Tottenham 'in race' to seal £17m towering defender transfer deal as Postecoglou seeks reinforcements
Tottenham are looking to add defenders following injuries to Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in a race to sign Udinese defender Thomas Kristensen, alongside Premier League rivals Leicester City.
The 22-year-old has made seven Serie A appearances so far this season, and a total of 33 appearances for Udinese since he joined from Danish side Aarhus in 2023 for £4.1m.
Ange Postecoglou is keen to add reinforcements in defence due to the lack of depth in his squad, especially at centre-back.
Both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero remain out injured and are expected to stay on the sidelines for a few more weeks. Ben Davies is also injured, meaning that Postecoglou has been forced to play 18-year-old midfielder Archie Gray at centre-back alongside Radu Dragusin.
It has been an ongoing issue for Spurs, as they have lost their last three games in all competitions, including a 6-3 demolition from league leaders Liverpool three days before Christmas.
Given that Van de Ven, Romero and Davies are all out with hamstring injuries, as well as left-back Destiny Udogie, some have suggested that Postecoglu’s insistence in playing a high back line - a tactic that sees the defence repeatedly rush back to intercept through balls - could be in part to blame for the current crisis.
According to Football Insider, Spurs could make a move for Kristensen during the January transfer window in order to add more depth and strength at the back.
The report suggests that the defender is valued by Udinese at £16.5m, and the Italian side could be tempted to sell with an offer within that region.
Spurs’ competition to sign Kristensen
The report states that Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City are also keen to sign the Danish defender as they aim to avoid relegation under the former Man United interim manager.
They currently sit 19th in the league table, just two points away from safety. However, Kristensen could be more keen on a move to the King Power Stadium, as the Foxes would be able to offer him more game time. But, a move to Spurs could warrant more opportunity in the future and the lure of European football.
The report also says that Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are also in the race to sign Kristensen. Xabi Alonso’s side are currently second in the Bundesliga, four points behind Bayern Munich. They would be able to offer the draw of Champions League football.
Tottenham could add several defenders in January transfer window
Postecoglou wants to significantly improve his defence after the halfway point in the season. Spurs have conceded 28 goals in 19 games so far, one of the reasons why they currently sit in the bottom half of the table.
The North London side also suffered the embarrassment of breaking the top tier’s record for falling 1-0 behind at home in a calendar year, doing so a staggering 15 times in 2024.
Spurs have recently been linked to former Chelsea centre-back and England international Fikayo Tomori, who is reportedly unhappy at AC Milan due to his lack of game time.
Furthermore, they have also been linked with Burnley defender Maxime Esteve, who was linked with both Everton and West Ham during the summer transfer window.
Esteve, 22, has played in every game for Burnley this season, helping them to second place in the table after 25 games. It is clear based on reported transfer stories, that Postecoglou could add more than one defender in January to help with Spurs’ injury crisis at the back.