Tottenham are being linked with a move for a defender Igor Tudor knows well.
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Tottenham are now said to be interested in a centre-back that Igor Tudor has worked with previously. Spurs now have an interim boss in place until at least the summer, with former Juve boss Tudor arriving on a short-term deal to fill the gap left by the sacking of Thomas Frank.
Tudor has struggled with longevity throughout his career, so the deal being short term certainly makes sense. Spurs are likely to look for another boss ahead of the summer, but Tudor could convince them he is worth keeping between now and then.
Regardless, Tottenham will be looking at potential new signings ahead of the summer as they look to avoid having another domectic campaign to forget. Spurs have had back-to-back disastrous Premier League campaigns, and they cannot afford a third.
A number of areas will need strengthening this summer, and one of them is centre-back. Spurs already lack depth there, and not only is Ben Davies out of contract and likely to leave, but there are big question marks over Cristian Romero’s future, with the defender clearly not happy with how the club is being run.
It would be wise for Tottenham to sound out defensive targets now, and a report from TuttoJuve’s Mirko Di Natale suggests they may already be doing that. It’s claimed Tottenham may be interested in signing Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly, with interest from England the only thing likely to change the Italian club’s stance of not wanting to sell.
It’s claims Juventus would want between 40million and 50million euros to sell, which is £34.7million to £43.4million. The 27-year-old has made 21 Serie A appearances for Juventus this season, joining from Newcastle United on a deal worth around £15million last summer.
Tudor’s Kelly defence
Interestingly, new Spurs interim boss Tudor has previously worked with Kelly at Juventus, and he actually defended the centre-back against criticism from some fans. He said earlier this season while in charge of Juve: “ There’s been a lot of unfair judgment from the outside, a lack of objectivity. Since I arrived, he has always done well.
“People only said he was playing well after he scored two goals. But he was already putting in great defensive performances despite the small mistakes that everyone makes. Labels aren’t needed. He’s a humble guy, eager to improve. I’m pleased with him; he has to keep going like this.”