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Report; Tottenham £20m Deal Deadline
Ange Postecoglou signed Radu Dragusin at Tottenham in January but has made it clear he would like further additions in the middle of the defence – and a current Premier League star could be targeted.
Indeed, the Aussie gaffer made it clear in a recent press conference that despite the signings of Dragusin and the very impressive Micky van de Ven, Spurs will remain in the market for another central defender.
With Cristian Romero no stranger to a suspension, and van de Ven suffering a few injury issues this term – Spurs will want more cover than just Romania star Dragusin. It also gives Postecoglou back-three options.
Spurs have come a long way and the likelihood is that whether they finish in fourth or fifth come May, they will have Champions League football on offer. That will be a fantastic bargaining tool to use in talks.
Tottenham still want to sign Bournemouth star Ilya Zabarnyi
During Antonio Conte’s reign as manager, Ukraine defender Ilya Zabarnyi was a surprise – and unknown – name on the Italian’s wishlist. Spurs never made the move and he joined Bournemouth in January 2023.
He has gone on to shine for The Cherries, after a difficult first few months, Just five outings came his way in his initial six months. But since then, he has been a regular – especially since the arrival of Andoni Iraola.
Described as “unbelievable” by Bournemouth teammate Philip Billing, the £20m addition remains on the radar at Tottenham as per Football London. Bournemouth will be desperate to keep him at The Vitality.
What will come as a barrier for Spurs too, is that Zabarnyi initially cost £20m – and given he is now a regular at a Premier League side, still young and first choice for his country, he will cost a massive fee.
What does Zabarnyi interest mean for Tottenham’s Ben Davies?
While Zabarnyi is a right-footed centre-back, throwing another body in at centre-back only pushes Wales ace Ben Davies further out of the Spurs picture. He’s already second choice to left-back Destiny Udogie.
At centre-back, Davies will have found he is behind Romero, van de Ven, Dragusin and then Zabarnyi. Davies is also due to enter the final 12 months of his contract at Spurs. An exit is deemed quite likely.
So, if Spurs do bring in Zabarnyi from Bournemouth, then it surely sees the end of Davies in a Tottenham shirt. Leeds have been touted as a possible suitor for Davies, where Joe Rodon currently resides on loan.
With promotion on the horizon for Daniel Farke’s Leeds side, Davies could be tempted by a move to Elland Road – who currently boast four Wales players. Zabarnyi joining pushes Davies closer to an exit.
