With Cristian Romero’s future up in the air, Tottenham Hotspur might need to dip into the summer market and sign a brand-new centre-back.
Romero could leave Tottenham despite winning the Europa League after Spurs’ famous 1-0 win against Manchester United recently.
Atletico Madrid are keen on signing Romero in the summer to bolster their defence.
It’s safe to say that replacing the World Cup winner will be a tall task for Tottenham Hotspur, as he is the leader of their backline.
Tottenham target Jarrad Branthwaite could be another Micky van de Ven
However, The Times have reported that Jarrad Branthwaite is one of the options on Tottenham’s shortlist.
In Branthwaite, Spurs could sign a defender who is not just stylistically similar to Micky van de Ven but could be another success story just like the Dutchman has been since moving to North London.
Much like Van de Ven, the Englishman is one of the best young centre-backs in Europe, renowned for his incredible athleticism, calmness with the ball at his feet and intelligent reading of the game.
While Ange Postecoglou’s future at Tottenham is uncertain, Branthwaite would allow the Australian to play his signature high line due to his searing recovery pace and ability to defend out wide if the 59-year-old keeps his job.
Tottenham have tracked Branthwaite for ages, who much like Van de Ven is the modern centre-back, capable of not just defending in wide areas but inside the box as he has often had to as a part of Everton’s deep block.
Branthwaite is valued at £50 million by Everton, who expect him to leave in the summer, which is good news for Spurs.
Considering Van de Ven signed for the Lilywhites at the same age as the former Carlisle colossus (22), the latter could be an addition who could aid Tottenham in the present and the future.
Jarrad Branthwaite stats compared to Micky van de Ven
However, Liverpool are scouting Branthwaite as well and considering Arne Slot’s side won the Premier League last season, they could potentially have an advantage over Spurs in the race to sign him.
Tottenham will be analysing Branthwaite’s stats in comparison to Van de Ven to see how he stacks up against arguably their most consistent centre-half.
The numbers show that when it comes to tackles, interceptions and clearances, the Everton gem has the edge on the former Wolfsburg speedster.
However, Van de Ven has attempted more passes (65.44 as compared to 42.94) and progressive passes (5.1 in comparison to 2.37) than Branthwaite per game over the past year; which indicates that the 24-year-old plays in a far more ball-dominant side than Branthwaite.