Tottenham could battle Aston Villa in the race to sign German defender Matthias Ginter this summer, according to Lyall Thomas.

The Lowdown: Defensive reinforcements needed?

Steven Gerrard could be a busy man this summer ahead of his first full season in charge at Villa Park.

Reports have suggested that eight players could be moved on from the Midlands, with Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa’s futures under scrutiny.

Should the pair depart, Villa would be left with just two senior centre-backs and then surely need to dip into the market, where it looks as if Ginter could be the first major deal.

The Latest: Thomas’ post

Sky Sports reporter Thomas took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to provide an update on Ginter. He confirmed that Villa are ‘interested’ in Ginter on a free transfer, with Premier League rivals Tottenham and West Ham also watching the World Cup winner this season.

“Aston Villa among the clubs interested in Matthias Ginter on a free transfer, acc. to Sky Germany. Separately, I'm aware he has been watched by a lot of top clubs this season including Juventus, Tottenham and West Ham.”

The Verdict: Sign

Gerrard is looking to take Villa to the next level, and bringing in an experienced centre-back on a free transfer could be an ideal move.

Ginter, who can also play as a full-back and in midfield, is valued at £21.6m and has bundles of top-flight experience in Germany as well as in European competitions and for his country. [Transfermarkt]

He appears to be a man in demand, so securing his services for nothing over the coming months could prove to be a coup and shouldn’t impact the club’s big £150m summer spending plans.

In other news: Gerrard and Lange now eyeing another free transfer for 'superstar' attacker.