Tottenham Hotspur being linked with highly-rated defenders have been some of the most persistent talks in recent times.
Italian source Il Tempo state that the north London club are keeping tabs on Lazio centre-back Stefan de Vrij. Yet the route to secure his signature is not all clear as a number of European big boys such as Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan are monitoring his situation too. The Italian club have stamped a £34 million valuation on their key star, yet a significant drop in value is expected as his current deal would expire in 2018.
However, the aforementioned clubs are clearly backed with a fundamental financial clout, therefore Lazio could see their price-tag be matched once the bidding war takes place.
The Holland international has only made 14 appearances this campaign as a lengthy injury bite off a serious chunk of playing minutes. He made most of his name at his former club Feyenoord where he racked up 154 matches and held the captain’s armband for a brief spell. For his country, he has racked up 30 caps and was a familiar face through the ranks.
At 6’2”, he possesses a strong physique and governs the backline with aerial prowess and leadership. Praise-worthy attributes for a central defender but Spurs do have such qualities by the names of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. The pair has developed into one of the best centre-back partnerships in recent times and extended their commitment to the club not long ago.
On the other hand, Vertonghen and Alderweireld are currently in the medical room after picking up injuries in recent weeks. While Tottenham finds themselves 3rd in the league and 9 points adrift of table-toppers Chelsea. This situation outlines that a stopgap is much needed at the moment, rather than an expensive purchase to unseat any of the starters if a full squad is available.
Besides that, Mauricio Pochettino can still pluck from the depth with reliable deputies like Kevin Wimmer and Ben Davies. Emerging youngster Cameron Carter-Vickers may be the lowest in the pecking order but is equipped with quality to defy his tender age.
If experience remains a sticking point for the former Southampton boss, he has Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier to call upon to occupy the heart of defence. Having forked out a considerable amount of money in the previous window and not tasting many benefits, forking out immense money for unnecessary addition is always next to futile.
Next up for the Lilywhites in the league, is an away trip to the Stadium of Light to face relegation-battling Sunderland. A collection of three points is expected after a hard-fought 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
