da bet sport： Tottenham Hotspur have had one phenomenal transfer window but chairman Daniel Levy could make it even better with a swoop for one mooted target.
da doce： Both of the full-back positions have been upgraded with the signings of Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguillon whilst the north Londoners finally have a proper defensive midfielder for the first time since Mousa Dembele’s exit in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
They’ve even brought Gareth Bale back to the club and have signed a back-up to Harry Kane with Carlo Vinicius joining on loan.
If Jose Mourinho had a checklist, you’d imagine 80% of it has been ticked off, though one position still needs to be strengthened and with the transfer window slamming shut later today, that could prove difficult.
The Lilywhites have been linked with Inter Milan colossus Milan Skriniar for several weeks now, but Levy does not want to sanction a move with the asking price set at €60m (£54m).
This could prove to be an unforgivable mistake as it does bear some similarities to that of Paulo Dybala last summer. No one at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium wants a repeat of that saga once again.
According to the Express (via TEAMtalk), Levy pulled the plug on a move for the Juventus attacker after securing a bargain loan-to-buy deal for Giovani Lo Celso.
It turned out to be a catastrophic mistake as Spurs suffered the absence of Harry Kane when he went down injured on New Year’s Day, crashing out of both the FA Cup and Champions League.
Only the Englishman’s return post-restart enabled Mourinho’s side to qualify for the Europa League.
Spurs need a centre-back, it’s that simple. They’ve lost Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth after having the second-worst defensive record of any top seven team last season.
Technically, only Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez are the only senior out-and-out options with midfielder Eric Dier now playing at the back whilst Japhet Tanganga is still largely inexperienced at an elite level.
Skriniar has drawn comparisons to both Martin Skrtel and Alessandro Nesta whilst he’s also been lauded as a “leader” on and off the pitch as well as being “particularly talented” and “elegant”.
If Levy fails to land the 25-year-old monster, then it’s a sour end to what was a hugely encouraging window.
AND in other news, Levy may have missed a trick with Lewandowski-like transfer target…