According to thinkghana.com reports, Tottenham Hotspur have jumped ahead of Sevilla in the race to sign Hertha Berlin starlet Kevin-Prince Boateng with a €7.5m bid as the north London outfit look to carry on their summer spending spree.

Martin Jol is keen to add a playmaker in the centre of midfield to his squad and is reported to have targeted the 20-year-old Ghanaian-born player.

Sevilla believed that they were close to striking a deal for Boateng and were ready to offer him a five-year contract after lodging an offer of €4.5m.

That may no longer be enough to land the player that has hit the headlines over the last two years after he forced his way into the Hertha first team.

The Bundesliga club's boss, Dieter Höness, confirmed that a bid had been received from Sevilla, but that Tottenham had made an even larger offer.

Boateng has dubbed himself 'the Ghetto Kid' and has numerous tattoos to represent his upbringing in a tough area of Berlin, but it is on the pitch that he has done most of his talking.

His strength and power gives him presence in the midfield, but it is his tactical awareness and ability to create and score goals that has seen Jol make his move.

Born to a German monther and Ghanaian father, Boateng was born in Berlin and opted to represent his country of birth at Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 level.

Ghana asked him to represent them at last summer's World Cup Finals, but he refused and was commended in Germany for his choice.

After not being picked for recent squad's by German coach Joachim Löw though, he reportedly said that he would play for Ghana if he was continusouly overlooked.

In 2006 he was awarded the Fritz Walter gold medal award and the title of the Best Young Player in Germany.

Source: thinkghana.com