‘The closest’: Boss suggests he’s set to sign star Tottenham reportedly wanted to replace Vertonghen

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Cagliari coach Eusebio Di Francesco has suggested to Sky Italia that his side are closing in on signing reported Tottenham Hotspur target Diego Godin.

Tottenham have been linked with Godin on multiple occasions in the build up to the summer, with Jose Mourinho said to have identified the Uruguayan as a potential replacement for Jan Vertonghen.

The Daily Mirror were first to report on the links, when they picked up on Tottenham’s interest back in April.

However, it seems that Spurs will now miss out on the central defender – with Cagliari close to landing the experienced international from Inter Milan.

“Let’s bring them in first and then we’ll say what they can bring to the squad. The closest at this moment is Godin, according to what the team has told me,” Di Francesco said.

The news may come as a blow to Tottenham, as they still haven’t got a deal for a central defender over the line this summer.

Mourinho is thought to want to strengthen his back-line, but Tottenham are yet to find a suitable replacement for Vertonghen.

Godin certainly would have ensured that Spurs did not suffer from losing Vertonghen’s experience, but whether he would have been a wise choice to sign at this stage of his career is very much up for debate.

Godin has been one of the best defenders in world football previously, but he is now 34, and there are question marks over whether he would still have the pace to perform well in the Premier League.