Tottenham interested in signing 26-year-old Serie A star; club asking for €25-€30 million
According to Italian outlet Tutto Juve, Tottenham Hotspur have expressed interest in signing talented 26-year-old centre-back Federico Gatti from Juventus.
The right-footed central defender who wears the #4 for the Old Lady is one of those players who is at the right age to make a move to a top Premier League club. He isn’t inexperienced, having made 63 appearances for Juventus but at 26, he is yet to enter what are usually considered the prime years for a footballer.
Gatti has even been capped three times by Italy, which in itself is quite an achievement considering the number of high-quality centre-backs on their roster. He might not be the most flashy player going around but he knows what it takes to get the job done.
Understandably, Juventus know his valuation and have set an asking price of €25-€30 million to part ways with the defender. In today’s day and age, that is quite a fair valuation for a player of Gatti’s ability and most top clubs are unlikely to get put off by it.
With a contract until 2028 (Transfermarkt), Juventus could make life difficult for any buying club should they wish to do so as the ball is firmly in their court. However, the Italian giants are ushering into a new era under the impressive Thiago Motta and Gatti doesn’t feel like a player who would fit into his plans.
On average, any top English club participating in domestic as well as continental competitions are likely to have to play over 50 games over the course of the season. With Spurs qualifying for the Europa League, having a quality squad is imperative.
Not every signing a club makes needs to be that of a sure-shot starter as it is the likes of Federico Gatti who make a difference between a well-rounded squad and a thin squad. This isn’t to say that the 26-year-old cannot be a starter but he is unlikely to usurp either of Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven from their starting roles.
Last season, Ange Postecoglou was forced to field the likes of Emerson Royal in central defence when both Romero and Van de Ven were missing at the same time due to injuries. With all due respect to the Brazilian, he is a full-back out and out and was a fish out of water when put in an unnatural position.
Yes, Tottenham made the course correction midway through last season by bringing in Radu Dragusin who has been having an impressive Euros 2024. That said, one look at any of the top clubs in the world will tell you that they have a minimum of four quality centre-back options in the squad if not more.
Gatti would be the latest addition to a long line of signings that Spurs have made from the Serie A in recent seasons. It would be a valuable addition for the right fee and let’s wait and see how serious the club are about getting this deal over the line.
