Tottenham have been linked with Burnley centre-back Maxime Esteve this summer.
Esteve featured in every fixture in the Championship for Burnley as former Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker guided the Clarets straight back to the Premier League.
The 23-year-old was part of a record-breaking defensive unit that let in just 16 league goals last season, keeping 30 clean sheets along the way.
The French defender was presented with Burnley’s Player of the Season award for his displays, which also caught the eye of Tottenham.
Esteve to sign a new contract with Burnley
Tottenham were linked with Esteve this summer as uncertainty around Cristian Romero’s future in North London continued to build.
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The former Montpellier player’s profile is an excellent match for Thomas Frank, as he is very technically proficient on the ball and possesses excellent defensive awareness.
Furthermore, the central defender is both quick and physically imposing, while his age profile would allow for plenty of further development under the Danish manager’s tutelage.
Esteve’s positive injury record primed him to pass a medical at Tottenham. However, Sky Sports have now reported that Esteve is on the verge of agreeing a new, improved contract with Burnley (25 July).
This will all but rule out any further pursuit from Spurs, who will likely shift their focus to other defensive targets this summer.
Spurs’ delay regarding Romero is costing them
It feels as though Tottenham have spent most of the summer waiting for a decision on Romero, which is skewing their focus.
Frank tiptoed around the subject in his press conference, while Spurs are continuously linked with big-money moves for centre-backs, which would only make sense if the Argentine were to depart.
The delay is now seeing targets like Esteve ruled out, and could result in them further missing out on Ilya Zabarnyi.
The Lilywhites must come to a final decision soon, and either commit to the World Cup winner or accelerate their pursuit of replacements before the saga threatens to cost the North Londoners any further.