Tottenham could be set for a bidding war to sign one marquee defender for Ange Postecoglou this summer.
Spurs keen on signing another centre-back
As chairman Daniel Levy watches on with intent to see if Spurs can indeed seal qualification for the Champions League next season, the club chief and technical director Johan Lange and chief football officer Scott Munn are also working away on summer targets in the background.
Tottenham clear they will bid for £150,000-per-week star who Redknapp loves
He’s a key player for his club.
ByEmilio Galantini
The Lilywhites have been regularly linked with a new forward signing this summer. Wolves star Pedro Neto and Barcelona's Raphinha are rated highly at Spurs, according to recent reports, while there is also a belief that Postecoglou wants to add another defender to his ranks.
Spurs put pen to paper on a deal for Romania international Radu Dragusin in a £25 million deal from Genoa in the January window, gifting Postecoglou a much-needed centre-back alternative to Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero following Eric Dier's departure to Bayern Munich.
Of the names mentioned, Napoli defender Leo Ostigard, Borussia Monchengladbach ace Ko Itakura and Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly are among the centre-backs who are apparently attracting interest from N17.
Another defender who looks set to be a hot topic later in the year is Everton starlet Jarrad Branthwaite. The 21-year-old is on the radar of Real Madrid and Man United, as well as Spurs, amid his brilliant campaign at Goodison Park where he has shone as one of the standouts under Sean Dyche.
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Branthwaite is attracting real attention from Tottenham, with rumours surfacing just last week that United and the north Londoners are making the "most concerted" effort to sign the Englishman pre-summer (Daily Mail).
Tottenham set for bidding war to sign Branthwaite
Sports Broadcaster Ben Jacobs, speaking to GiveMeSport, has shared his own update on their interest in Branthwaite. He believes Tottenham will be in a bidding war to sign Branthwaite this summer, despite reports he could cost as much as £75 million to prise away from Merseyside.
"I think that there is going to be a bidding war, in many ways, during the summer. I think Tottenham will be there, and we know that Real Madrid have looked in the past as well," said Jacobs.
"It is true that bringing in at least one young centre-back is on Manchester United's positional radar. Homegrown players are also a key focus, so Branthwaite ticks a lot of boxes, especially with him being a left-sided centre-back."
Branthwaite has started 22 league games under Dyche as a mainstay of the Toffees eleven, with former Man United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy also calling him a "very complete" player with "speed".
“He is a great talent," said van Nistelrooy.
"The boy is 20, but he has a future. He is good on the ball, can play on the left or the right of centre-back because he is two-footed. He has height and speed, so he is very complete.”
