Given Daniel Levy’s reputation for scrimping and saving, it is something of a surprise to learn that Tottenham Hotspur have only signed one player on a free transfer since the arrivals of veteran trio Brad Friedel, Louis Saha and Ryan Nelson a decade ago.
But should Matthias Ginter put pen to paper in the summer of 2022 – when his contract with Borussia Monchengladbach expires – there is a case to be made that this would be one of the most inspired additions made by any Premier League club in recent transfer windows.
After all, it’s not often one of the most talented centre-halves in Europe is available for absolutely nothing.
Ginter is no 30-something has-been either; no crumbling, injury-prone, veteran ready to hang up his studs and put on the slippers.
At 27, the one-time Dortmund youngster is in the form of his life at Borussia Park, one of Germany’s few standout players at the European Championships and a man who, if he didn’t have just ten months left on his contract, would surely cost in excess of £40 million.
Could Ginter and Romero be a world-class partnership at Tottenham?
“Ginter has become a leader at the back in a similar way to (Sergio) Ramos at Real,” Germany legend Lothar Matthaus said last year of a man who has been tipped to succeed the Los Blancos legend at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“He doesn’t just give instructions to his teammates but leads them as well. That’s what Ginter is doing really well at the moment. He reminds me of Ramos.”
According to Calciomercato, a Real Madrid side who have also been linked with another German international contract-rebel in the shape of Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger are facing competition from Tottenham for Ginter’s signature.
After a season consisting of more defensive blunders than one of those ‘Own Goals and Gaffes’ stocking-filler DVDs, the prospect of Ginter partnering Cristian Romero at the heart of a new-look Spurs backline should have supporters drooling.
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