Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked with new centre-backs but do they really need one?
According to a recent report from Daily Telegraph, Swansea City have slapped a £30million price-tag on Alfie Mawson amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur, but Spurs may already have a player in their ranks who could step up and do a job in the back line next season.
Cameron Carter-Vickers may be unproven in the Premier League, however the young American has played above his age level for his entire career to date, excelling for Tottenham’s under-23 side when he was just 16 and looking every inch a star-in-the-making.
With Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier and (for now at least) Kevin Wimmer all on Tottenham’s books, their need for an additional defender is not vital, especially as Ben Davies can also operate as a left-sided centre-back, and their manager Mauricio Pochettino would be wise to look at Carter-Vickers and invest the money it would take to sign Mawson elsewhere.
Now 19, Carter-Vickers is ready for the step up, and he should be given the chance to play alongside Vertonghen and Alderweireld over the summer to build his confidence and ensure he continues to learn what it takes to become a top class centre-back.
Mawson’s talent is undeniable, and at 23 he fits the model of a Tottenham signing, but would his arrival help or hinder the American teenager’s own long-term development?
Pochettino has made no secret of his respect for Carter-Vickers’ talent; now is the time to prove it, saving a significant amount of money in the process.
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