With the club officially announcing James Maddison’s arrival, Tottenham can move on to its next transfer priority, signing a first-choice centre-back to line up beside Cuti Romero.
Wednesday was a bonkers transfer day for Tottenham, who secured James Maddison’s signature for £40 million. It was the best-case scenario for a club that has experienced more than its fair share of recent tumult.If the excitement and anticipation were audible, as I’m sure it is in some pubs worldwide, it would reach a near-unparalleled decibel level.
Next on Tottenham’s rebuild agenda, though at the moment it looks nothing like a rebuild and more like a team preparing to contend for a Champions League spot, is in the middle of defence.
While several potential targets are on the club’s radar, the shortlist is comprised of three individuals: Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven, and Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo.
Spurs are still deciding whether to purchase Clement Lenglet for an expected £8.6 million. But even if they make a deal with Barcelona, Lenglet will be used as a squad player, adding to Spurs’ central defensive depth.
Tottenham has also shown interest in Juventus’ Gleison Bremer. However, Juventus has slapped an asking price of up to £70 million on his head, leaving Tottenham no choice but to pivot to a more affordable, better dollar-for-value option.Let’s start with the tale of the tape for those directly in Tottenham’s crosshairs:
Edmond Tapsoba
90.7 percent passing accuracy
67.1 percent forward passing accuracy
90.6 progressive passes
64.7 successful defensive actions
79.3 percent defensive duels won
48.1 percent aerial duels won (a slightly worrying stat)
88.8 progressive runs
4528 minutes played in 2022-23
Micky van de Ven
57.7 percent passing accuracy
65.5 percent forward passing accuracy
33.3 progressive passes
11.7 successful defensive actions
29.2 percent defensive duels won
49.9 percent of aerial duels won
88.7 progressive runs
3486 minutes played in 2022-23
Tosin Adarabioyo
72.1 percent passing accuracy
49.3 percent forward passing accuracy
80.2 progressive passes
41 successful defensive actions
73.6 percent defensive duels won
71.8 percent aerial duels won
77.3 progressive runs
2678 minutes played in 2022-23
Now for a breakdown of each player’s qualities, price tag, and probability, from one to three, of moving to north London:
