Tottenham Chasing Israel Playmaker - Report

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Rubin Kazan midfielder Bibras Natkho, according to Tutto Mercato Web. The Israel international is understood to have refused to renew his contract with the big-spending Russian outfit and is now looking for a transfer to more competitive league.

Russian newspaper Izvestia claims both Spurs and Spanish side Sevilla are chasing the 25-year-old, with the north London outfit scouting the player in Rubin's Europa League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. Natkho scored his side's only goal in the 3-1 loss

Natkho, who joined Rubin from native side Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2010, has made 77 appearances in the Russian Premeir League so far, notching 19 goals and 20 assists. The midfielder also has 25 senior caps for the Israel national team.

The player's representative confirmed that negotiations with Rubin regarding an extension have stalled. He also admitted that there is interest in Natkho but refused to reveal the clubs chasing the attacker.

"I would not like to discuss about the clubs that are interested in Bibras. He has a valid agreement with Rubin. As for the negotiations with Rubin, preliminary talks about a contract extension began in June, but at this stage nothing concrete has been decided," the report quoted the agent as saying.

Meanwhile, former Manchester United and Russia winger Andrei Kanchelskis is confident that Natkho can make the transition from Rubin to England and achieve success in the Premier League.

"His time in Russia has earned him the highest ratings. This player surely has the quality to succeed in the Premier League but he needs to have passion and ambition. The English top flight is a tough competition. But if a player is ready to accept this challenge and work hard in training, his efforts will be rewarded," Kanchelskis stressed.

The report also claims Natkho is valued at around €10m [£8.5m]. However, with the player's contract with Rubin set to expire in December, he could be available for a cut-price deal in the summer.