£41m centre-back now open to leaving club after Tottenham express interest

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly entering the market for new centre-backs in January, and one target is now becoming more tempted to leave in 2025 as Spurs add him to their shortlist.

Spurs target new centre-back after triple injury blow

As things stand, Radu Dragusin is manager Ange Postecoglou’s only natural senior central defensive option right now – with trio Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies all sidelined through injury.

Postecoglou has been forced to deploy versatile summer signing Archie Gray at centre-back to partner Dragusin in the last few games as a result, and while the teenager’s done well in a very unfamiliar role, Tottenham’s current injury crisis has exposed the lack of depth in their squad.

Speaking ahead of their blockbuster Premier League clash at home to Liverpool, Postecoglou dropped a transfer hint and suggested that Spurs could go into the market for more experienced players to complement the likes of Gray.

“Moving forward, we probably need to err on the side of getting a little bit more experience, just to help the group, because we’ve got very few at that kind of sweet spot in terms of ages,” said Postecoglou in his latest press conference.

“And we want to give the guys in their teens or early twenties the opportunity to keep growing. We need to make sure we put quality around them, so how we allocate the next resources may shift a little bit. But I’d hate to be sitting here now and saying we had an opportunity to sign Archie Gray at 18, and we passed it up because maybe we could have got a player who helps us for a couple of years.”

Postecoglou has held recruitment meetings with technical director Johan Lange ahead of January, by his own admission, and reports suggest that Spurs could go after a fresh centre-back option.

There are many potential options for Spurs in this regard, with French newspaper L’Equipe claiming that Tottenham have entered the race for RC Lens starlet Abdukodir Khusanov, who his club are attempting to sell in the winter as they attempt to raise funds.

Postecoglou has also asked Tottenham to consider a move for Getafe’s Omar Alderete, as per Spanish media sources, and they’re also believed to hold an interest in Feyenoord star David Hancko.

David Hancko open to leaving Feyenoord as Tottenham eye move

The Slovakia international was a key player for Arne Slot during his time at Feyenoord, and has continued to be a mainstay, but he’s now considering a fresh chapter away from the Eredivisie side.

That is according to TEAMtalk and journalist Rudy Galetti, who report that Hancko is open to leaving Feyenoord as Tottenham express an interest in signing him.

This transfer appears to be more likely for the summer as things stand, though, and despite contrary reports of a reduced price tag, TT write that Hancko will cost around £41 million to sign in 2025.

That being said, the 48-cap star has a glowing reputation and could be worth the investment, especially if Postecoglou is after proven reinforcements at the back.

“He is so stable and can basically do anything. I just think he is a top defender all-round,” said ex-Feyenoord ace Tim de Cler to SoccerNews.

“I think he can easily handle a club just below the top six in Europe. Then I’m talking about a club like Atlético Madrid or Liverpool. He can certainly handle that.”