Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race for an "excellent" player, who is also being targeted by AC Milan and one of their Premier League rivals.
Spurs keen on new defender after Bournemouth defeat
Tottenham suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday afternoon, coming up short in a 1-0 loss at home to AFC Bournemouth, and Thomas Frank wasn't impressed with his side's defensive performance.
The Spurs boss criticised his side's ability to deal with balls in-behind, saying: "Not a shock if I'm honest but not what I expected. I hoped for more. We played against a good Bournemouth team. I don't think we handled the balls behind and the second ball game very well for whatever reason.
"They play behind as soon as they can and have willing runners. A few passes and they play the ball behind. That's difficult to play against.
"In football, it goes so quick. We can still find good bits but overall, it's not a good performance."
Defensive issues plagued the north Londoners throughout the 2024-25 campaign, given that Ange Postecoglou was known to be uncompromising on his attacking principles, but Frank is well-known to be more pragmatic.
As such, the Dane's side have kept two clean sheets in their opening three Premier League games, but the manager still remains keen on bringing in another centre-back, who could provide competition for Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.
That is according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Tottenham have now moved into pole position in the race for Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji, who is also being targeted by AC Milan and Crystal Palace.
Crucially, Spurs have Champions League football on offer this season, which gives them a key advantage over rival suitors in the race for Akanji's signature, and City are only looking to receive a fee of €15m (£13m) plus bonuses.
"Excellent" Akanji could be solid signing for Spurs
Lauded as "excellent" by The Telegraph's James Ducker, the 30-year-old has proven himself in the Premier League over a number of years, making a combined 59 appearances for City as they secured back-to-back titles in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.
The Switzerland international's experience could make him a solid signing for Frank, and his versatility would also be of great use, with Pep Guardiola praising his player for being able to play in a multitude of positions.
Guardiola said: "He is a lovely guy, can play in different positions. Normally a central defender but (he can play) right back, holding midfield. He is open minded, well educated, so intelligent."
Although Akanji is now 30-years-old, he would be a low-cost addition to the Tottenham squad at just £13m, and the defender's versatility would make him a useful option for Frank, in what is set to be a congested campaign.