Tottenham Hotspur are now closely monitoring Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, viewing him as an ideal fit in Thomas Frank's system.
Frank has set out to improve Tottenham's defence since succeeding Ange Postecoglou as manager in the summer, with Gary Neville claiming they have made improvements at the back after the recent 3-0 victory against Everton.
Neville said: "They did things certainly last season they weren’t capable of doing, and that’s being reliable when they’re not playing well.
"Can they withstand pressure? Can they soak up teams putting balls into their box? They did that today. I think they defended really well."
Spurs are faring much better than last season in the Premier League, despite the 1-0 loss against Chelsea on Saturday, having taken 17 points from their opening 10 games, and Micky van de Ven has caught the eye, scoring a brace against Everton.
However, Van de Ven is now attracting attention from elsewhere, which could pose a problem for the north Londoners, who have set a minimum asking price of £88m amid interest from Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Tottenham closely monitoring Jarrad Branthwaite
With their captain being linked to other clubs, Tottenham are now looking to sign a new centre-back, and a report from Caught Offside has revealed they are closely monitoring Branthwaite, viewing the defender as an ideal fit in Frank's system.
The Toffees are extremely reluctant to sanction a departure, but they have set an asking price of £70m, which means a deal could be possible if Spurs are willing to break their existing transfer record.
The 23-year-old, who remains under contract until 2030, is happy at Everton for the time being and not pushing for an exit, but interest is growing, with Manchester United also in the race for his signature.
Injuries have hampered the Englishman as of late, meaning he is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League this season, but he has certainly caught the eye in the past, notably putting in a top performance against Spurs in 2024.
The Carlisle-born defender is now very experienced in the Premier League, having made 75 top-flight performances, and he averaged a 7.02 SofaScore match rating last term, the fifth-highest of any Everton player to feature in at least 50% of their matches.
Branthwaite is at a good age to be a long-term success at the Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium, but £70m would be a lot to spend on a player who hasn't proven himself at the highest level, with the centre-back yet to play for England or in the Champions League.