This summer window will be a pivotal one for Tottenham Hotspur. If Jose Mourinho is to stand any chance of turning the north London club around, he will need to get some players he trusts and can mould, in through the door. Recent noises out of Spurs, however, suggest their transfer kitty will be rather modest this summer.
Tottenham will therefore have to be extremely shrewd in the transfer market. One area Mourinho almost certainly plans on strengthening this summer is the defence, with Jan Vertonghen set to leave Spurs at the end of the season as a free agent. Here are four cheap centre backs who could make the move to north London.
Kristoffer Ajer
Comparisons have been drawn between Ajer and Virgil Van Dijk, and it’s easy to see why. Both players are physically imposing, both players are good with the ball at their feet and capable of bringing possession out from the back and both players have caught the eye while playing for Celtic.
Ajer is still only 22 years old, but has a wealth of experience under his belt for a player of that age having been a first team figure for Celtic since breaking through as a teenager. Most recently, AC Milan have been linked with a move for the Norwegian with the Scottish champions reportedly slapping a £20million price tag on the centre-back (as per Football Insider ).
Kim Min-Jae
Any centre back nicknamed ‘Monster’ is probably worth noting and it certainly seems that Kim Min-Jae is on Tottenham’s radar. The South Korean international has been linked with a move to north London (as per the Telegraph ), although competition for the 23-year-old might be stiff with Everton and Southampton also believed to be monitoring him.
The centre back has 30 caps for his country and is widely seen as one of the rising stars of the Asian game right now. His 6ft 3” frame gives him a physical presence that would surely appeal to Mourinho, while it is reported Beijing Guoan are looking for a fee of £13.5m for the player. That could represent a bargain.
Stefan Savic
While the other names on this list are that of promising, up-and-coming youngsters, Savic would provide Spurs with some genuine experience at the back. The Montenegrin has come a long way since his Manchester City days, when he failed to make the grade in the Premier League. Under Diego Simeone, he has become a key figure at Atletico Madrid.
Now 29, there have been reports that Atleti could sell Savic for £13.5m as they attempt to refresh their defence ahead of the 2020/21 season. Mourinho is reportedly keen on the centre-back (as per Todo Fichajes ) with Savic’s agent admitting: “If a good offer arrives, Savic will probably leave Atletico Madrid.”
Mohamed Simakan
Having made a strong impression with Strasbourg this season, Mohamed Simakan has been the subject of speculation linking him with a move to AC Milan (as per RMC Sport ). The 19-year-old is capable of playing at both centre-back and right back, something that would surely appear to Tottenham given their deficiency in both positions at the moment.
It’s reported that Strasbourg have placed an asking price of €15m on Simakan, making him something of a bargain.
But while Spurs might like the look of a cut-price deal, they would be making an investment in the future here. Simakan wouldn’t be the ready made first-team figure Mourinho likely wants.
