Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy now want to steal a "world-class" £43m target from Mikel Arteta's title-chasing Arsenal.
Spurs considering another centre-back signing
While a lot of rumours centre around Spurs' chase for a new forward this summer, there have also been suggestions that the Lilywhites want another centre-back despite the signing of Radu Dragusin in January.
Ange loves forward as Tottenham given confidence he's open to joining
The Lilywhites boss is a real admirer.
ByEmilio Galantini
Dragusin's arrival was a welcome boost for Ange Postecoglou, who suffered greatly when Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were ruled out of action over significant periods earlier this season.
The Spurs head coach was even forced to deploy a makeshift centre-back pairing of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies on many occasions, but Dragusin's signing from Serie A means it is very unlikely that Postecoglou will have to resort to such drastic measures.
You'd think Tottenham's hunt for new centre-backs would end with the Romanian, but that apparently isn't the case, as suggested by journalist Dean Jones to GiveMeSport recently.
“The situation hasn't changed, and Tottenham have always intended to sign two top-level centre-backs across 2024," said Jones.
Fulham (away)
March 16th
Luton Town (home)
March 30th
West Ham (away)
April 2nd
Nottingham Forest (home)
April 8th
"They’ve got one through the door, and now, in the summer window, the plan is to go after another. Calafiori and Morato might be mentioned now, but the net is being cast wider than that. They’ve got some interesting options opening up to them. Still, from what I understand, they’re not committing at this stage, even though they want to make early moves in the summer transfer window similar to how they did in the winter market.”
Of the centre-backs linked with moves to N17, there have been many names mentioned – ranging from the marquee to bargain basement.
Tottenham are thought to be interested in the highly-rated Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton, despite claims he could cost as much as £75 million. A far cheaper alternative who the north Londoners are also considering is Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly, with the Englishman's contract set to expire this summer.
Kelly would be free to sign for Spurs on a Bosman deal later in the year, but that hasn't stopped the club from looking at more expensive options abroad.
Tottenham targeting £43 million defender Willian Pacho
One of them, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, is Eintracht Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho.
The Ecuador international has started 24 Bundesliga games as a mainstay of Eintracht's starting eleven this season, with Dino Toppmoller calling him "world-class".
"Willian is a very clever player," said, Markus Krösche, Frankfurt's sporting director. "Listens well and is quick to implement what's asked of him. His speed and strength in the tackle are what make him stand out."
The South American is well and truly one to watch, and it will be interesting to see if Spurs deem him worthy enough for the investment.
