Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - January 23, 2022. RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol celebrates after the match.
TalkSPORT pundit Alan Hutton has been left thrilled as Tottenham Hotspur allegedly eye a move for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.
The Lowdown: Spurs making plans?
The Lilywhites have been backing manager Antonio Conte in the transfer market ever since he guided them to a top four Premier League finish last season.
ENIC green-lit a £150 million equity increase which Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici then put to good use, completing seven major signings in total.
Indeed, the north Londoners sealed moves for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and a permanent deal for Cristian Romero.
Despite their flurry of activity, Spurs have been linked with further interest in promising targets ahead of the January window.
The Latest: Hutton thrilled by Gvardiol links…
Speaking in an interview, former Scotland and Tottenham right-back Hutton has reacted to links with RB Leipzig sensation Gvardiol.
He explains that the 20-year-old would be an ‘upgrade’ on Conte’s current crop and raved over his ‘unbelievable’ ability.
Hutton explained to Football Insider:
“As long as Daniel Levy has got the money and he is willing to open the purse strings to spend on him.
“I think he is a fantastic player. We saw it against Celtic, his range of passing is unbelievable. He is left-sided, he is very comfortable. To bring someone like that in definitely enhances the Tottenham back line.
“It is going to be a lot of money there is no getting away from that. You are probably talking £80m plus for a player of his standards.
“If they want to go and compete at the highest level these are the markets they need to be working within. If they can get hold of him I think it would definitely be an upgrade.“
The Verdict: Marquee…
The Croatia international wouldn’t come cheap, so Paratici must get financial backing if he is to negotiate a move.
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Reports suggested earlier this year that Gvardiol could indeed command a price tag between £70-80 million (Jack Pitt-Brooke), a fee that would eclipse Spurs’ club record total on a single signing.
That being said, the starlet is clearly a stellar talent – having played a major role domestically for Leipzig last season.
As per WhoScored, Gvardiol ranked in their top three for tackles made, interceptions and clearances per 90 in the Bundesliga last season whilst finishing the campaign as their third-best performer overall.
He would undoubtedly be a left-footed central defensive upgrade, but the logistics of such a move could prove challenging.
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