a long time and try to win trophies because that's what football is all about."
He even went as far as admitting that he would consider any of the clubs who finished inside the top 10 in the Premier League, meaning that evening potential suitors Swansea City may fancy their chances of negotiating a deal.
"There are a lot of great clubs in England, of course the top four but down to the top 10. It's a great league, for me the best in the world at the moment," he added.
However, rumours linking the midfielder to Liverpool—the club he admitted he supported as a boy—have not ended, and Ayew may well still end up at Anfield.
Similarly, Inter Milan—backed by the money of Erick Thohir—may believe they have a chance of meeting the player’s rumoured wage demands.
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