Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with Bournemouth over a deal to sign defender Ilya Zabarnyi, according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook.
Thomas Frank is keen to strengthen his squad this summer after taking over as manager this summer, and so far he has brought in highly-rated Japanese defender Kota Takai, while a deal to bring in Mohammed Kudus has also been completed.
But the club are still keen to further bolster their defensive options, and they are now looking to rival Paris Saint-Germain for a top young defender in Zabarnyi.
Willing to pay £60m for the Ukraine international
Zabarnyi, who has been described as an 'elite duel winner' and 'unbelievable' by former teammate Phillip Billing, was a standout performer for the Cherries in the 2024/25 season and formed a solid partnership alongside Dean Huijsen.
The Spaniard has already moved to Real Madrid this summer, and Paris Saint-Germain have been keen to add the Ukraine international to their squad - but so far have struggled to find an agreement with Bournemouth due to their £60m asking price.
Now Spurs are looking to steal a march on their rivals for the defender's signature, and according to Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio the north London club would be willing to reach the asking price to get a deal done.
Tottenham currently have Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven and Kevin Danso as natural centre-back options in their first-team while Archie Gray and Ben Davies have also played there last season.
But Romero has been strongly linked with a move to Atletico Madrid this summer, and Zabarnyi's arrival would ensure that they aren't weakened in the position if he does end up going.
The club also remain keen on bringing in Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White after agreeing to pay his £60m release clause, but the deal is currently being held up by Forest's threat of legal action due to what they deem to have been an illegal approach.
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