Tottenham Hotspur are now determined to sign a “fantastic” defender in January, with manager Thomas Frank personally keen on the move.
Tottenham decide against summer move for new defender
There were some late suggestions that Tottenham could make a late move for a new centre-back, with Manuel Akanji being named among the potential targets, but they ultimately decided against bringing in a new defender.
Frank has previously made it clear he is happy with the current options at the back, saying: “We have right now three centre backs: Micky, Romero, Danso and Ben (Davies) can play there if necessary,”
“We have Kota the young central defender we bought this summer and is running now and training with the team next week. There’s not many left behind. And then Dragusin is coming back in a couple of months (to playing games) so that should be enough.”
Spurs have shipped just one goal in the Premier League up to this point, having looked far more solid defensively than they did under Ange Postecoglou, with newly-appointed captain Cristian Romero continuing to impress despite the defeat to AFC Bournemouth.
Statistic
Number completed
Duels won
5/6
Clearances
3
Tackles
2
Last man tackles
1
That said, according to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham remain determined to bring in Brentford’s Nathan Collins during the January transfer window, and they are hoping to make concrete progress in their pursuit of the defender.
Frank is clearly a fan of his former player, with the report stating the Dane is personally eager to sign Collins, as Spurs are keen to bring in a proven Premier League leader.
However, the Bees are in a strong negotiating position, given that their captain is contracted until the summer of 2029, and it may take an offer of €50m (£43m) to tempt them into a sale.
Collins would provide "fantastic" depth for Tottenham
As previously mentioned, Frank isn’t exactly short on options at the back, but it could be worth Tottenham revisiting a move for their summer target in the January window if they suffer a major injury setback before then.
Losing Romero or Micky van de Ven would be a real blow, given the way in which the centre-back duo have started the season, keeping clean sheets in two of the opening three Premier League games.
However, the Irishman has proven he could be capable of stepping in as a replacement, with compatriot John O’Shea lauding him as a “fantastic player” back in March.
Not only that, but Collins would also be a dependable option at the back for Frank, given that he very rarely sustains injuries, appearing in all 38 of Brentford’s Premier League games last season.