Tottenham Hotspur could need to improve their defensive options in the summer amid speculation over Toby Alderweireld’s future.
One of Mauricio Pochettino’s main tasks this summer may well prove to be signing a new defender amid speculation concerning Toby Alderweireld’s future at Tottenham.
Sky Sports reports that he is available for £25 million at the end of the season after a clause in his contract was triggered. Spurs fans would obviously prefer to have the Belgian stay, but Pochettino also needs to be prepared for his departure.
Tottenham will still have a lot of quality in defence if Alderweireld moves on, so perhaps Pochettino can afford to take more of a gamble in the market in the hope of being able to use the majority of his transfer budget on other areas of the squad.
And after Spurs’ most recent result, perhaps the player that Pochettino should look to take a risk on is Southampton’s Jan Bednarek as he continues to prove his doubters wrong at St Mary’s.
Bednarek endured a slow start with the Saints. But under Ralph Hasenhuttl, he is proving exactly why the Premier League club decided to sign him in a £5 million deal in 2017 (via Daily Echo).
The 22-year-old is quickly becoming the Saints’ best central defender, and is arguably the player who has enjoyed the greatest transformation under the current boss.
Like Hasenhuttl, Pochettino relishes helping young players realise their full potential. And Bednarek’s recent form suggests that his potential could see him become a seriously special talent in the future, especially when you consider how quickly he has turned his fortunes around on the south coast.
Of course, Bednarek is not yet at the level to make up for Spurs losing Alderweireld if he does leave. But the promise that he has shown in recent weeks hints that he could be capable of following in Alderweireld’s footsteps by making the step up after an impressive time with the Saints.
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