Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou wants the North London club to bring in another centre-back during the summer transfer window as Spurs are short in this area of the pitch.
The Premier League outfit signed Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg last summer as part of a £43m deal and the Dutch star was exceptional during his first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 23-year-old partnered Cristian Romero at the heart of Spurs’ defence but there are some concerns over the duo. Van de Ven spent a lot of the season on the sidelines through injury, while the World Cup winner is not the most disciplined defender in the Premier League.
These issues have caused the pair to miss matches and according to Football Insider, Postecoglou wants another centre-back to back them up as he was forced to play full-backs in the role at times throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Tottenham signed Radu Dragusin in January to help ease the burden of Van de Ven and Romero, and heading into the summer transfer window, the North London outfit have been linked to several central defenders.
Tottenham’s centre-back targets
According to Football Insider, Tottenham are interested in bringing Nottingham Forest’s Murillo to North London this summer as the centre-back impressed at the City Ground this season as part of a struggling team.
The Brazilian would be a top signing for Spurs and given that he is only 21, the Forest star is one for the present and future.
A report from the German outlet Bild states that Tottenham are also keen on VFB Stuttgart’s Hiroki Ito, who has a €30m release clause in his current contract.
The 25-year-old played a key role in the Bundesliga club finishing second in the league this season and his ability to play left-back will also be a big attraction for Postecoglou.