Fulham striker Moussa Dembélé is having a medical at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, before a £6m transfer from Fulham but the likelihood remains that the centre-forward will be loaned back to Craven Cottage for the remainder of the season.
Tottenham want the 19-year-old straight away, with the need for cover up front for Harry Kane well documented and they continue to push for the deal to happen now. But Fulham are steadfastly refusing to allow Tottenham to have their way over their No1 January transfer target, as they fight for survival towards the foot of the Championship.
Fulham are under a Football League transfer embargo, which prevents them from making signings this month - apart from cut-price loans - and so it has made no sense to them to sell Dembélé, one of their star players and only goal threats, when they cannot replace him adequately.
Dembélé, who has 11 goals in all competitions this season, is out of contract in the summer but if he moved to an English club as a free agent, Fulham would still receive a fee for him, which would be fixed by a tribunal.
Tottenham continue to hope that they can break Fulham's resolve regarding the timing of Dembélé's arrival before Monday night's transfer deadline and it is fair to say that the player wants to join them immediately.
But at the very least, Tottenham have seen the merit in tying up the deal now, even if it means them paying a bit more than they might have done at tribunal, because there is such interest in the player both in England and mainland Europe.