Tottenham and West Ham set for 'battle' over £20.7m-valued Champions League defender

Tottenham and West Ham could find themselves in a battle to sign a centre-back this summer, both reportedly considering the same player. Both sides could do with more depth at the back, with Spurs, in particular, having been given a stark reminder of their lack of depth this season.

The North London club have had an almost unprecedent level of injuries, spending long periods of time without Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, while Ben Davies has also missed parts of the season. Those three are now back in and around the team, but Radu Dragusin is out for the season having deputised over recent months.

More depth at the back will be viewed as key if Spurs have ambitions of competing for the top four next season, while West Ham will also have European ambitions next season. The Hammers have the fifth worst defence in the Premier League so far this season, and Graham Potter is going to want to overhaul his squad to put his own stamp on things.

According to TV Play, Juventus defender Federico Gatti is of interest to both London clubs, with the 26-year-old having been the subject of interest to West Ham previously. It’s claimed the Hammers tried to convince him to join them back in the summer of 2023.

The five-time Italy international has made 35 appearances for Juve this season, including 23 Serie A starts, and he is valued at £20.7million by Transfermarkt, but there are suggestions he could be sold for less than that amount.

The issue for both London clubs could be their lack of European football next season, providing Spurs don’t win the Europa League. Gatti played Champions League football this season, so it would be a step down to drop out of Europe, not to mention Juve are currently on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League, albeit the top four race is tight in Serie A currently.

Your next read, Pep Guardiola picks out Tottenham's most dangerous player