Tottenham Hotspur are making serious moves in the transfer market as they edge closer to that elusive new striker but they’ll still need to add a centre-back before Monday’s deadline and it appears it’s a race for two names…
What’s the word?
According to Tuttojuve, Spurs have had a €30m (£27.3m) bid rejected for Juventus colossus Merih Demiral in the past week with Premier League rivals Everton also submitting a similar proposal.
The resurgent north Londoners have also been linked with a move for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar in recent weeks too. Football Insider claim that personal terms have been agreed with the 25-year-old and it is hoped that a £30m offer would be enough to secure him.
It remains to be seen how much it’ll take to prize Demiral away from the Serie A champions with the Turkish international valued at £24.3m on Transfermarkt, a year after costing €18m (£16.5m).
Forget Skriniar?
But who would be the better option? It’s no secret that Spurs have a dying need for a new beast at the back having lost Jan Vertonghen – that’s on top of having the second-worst defensive record of any top seven team last season.
Demiral, unlike Skriniar, isn’t the first choice for his club which could be a sign of encouragement for Spurs. He’s had to deal with injuries over the course of his Juve career but that shouldn’t put Daniel Levy off swooping for him.
In the past, he’s been likened to former Premier League great Nemanja Vidic as well as current teammate Giorgio Chiellini.
“He is a similar stature to the former Manchester United man. The Turkish international towers above most players, is physical, strong in the air and surprisingly technical with the ball for such a big man. He is a natural leader and cool under pressure.”
Emre Sarigul, Turkish football journalist
Over the course of his relatively short career, the 22-year-old has averaged 4.9 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 3.2 aerial duels won per game, via WhoScored, which only emphasises his imposing nature in the heart of defence.
Alanyaspor manager Sergen Yalçın once claimed that Turkey had their centre-back for the next 10 to 12 years, so might he join his international teammate Caglar Soyuncu?
Levy ought to consider another bid for Demiral before it’s too late, especially as their negotiations with his Serie A rival continue to rumble on.
AND in other news, £45m beast could become Mourinho’s new Drogba at Spurs…
