Tottenham have been handed a boost in their pursuit of a £25 million centre-back as his manager opens the door for Spurs to make a move in January.
Lange draws up winter transfer shortlist
Buoyed by new sporting director Johan Lange, who joined the north Londoners from Aston Villa on November 1, Ange Postecoglou's side appear set to tackle the winter window in search of more options. Injuries and suspensions have crippled Tottenham's squad in the last nine days, with Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Micky van de Ven all unavailable right now.
Postecoglou is minus almost his entire preferred backline, not to mention a star playmaker. They've lost two Premier League games on the spin in their absence, so it's safe to say Spurs quite simply need more depth in their squad if they're going to qualify for Europe.
A new left-footed central defender is on Lange's agenda as we head into January, with Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly, Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey and Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi all linked with moves to Spurs recently.
Pochettino has "opened" Spurs door for Chalobah
Another name liked by Spurs, according to reports in the last few weeks, is versatile defender Trevoh Chalobah.
The 24-year-old, according to Fabrizio Romano, is "90%" likely to leave Chelsea in two months. This sentiment is now backed by Football Insider, who say manager Mauricio Pochettino has told Chalobah he's no longer wanted. As a result, the Argentine coach has "opened the door to a potential Spurs switch" for Chalobah in January.
Despite being adored by past Chelsea bosses, it appears the Englishman's future is far away from Stamford Bridge, and Spurs are a very credible destination as they hunt for new defensive options.
Chalobah praised by Lampard
Chalobah has been out and unavailable this season with a muscle injury, but when he's fit, the likes of Frank Lampard believe the player is truly a "delight" to have.
“He’s such a selfless lad. He doesn’t say ‘I want to play in this position," said Lampard.
“Maybe (his best position) will become apparent, but I think he’s played really well in a back three for the club. (He had) a really good period when he first got into the team, he can play well as a centre-back in a back four and at right-back. The bigger picture is the way he’s been applying himself since I’ve come back.
“He’s a delight to train with every day because he comes in with an enthusiasm, low maintenance, and when you talk about the things you want, he tries to do them on the pitch, which is a great thing. In my short period here, you look at what are the games and the individual players, I’ve been very happy. I was looking forward to working with Trev because I didn’t get that chance when I was here before.”
Romano also says that Chalobah is likely to cost a very affordable £25 million for Spurs or any other interested suitors in January.
