Tottenham have reportedly settled on which centre-back they will sign this summer to give Ange Postecoglou two outstanding back-up options for his first-choice pairing in north London.
Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven remain Postecoglou’s go-to options at the heart of his defence, although January signing Radu Dragusin showed his qualities when stepping for the last two games of the season.
The imposing Romanian started alongside Romero after Van de Ven switched to left-back against Manchester City and Sheffield United due to injuries to Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies.
The Dutchman impressed in that position, so much so that Postecoglou is considering expanding on that switch going forward as it allowed Spurs to have three big central defenders on the pitch to combat set-pieces, which have been a major problem for the team this season.
Italy has been a regular hunting ground for Tottenham in recent times, with Romero, Dragusin, Udogie and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario all arriving from Serie A.
And that number could be expanded again, as the latest reports from Italy suggest Tottenham are ‘convinced’ of a deal for impressive Torino star Alessandro Buongiorno.
The 24-year-old is expected to make a decision over his future soon, with Inter Milan, Napoli, Juventus and AC Milan also keen on securing his services.
There is strong competition from the Premier League though in the shape of Tottenham and Chelsea, with their spending power more than likely to win the day against their Italian rivals.
Tottenham firm favourites to land Italy ace
Torino’s asking price for Buongiorno will almost certainly be too high for the Italian quartet, with Il Toro demanding a figure of €40million (£34m) for his departure.
Buongiorno is expected to think about his future after the end of the season, as they have a final game against Atalanta on Sunday.
While there is still a small chance he remains in his homeland, Buongiorno has previously admitted that a move to the Premier League ‘appeals to him’.
Tottenham are likely to have scouts in attendance again for the final game of the season this weekend as they make formalise their plans ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer of ins and outs in north London.
Indeed, Spurs are looking to offload as many as 10 first-team players this summer, while Postecoglo is looking to bring in another defender, at least one midfielder and a world-class No.9.
Leave a Reply