Tottenham Hotspur have now submitted an enquiry to sign FC Barcelona defender Eric Garcia, with Thomas Frank personally an admirer.
Spurs lost their second game on the bounce on Saturday afternoon, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at home against Chelsea, and the overall performance was extremely disappointing, recording an xG of just 0.10, their lowest total on record.
They would've lost by a greater margin too, if it hadn't been for Guglielmo Vicario, with the goalkeeper putting in a top display, making seven saves from inside the box and preventing 2.17 goals.
Frank came out to defend two of his players after the match, saying: "We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence who are doing everything they can. They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated."
Van de Ven has been particularly impressive, most notably scoring a brace in the 3-0 victory against Everton last month, but the manager is now looking to sign a new centre-back.
Tottenham make enquiry to sign Eric Garcia
According to a report from Spain, Tottenham have been enquiring about a deal for Garcia for the past few months, with Frank viewing the defender as perfect for his system, given that he is able to play the ball out from the back.
Chelsea are also in the race for the Spaniard, but he is now set to put pen to paper on a new contract with Barcelona to extend his stay beyond 2026, which is news that has come as a shock for the interested Premier League clubs.
With the 24-year-old committed to his boyhood club, Spurs will have to move on to alternative options ahead of the January transfer window.
The north Londoners will no doubt be very disappointed to have seemingly missed out on the centre-back, given that Frank is personally an admirer, while he has also received very high praise from Xavi in the past.
The former Barcelona manager said: "Eric is extraordinary. I value him a lot, he is important to us. He plays in a very complicated position because, at Barca, a centre-back is always exposed. But he is a role model in the dressing room and we value him a lot."
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The 19-time Spain international has also performed very well over the past year, showcasing his passing, tackling and even goal-scoring ability on a regular basis.