Tottenham could raid the South American market for a centre-back in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur have had serious injury problems in recent weeks and months, affecting the team’s progress under Thomas Frank.
Spurs’ injury list grew over the weekend after Kevin Danso and Djed Spence were ruled out to face Manchester City at home. Additionally, Cristian Romero came off at half-time against Manchester City due to illness, while Micky van de Ven has missed the last two games with a minor issue.
Not to forget, Romero and Van de Ven, one of the best centre-back pairings in the Premier League, are coveted by European giants. Romero has been the subject of an eye-watering €100m bid from Real Madrid, while Liverpool are keen to sign Van de Ven in the summer.
In Luka Vuskovic, who is currently impressing on loan at SV Hamburger, the Lilywhites do have a talented young centre-back with high potential, but it looks like the Hotspur Way chiefs have started planning beyond the ongoing campaign.
Tottenham set to compete with Manchester United for River Plate talent Lautaro Rivero
According to a report from El Crack Deportivo (h/t TEAMtalk), Tottenham are battling Manchester United for the signing of River Plate defender Lautaro Rivero.
Lautaro Rivero has performed well for River Plate and has been called up to the Argentina national team. The young defender, who made 36 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign, has a €100 million release clause in his contract. The Argentine defender has been linked with a move away from River Plate in recent months.
The 22-year-old’s rock-solid displays at the back for his club have unsurprisingly gone unnoticed, with Manchester City understood to be in the mix as well.
From Tottenham’s perspective, Rivero could represent a long-term solution to their defensive woes. A centre-back by trade, he can also operate at left-back, much like Van de Ven. Comfortable in possession, tigerish in the challenge and a leader, the South American has the qualities to improve Spurs’ defence.
The Lilywhites will face stiff competition from Man United, who have reportedly taken the lead to secure Rivero’s signature. The Red Devils are also in search of reinforcements in central defence, with Harry Maguire out of contract in the summer and Lisandro Martinez sustaining two serious knee injuries in as many years. Plus, they possess the required finances to satisfy River Plate’s demands, although INEOS are unlikely to pay the player’s staggering €100 million release clause.
All in all, the race for Rivero is likely to heat up after the summer’s World Cup. It will be intriguing to see if he gets a big-money move to Europe.
