Chelsea and Manchester City have now taken a significant step in their pursuit of Tottenham target Nicolo Tresoldi, who is rated at £42 million.

Spurs Web have reported Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Nicolo Tresoldi over the past few weeks, with the centre-forward part of a five-man shortlist as the Lilywhites aim to bolster their attack in January.

However, Tottenham are far from alone in their pursuit, with as many as eleven teams understood to be monitoring the striker.

That list includes Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Everton, Leeds United, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

But two of these clubs now appear to have taken a significant step in their pursuit of the 22-year-old, despite interest from AC Milan, Arsenal and Spurs.

Chelsea and Manchester City scout Tottenham target Nicolo Tresoldi

According to TeamTalk, Chelsea and Manchester City sent scouts to watch Tresoldi in the Belgian Pro League as Club Brugge faced St. Truiden.

The forward delivered a standout performance, scoring a hat-trick as Brugge claimed victory. Those goals took Tresoldi’s tally for the season to seven in nine matches.

That explains why he is attracting interest from several top clubs, including Spurs. While Tottenham have found some rhythm in attack in recent league outings, none of their forwards has yet reached five goals this season.

Chelsea are understood to be seeking quality depth to cover for Joao Pedro when he suffers injuries. The lack of attacking options was evident against Spurs, with Xabi Alonso turning to Morgan Rogers as a false nine in the Brazilian’s absence. Chelsea are now looking to strengthen in that position and have set their sights on Tresoldi.

City’s long-term view on Tresoldi and Club Brugge’s stance

Manchester City, meanwhile, see the 22-year-old as a long-term option as they assess their transfer strategy. Future-proofing is a key consideration as they plan for the possibility of Erling Haaland eventually leaving the club.

While no move is imminent, City want to ensure they understand the market and the best options available should they need to make a major decision over their centre-forward position in the coming years.

Club Brugge’s stance on a transfer has also been revealed by TeamTalk, with the Belgian side insisting Tresoldi is not for sale.

The 22-year-old himself is reportedly open to staying until the end of the season rather than leaving during the winter transfer window, despite the significant interest in him.