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Tottenham: Whelan urges Lilywhites to sign Gvardiol in January
Tottenham Hotspur have been urged by pundit Noel Whelan to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol ‘no matter what the cost’.
The Lowdown: Tottenham target defender
Tottenham have struggled defensively this season, conceding more goals than over half of the teams in the division, and this poor record has now started to cost them points.
The Lilywhites had to settle for a draw away at Brentford, fighting back for a 2-2 in a game that they should have really been winning, and so it is now clear that they need to bring in a new defender.
According to The Athletic, Gvardiol is a potential target for Spurs in January, and Whelan has now delivered his verdict on why they should sign him.
The Latest: Whelan reacts
Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said:
“Spurs have got the training ground, the stadium, the fanbase, the facilities.
“They’ve also got a world-class, fantastic manager. That is everything you need to tempt someone like Gvardiol to the club.
“They’re sitting in a very healthy place in the Premier League, as well.
“Tottenham are crying out for a solid player to go next to Romero. He was a standout during the World Cup.
“They’ve conceded two cheap, terrible goals against Brentford, they’ve conceded first in their last six games.
“If I’m Conte, I’m steaming in and signing this player no matter (what) the cost. It could be the difference between getting Champions League football or not.”
The Verdict: Get it done?
According to reporter Florian Plettenberg, the centre-back has a £97.5m release clause in his contract, which becomes active in 2024, so Spurs would have to break the bank if they were to table an offer.
However, an improved defence is an absolute must for Antonio Conte, given his side’s awful record at the back so far, and you have to be prepared to spend big if you want to sign players of the highest calibre, a category that Gvardiol no doubt fits into.
Hailed as a ‘monster‘ by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the 20-year-old was Croatia’s fifth-best player at the World Cup en-route to their impressive third-placed finish, already displaying that he is capable of performing at the highest level, despite still being at such a young age.
The starlet is comfortable on the ball, attempting an average of 86.16 passes per 90 over the past year, while 1.82 interceptions per game places him in the 82nd percentile amongst positional peers, displaying that he also has the defensive competence to be a real marquee signing for Conte.
