'Able to spend more' - Tottenham backed as front-runners to land £25m-rated Leeds United star

Tottenham will look to add more defenders during the summer transfer window, as they have struggled with depth in the back line this season.

The likes of Radu Dragusin, Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero have all seen injury problems this season, meaning that manager Ange Postecoglou has had to play 18-year-old Archie Gray as a centre-back.

Gray is more of a natural midfielder, but his versatility has been key for Spurs this season. He was signed from Leeds United in the summer, and Tottenham could now look to add one of his former teammates to their defence.

Tottenham and Feyenoord linked to Leeds star

As Tottenham begin to draw up a list of defenders to target in the summer transfer window. Fresh reports have linked them to Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk, who has been one of the best players in the Championship this season. Struijk has made 30 league appearances for Daniel Farke’s side, scoring five goals, the majority of which have come from set-pieces, something that could be very useful for Spurs.

According to a report by Football Transfers in the Netherlands, Feyenoord have ‘initiated contact’ with the 25-year-old as they want to sign a centre-back to replace David Hancko, who looks set for a big-money move in the summer. However, the report suggests that the Dutch side are set to face competition from Tottenham for the Leeds defender, who are more likely to spend bigger on Struijk than Feyenoord.

A figure of around £25 million was touted in December for the Leeds defender, and his price is only likely to increase as the Yorkshire club look set to earn promotion back to the Premier League, meaning that they could be more reluctant to sell in an attempt to avoid relegation next season. The higher the asking price, the better for Tottenham (within reason), as Feyenoord won’t be able to afford as high a fee than Spurs, so it would put them in pole position to land the 25-year-old.

Struijk could be a cheaper Guehi alternative

Tottenham are set to make a move for a centre-back in the summer transfer window, much like they did in January. They made a £70 million bid for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who has also attracted the attention of Chelsea and Newcastle United. Many reports suggest that Tottenham will be keen to make an improved bid for the England international in the summer.

However, with Profit and Sustainability Rules in place, Tottenham may be reluctant to spend so big on one player, especially considering that they have a few positions of need to address in the summer. They could instead opt to sign Struijk, who would cost considerably less than Guehi, and provide them with a centre-back who is more than capable of playing high-quality Premier League football.

For your next Tottenham read, Spurs are set to rival Newcastle to sign a £40 million-plus striker.