Aston Villa have now been joined by Tottenham in the race to sign Stoke City defender Harry Souttar, according to Football Insider.

Reports last week suggested that Villa have set their sights on raiding the Championship side in January for the Australia international.

Souttar still has just under four years remaining in his Potters contract and holds a career-high £3.6m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 22-year-old has been a regular under Michael O’Neill this season and has impressed with a 7.36/10 average WhoScored match rating.

But it appears as if Villa will now have to battle Spurs for Souttar’s services...

The Latest: Spurs join race

According to Football Insider, who were informed by a Tottenham source, Spurs are looking to beat Villa in the race for Souttar.

They have watched the centre-back on multiple occasions already this season and are keeping tabs on on his situation ahead of the January window.

The Verdict: Chukwuemeka 2.0

Villa and Johan Lange pipped Daniel Levy in the race to sign teenage forward Caleb Chukwuemeka over the summer, and the two may well battle it out again for Souttar in 2022.

Dean Smith bolstered his defensive ranks over the summer by bringing Axel Tuanzebe in on loan, however, he still has just four senior centre-backs on the books.

Spurs have five, so Souttar may get a better chance of first-team football in the Midlands over north London.

A transfer could well be one to keep a close eye on over the coming months, but it appears as if Villa need Souttar’s services more than Tottenham do.

In other news: 'Makes a lot of sense' - Many AVFC fans buzz at Gregg Evans' 'exciting' transfer news.