After Micky van de Ven’s injury, Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is allegedly eager to sign a “rapid” and “quality” center-back.
While van de Ven is expected to be back once the January transfer window comes around, there is no denying that the Dutchman’s absence has exposed a glaring lack of depth in defence at Spurs.
Previous outcast Eric Dier has been forced to replace the summer signing in Postecoglou’s starting eleven recently, a player left unselected until their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League 10 days ago.
The Englishman doesn’t really suit Tottenham’s new high defensive line and was arguably exposed at points during Spurs’ loss to Wolves last Saturday. Cristian Romero’s absence through suspension doesn’t help matters either, but Spurs quite simply need van de Ven’s speed for the way Postecoglou wants to play.
Two consecutive losses have highlighted Spurs’ need for a van de Ven/Romero alternative when either, or both, are unavailable to play.
As a result, reports in the last two weeks have indicated that Tottenham are prioritising the the addition of a new left-sided centre-back in January. Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton’s Ben Godfrey, Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly have all been linked with moves to Spurs recently.
According to TEAMtalk, who shared an update on their transfer plans this week, Postecoglou is personally keen on signing Kelly as an alternative to van de Ven.
The Cherries defender’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign, thus in January, he may depart Vitality Stadium for a reasonable sum. According to a report this week from Football Insider, Kelly may depart for between £25 and £30 million. Given the defender’s fit in Postecoglou’s system, Tottenham may find this to be enticing.
Leave a Reply