Serie A side eyeing replacements for Tottenham target; summer transfer possible

Tottenham receive surprise boost in their pursuit of Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi

Tottenham have already turned the loan deals for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso into permanent acquisitions, and they are now closing in on the signing of highly-rated Japanese defender Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale.

Spurs faced enormous problems at the back this past season. From an injury crisis to hugely inconsistent performances, former boss Ange Postecoglou had to face it all. Barring Pedro Porro, every single defender faced a period on the sidelines—a prime reason why the North Londoners were so porous defensively and managed clean sheet in single digit over the course of the Premier League season.

While Postecoglou has been sacked and replaced by Thomas Frank, the club chiefs have made it a priority to bolster the Dane’s defensive department. Their decision has been accentuated by Cristian Romero’s uncertain future. Now, Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso also wants to sign Romero this summer, and if he departs, Spurs would certainly need to replace him in the roster.

As a result, the Lilywhites have earmarked Bologna’s Jhon Lucumi as a potential replacement for Romero. The Colombian international was hugely impressive for Bologna last season, as they ended a 51-year trophy drought by defeating AC Milan 1-0 in the Coppa Italia final. He made 44 appearances in all competitions, netting a goal.

Now, it looks like Spurs have been given a boost in their chase of Jhon Lucumi. According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Bologna are trying to sign Daniele Ghilardi from Hellas Verona following his impressive performances at the Under-21 European Championships. For the Serie A side to sign Ghilardi, they will have to offload at least one defender and Lucumi appears likely.

Tottenham are not the only Premier League keen on the 26-year-old’s services. The likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton and Aston Villa all have been monitoring his situation, while interest is also potentially anticipated from the Manchester clubs. The left-footed central defender has a release clause worth €28m that is valid until July 10th, which his suitors must be wary of.

The Rossoblu have been a selling club in Serie A, a model which has worked efficiently in the last few years and allowed them to continue evolving. With Lucumi’s contract expiring in 2026, they perhaps feel this is their best chance of getting a decent fee.

In Ashley Phillips and Luka Vuskovic, Spurs have two extremely talented young centre-backs returning from strong loan spells at Stoke City and KVC Westerlo, respectively. Add the potential acquisition of Takai and they’d have a strong core of young defensive prospects. However, they are all inexperienced at the highest level, and with Micky van de Ven injury prone and Radu Dragusin having started his rehab from an ACL rupture, Frank cannot rely on the current crop of centre-backs.

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This makes the addition of Lucumi an absolute necessity, but with several clubs vying for his signature, we must hurry up and pay his paltry €28m release clause.