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Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is in for a frantic summer to boost his challenge for a Champions League place.

Spurs are close to agreeing a new five­-year contract with Nabil Bentaleb, one of the young stars who emerged at White Hart Lane last season.

He will join Ryan Mason and Harry Kane by signing a deal that will keep him at the club until 2020.

Bentaleb, 20, has emerged as an unpredictable but exciting talent and the Algeria international now figures in the first team on a regular basis.

Now Pochettino is also looking to re­inforce his front line with Christian Benteke as his top target.

(Image: Getty)

The Aston Villa striker flourished under the management of Tim Sherwood and has been the subject of much speculation with Liverpool among the front runners to land him.

Spurs are also keen – but it is unlikely that chairman Daniel Levy will sanction a £32.5million bid to trigger Benteke’s transfer clause.

It appears Levy is unlikely to go above £25m for one player – but Andros Townsend could be used as a make­weight in any deal.

(Image: Matthew Lewis)

Villa manager Sherwood knows all about Townsend from his time at Spurs and a cash offer plus the England winger could be enough to lure Benteke away.

Pochettino also looks certain to lose goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. He has stopped short of asking for a move but has told Pochettino he wants to play Champions League football.

That has alerted Manchester United who will have to replace Real Madrid­-bound David de Gea. A leading candidate to replace Lloris will be Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.