Crystal Palace and Tottenham target Ligue 1 defender

Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Lens defender Ismaëlo Ganiou.

Ganiou came through the youth academy at Lens before spending time on loan at Italian side Padova and Ligue 2 side Annecy.

Last season was a breakthrough campaign for Ganiou as he became a key part of the Lens backline.

He featured 29 times in all competitions as Lens finished second in Ligue 1 and also won the Coupe de France.

SportsBoom have reported that Crystal Palace and Tottenham have joined PSG in the race to secure Ganiou's signature this summer.

The fee for the Burkina Faso international is likely to be in the region of €35-40 million.

PSG manager Luis Enrique is believed to be a big fan of the defender as he contemplates which potential signings the back-to-back UEFA Champions League winners need to make this summer.

Ganiou is likely to have more of a fight for first-team football at PSG, while a move abroad could provide him with a faster route to regular football at a big club.

The key figure in Ganiou's future destination could be Pierre Sage, his manager at Lens last season.

Sage has been strongly linked with a move to Crystal Palace and an immediate reunion with Ganiou could provide the Eagles with a bona-fide replacement for Marc Guehi.

Tottenham are also interested in a deal and they are looking for defensive reinforcements with the likelihood that Cristian Romero will move on this summer.

Matt Gibbs

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