Tottenham are looking to strengthen the defensive spine of their squad.
Tottenham Hotspur have already agreed contracts with both Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson to join on free transfers from Bournemouth and Liverpool, respectively. It looks like they want more than Senesi and Robertson to address the defensive problems in Roberto De Zerbi’s squad.
Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu has been linked with a move to Spurs. The 25-year-old has emerged as one of the most coveted defensive talents heading into the summer transfer window, thanks to his impressive performances in Serie A. The centre-back chipped in with two goals and seven assists in 48 appearances this past season.
However, Juventus narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification, which has led to speculation surrounding the Frenchman’s future. Pierre Kalulu is believed to be highly sought after by De Zerbi, who wants to bring him to N17 this summer. However, there has been a huge development around the player.
Juventus up their ante to tie down Pierre Kalulu to new deal
According to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Juventus are aware of Tottenham’s interest and are pushing to tie Kalulu down to an improved long-term deal before any offer is tabled. The versatile defender is contracted until June 2029, but the Turin giants want to extend that agreement to at least 2030 with an option for a further year and increase his salary from the current €2.5 million per season to around €3.5 million.
Negotiations have started, but the two parties remain apart. This is because Kalulu’s camp are seeking closer to €4 million plus bonuses. In this current scenario, a sale remains unlikely but not totally out of the question. That’s down to Juventus facing pressure to generate transfer funds to counterbalance the loss of Champions League revenue.
In reality, though, a move away from the Allianz Stadium looks improbable given Kalulu’s status in Luciano Spalletti’s side. The Lilywhites have been monitoring his progress for quite some time as they look to rebuild their defence ahead of next season. A player of the French international’s versatility, pace, physicality and technical ability would have been an ideal fit in De Zerbi’s system. At 25, he would have been a strong option to potentially replace Romero in Tottenham’s first XI.
Now that Juve are working hard behind the scenes to tie Kalulu down to a new deal, Spurs must turn their focus elsewhere to strengthen their defensive ranks.