Tottenham will not be dissuaded from landing one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe this summer despite big wage demands, according to a fresh report. Spurs are in need of reinforcements this summer, and Roberto De Zerbi is set to be handed plenty of them as part of a squad remodel.

The North London club have finished in the bottom half in consecutive seasons, and the board have promised significant changes, which will, at least in part, come from significant investment.

Spurs are going to be busy in this transfer window, and they have already made a good start, snapping up Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi. More will follow, and the striker position is among the priorities.

Spurs zero in on Vlahovic

De Zerbi is in desperate need of at least one striker, if not two, with Randal Kolo Muani headed back to PSG and Richarlison’s future still unclear. As ever, there are few top-level striker options available this summer, but there is one who stands out above the rest.

Dušan Vlahović is available for absolutely nothing in the way of a transfer fee after allowing his Juventus deal to expire. The Serbian is still only 26 years of age, and his powerful approach to the striker’s role is what will attract plenty of clubs to him this summer. Vlahovic netted 44 times in 98 games for Fiorentina and 50 in 123 league games for Juventus. The striker can score goals, but in truth, the strength of his game is being able to hold the ball and bring others into play.

“I have watched him a couple of times now,” pundit Micah Richards told BBC Radio Five Live prior to the Juventus move. “He is lightning. It’s ridiculous. He has got 16 in 18 this season. His left foot is like a wand. I am telling you now, he is everything, he is everything you need.”

Wage demands not a concern for Spurs

When top players are available on a free transfer, they almost always look to cash in when it comes to their contract, given they know interested clubs are saving tens of millions in transfer fees. In Vlahovic’s case, TeamTalk report the striker wants around £150,000-per-week, or more specifically, £8million per year.

That’s a hefty wage, but it is not enough to put off the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle United, according to the same report. And that should come as no surprise, given the savings involved in the deal.

Vlahovic would likely command at least a £50million fee on the conservative side in usual circumstances, and his wages would come on top of that. In this scenario, interested clubs could land him for a combined cost of £24million over three years, for instance, and opportunities to sign top-level strikers for that sort of money do not come around very often.

UFC boss Dana White has issued a strong response to Josh Hokit’s vile slur aimed at Michelle Obama following his statement vcitory over Derrick Little at the White House on Sunday night. The US came together to celebrate President Donald Trump’s birthday over the weekend with a bizarre UFC event on the iconic Front Lawn.

The main event saw Ilia Topuria lose his undefeated record and his lightweight championship against 37-year-old Justin Gaethje, as the American forced the Georgian to quit on his stool and not answer the bell for the fifth and final round. At heavyweight, Alex Pereira lost his debut in the division to former champion Ciryl Gane, who took home the interim championship in the process.

But it’s Hokit’s continued unbeaten streak that has debatably captured the most attention from the once-in-a-lifetime event, with White now addressing his bizarre interview, where the 28-year-old chose to call the former First Lady a ‘man’.

Dana White Issues Strong Reaction To Hokit’s Obama Slur

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

The rising star ended his interview with “Lastly, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” But while it was met with a mixed reaction at the White House, with president Trump appearing to embrace him and uphold his champion status as a lip reader reviewed footage of the pair, it seems as if Dana White wasn’t a big fan of the comment. He told TIME (watch the incident below):

Unfortunately for the UFC, it seems as if much of the focus will now be on Hokit’s comments rather than the event itself, which actually turned out to be a success when many doubted if it would be possible.

Other Controversies in Historic White House Card

Credit: UFC

Hokit’s outburst wasn’t the only controversy at the event, as pictures also captured fellow fighter Sean Strickland being escorted away from the event after reports suggested that he had been banned, although White later clarified that he simply hadn’t been invited.

Other esteemed guests at the White House included Tyson Fury, who was in attendance after cheering on his brother Tommy in his fight against Eddie Hall in Manchester the night prior, despite previous reports suggesting that he had a US travel ban.

The UFC‘s one-of-a-kind spectacle, held on Sunday, the 14th of June, at the South Lawn of The White House, may only have been a seven-fight card, but each one delivered a thrilling finish, including the all-American contest between heavyweight sluggers, Josh Hokit, and fan-favorite, Derrick Lewis.

Hokit, 28, entered the fight with an unbeaten record thanks to sustained success in Bellator, LFA, and now UFC — with a second-round knockout over a badly-gassed Lewis enough to extend his pro record to 10-0 (6 knockouts and 3 submissions).

Though Lewis had a 34-pound weight advantage, it may have worked against him considering the way in which the fight played out, because of Hokit’s superior speed, unrelenting pressure, and a wrestling-heavy opening round that included a near fight-ending armbar. Lewis had no answers to any of the questions Hokit posed. And he was picked apart by the time a brutal combination floored him late in round two.

But it is not Hokit’s performance that polarized onlookers, including the UFC boss Dana White, but how he made use of the platform on federal grounds in Washington, D.C., and what he said on the microphone about the former First Lady, Michelle Obama.

Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

In his post-fight interview speaking to a smiling Joe Rogan, Hokit shouted out U.S. President, Donald Trump, Octagonside at the time, saying he had “the balls to put some s*** like this one.”

He then amplified a baseless conspiracy theory about former President Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle. “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”

The comment generated a mixed response in the venue, which was made of servicemen and women, as well as first responders. According to CNN, Trump could be seen responding to the crude remark with a “subtle smirk.” This contrasted the message White sent out, in a statement Time published.

“I understand that the Obamas are public figures, but I’m completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families,” White said in a text message to TIME. “Everyone knows my position on free speech, but I hate that kind of nonsense.”

Now the official Democrats account on X, which is the political party associated with the Obamas, had their say:

Other results in the UFC Freedom 250 event including Justin Gaethje’s incredible fourth-round bludgeoning of Ilia Topuria to claim the UFC lightweight championship, and Ciryl Gane‘s ruthless beatdown of Alex Pereira to become the interim champion at heavyweight.

Earlier in the card, Sean O’Malley stopped Aiemann Zahabi, Mauricio Ruffy overwhelmed Michael Chandler, and Bo Nickal beat Kyle Daukaus in the first-round. In the very first fight of the night, Diego Lopes came from behind to slaughter Steve Garcia in the second round.