South American defensive talent emerges as a target for Tottenham.
Tottenham Hotspur have already completed the signings of defenders Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth, respectively. The experienced Premier League duo will bolster a backline that conceded close to 60 Premier League goals this previous campaign.
However, Spurs are nowhere near being done when it comes to revamping their defensive unit. They are in talks to sign Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke. Having struck personal terms with the player, the Lilywhites must now agree a fee with Brighton, who are notoriously difficult to negotiate with.
Tottenham are hoping to wrap up a deal for Van Hecke before the Netherlands kickstart their World Cup campaign against Japan on June 14. Surprisingly, links with another central defender has now emerged.
River Plate starlet Lautaro Rivero on Tottenham’s radar
According to La Pagina Millonaria, Tottenham are among several clubs monitoring River Plate talent Lautaro Rivero’s situation. AS Roma, Udinese and Tigres are also credited with interest, with sources close to the player believing a move to Europe would be the preferred next step in his career.
Lautaro Rivero has established himself as a first-team regular at River Plate under Eduardo Coudet. He has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring a goal. The one-cap Argentina international has a contract at River Plate until December 2029, which is protected by a €100m release clause.
However, the report adds that River Plate are open to considering offers between €7m and €10m for the highly-rated defender.
Spurs must pounce on the opportunity to sign Lautaro Rivero
In Marcos Senesi and Micky van de Ven, De Zerbi has two left-footed centre-backs. Highly-rated Luka Vuskovic, who enjoyed a stellar loan campaign with SV Hamburger in the Bundesliga, is also of the same profile. This makes it completely redundant for the North Londoners to pursue another left-footed centre-half this summer.
However, when it comes to Rivero, an exception can be drawn. Yes, he is a young, talented left-footed profile, but his club are open to selling him closer to €10m. This is a price that should be peanuts for Tottenham looking to build a team not only for the present under De Zerbi, but also for sustained success in the future. Given his high potential, the Lilywhites simply cannot miss out on his services.