Tottenham Hotspur reportedly make signing a centre-back their number one priority in the January transfer window.
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made signing a centre-back their number one priority in the January transfer window.
The Lilywhites suffered yet another blow over the fitness of Micky van de Ven in Wednesday’s 2-1 EFL Cup last-16 win over Manchester City, as the Dutchman came off in the first half with an apparent hamstring concern.
Van de Ven spent almost two months on the sidelines with a similar problem during the 2023-24 campaign, and Postecoglou is short of genuine alternatives to the 23-year-old at the back.
Radu Dragusin is the first port of call, but the Romanian has also been linked with an exit from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January, having struggled for game time over Van de Ven and Cristian Romero.
Ben Davies and Archie Gray can both fill in at centre-back, although the pair are full-backs by trade, and Football Insider reports that Postecoglou is keen to strengthen his central defensive ranks when the winter window opens for business.
Ex-Tottenham scout ‘worried’ about Spurs’ defensive stability
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Mick Brown – a former Tottenham scout – told the publication that he has ‘heard’ that Spurs are hoping to add to their centre-back contingent in January, as there are concerns about their defensive depth if Van de Ven and/or Romero spend time on the sidelines.
“They’ve got a settled pairing in Romero and Van de Ven, but behind them, they’re short of real quality options and strength in depth,” Brown told the publication. “From what I’m hearing, they want to bring in someone who can fill in if those two miss out.
“Tottenham worry me defensively. They fall down at the fundamentals, they’re just not good enough at the back. That’s even with their first-choice team on the pitch.
“Their strength in depth is an issue too because it makes rotation difficult. All the best teams have defensive units that you know you can rely upon every week. Look at Arsenal, for example, the big reason they’ve been able to challenge for the title is because of their defenders.
“Gabriel and [William] Saliba are so solid at the back, and everybody does their bit. Man City as well, everybody talks about their attacking talent and rightly so, but their defence is outstanding with the likes of [Ruben] Dias, [Manuel] Akanji and [Josko] Gvardiol.”
What centre-backs could Tottenham target in January?
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The January transfer window is a notoriously difficult one for buying clubs, but Spurs’ lack of defensive depth is inarguable, and a lengthy layoff for Van de Ven would leave Ange Postecoglou down to the bare bones at the back.
The rumour mill has not been whirring for Tottenham regarding a January move for a centre-back just yet – expect that to change after Van de Ven’s injury – but HITC claims that Red Bull Salzburg’s Samson Baidoo is admired by the North London giants.
The 20-year-old stands at 6ft 3in tall and is an Austria Under-21 international, but he is also believed to be admired by Newcastle United and Manchester City and has a contract with Salzburg until 2027.
It remains to be seen how long Van de Ven is missing for, but for the time being, Dragusin can surely look forward to an extended partnership with Romero, starting with Sunday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa.