New target: Tottenham join race to sign 22 y/o defender with “huge potential” ahead of Liverpool
Tottenham are one of several Premier League clubs being linked with a move for a defender with “huge potential”.
Tottenham transfer rumours
Spurs have endured a mixed 2023/24 campaign so far. They are once again set to go without a trophy and after a 10-game unbeaten run at the start of the season suggested there was hope of a Premier League title push, Spurs have now dropped out of the top-four.
The Lilywhites could still knock Aston Villa out of the final Champions League place in their remaining two games but it does seem likely that the north Londoners will have to settle for Europa League football next term. This is by no means a terrible achievement for Tottenham, especially after the loss of Harry Kane, but it does highlight their need to continue improving their squad this summer.
Recently, Tottenham have been linked with a number of attacking options. Spurs are said to be one of the clubs who have been in contact over signing RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo – who is thought of as a potential bargain despite being valued at around £56 million. They are also believed to be one of several teams interested in Genoa’s talented Icelandic attacker, Albert Gudmundsson, ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, while those players would no doubt improve Tottenham, it appears Ange Postecoglou would prefer to strengthen at the other end of the pitch. The Australian tactician spoke at length earlier in 2023/24 about his desire to sign a centre-back:
“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at,” said Postecoglou on Spurs signing another centre-back. “With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club.
“So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit into what we’re trying to build here. I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”
Tottenham join Liverpool in race to sign 22 y/o defender with “huge potential”
Now, it appears as though Postecoglou may finally get his wish when it comes to shoring up his backline.
This comes with Football Insider reporting that Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Tottenham, West Ham and Crystal Palace all sent scouts to watch Brest defender Bradley Locko on Friday as they weigh up moves to sign him this summer.
The French left-back has been a standout player for the Ligue 1 club this season, providing three assists in 33 league games, as they close in on a place in the Champions League.
The report adds that Brest are bracing themselves for offers to sign Locko and are unlikely to reject any sizeable bids that may come in to acquire his services this summer. The 22-year-old is currently valued at around £9m by Transfermarket, with sources stating earlier this week that Premier League trio Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham see the defender as having “huge potential”.