Gareth Bale
Tottenham winger Gareth Bale has been tied to a move to Real Madrid for most of the summer, and a deal appears imminent. Reuters

It has been a busy summer transfer season for Tottenham Hotspur, and with the transfer deadline looming, the persistent reports from British tabloids have not subsided as high-profile names like Gareth Bale and Etienne Capoue have been linked to the most recent speculation.

Manager Andre Villas-Boas has already added two major attacking weapons with the arrival of forward Roberto Soldado from Valenica, and playmaker Paulinho from Corinthians, for a total of roughly £43 million. But with addition came subtraction, as the club gained about £14 million in combined fees when they parted ways with attacking midfielder Clint Dempsey, who returned to the U.S. to play for Seattle, and centre back Steven Caulkner, who joined Cardiff City.

Those financial moves pale in comparison to the fee that the club could receive for superstar wing Gareth Bale. The 24-year-old has been pursued by Real Madrid, and the Spanish giants could reportedly pay as much as £100 million. The latest news on Bale suggests that a deal is imminent, as he will sit out a preseason match on Saturday against Espanyol. According to The Independent, Tottenham could possibly receive not just a hefty fee but striker Alvaro Morata, as well.

Morata is just 20 years old, but already has 14 appearances with Madrid, and has scored twice. He has featured prominently for Spain’s youth national squads, scoring 20 goals in 26 appearances. Villas-Boas would be adding a physical forward, as Morata has drawn comparisons to former Real Madrid and Liverpool forward Fernando Morientes.

Should Bale move on to Real Madrid, Spurs will have plenty to spend on reinforcements, and the club appears to have already added a quality defensive midfielder. According to French publication L’Equipe, Tottenham have agreed to a deal with Toulouse for Capoue. The 25-year-old reportedly will join Spurs for £9.5 million plus £1.7 million in bonuses.

Capoue had been rumored to be on his way to the Premier League for quite some time. Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers, and Everton had reportedly shown interest in the French star, who has drawn comparisons to Everton’s Marouane Fellani.

Carlton Cole has also been linked to Spurs, as Metro reported that the 29-year-old is believed to be training with the north London club. Cole, who made 206 appearances with West Ham since joining the club in 2006, would arrive on a free transfer. Hull City, Crystal Palace, Norwich City, and Reading have all shown interest in the striker in recent months.

Tottenham may also have their sights set on adding some young talent on the wing, as the club has been linked with Real Betis starlet Alvaro Vadillo, by Metro and The Express. The 18-year-old winger has made 18 appearances for Betis since 2011. Suggestions that Vadillo might be a replacement for Bale seem to be too much of a stretch, but the talented Spaniard could evolve into a solid addition after spending some time on loan at a lower-tier club.

The potential arrival of Morata and Vadillo might signal a youth movement for Spurs, particularly with other speculation involving long-time stalwarts. Jermain Defoe and Tom Huddlestone have been linked with an exit from White Hart Lane in recent weeks, which might mean that Tottenham are in the process of a major overhaul this summer.

Defoe, who has appeared in 262 matches for Tottenham, has been rumored to be a target of several clubs, which include West Bromwich, Stoke City, Queens Park Rangers, and Aston Villa, as well as Turkish side Beskitas. The 30-year-old striker has scored 90 goals for Spurs, and has featured in 54 matches for England. Despite the presence of Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor, Defoe could still be a valuable contributor for Villas-Boas after finishing second in goals in the 2012-2013 season with 11.

Huddlestone, meanwhile, is a target of Sunderland, according to Daily Star, while Daily Mail has linked him to Cardiff City. The 26-year-old midfielder left Derby County for Spurs in 2005, and has 143 appearances for Tottenham.