Tottenham's defence is very much a priority position for Ange Postecoglou and the club's new managing director of football this summer. Spurs conceded goals for fun during the 2022/23 campaign, with the 63 they shipped in the league a major reason for the team missing out on European qualification.
That has to be put right immediately or else it will be another long season for everyone connected with Tottenham. Operating with a back three and wing-backs during Antonio Conte's time as head coach, Tottenham will revert to a back four under Postecoglou as his preferred formation is 4-3-3.
So what exactly could Postecoglou's dream Tottenham defence look like come the start of the new season? football.london takes a look below.
Porro must
Postecoglou has plenty of options when it comes to the right-back berth heading into the new campaign. Having Emerson Royal and Pedro Porro battle it out for a spot on the right towards the end of last term, the duo will have Djed Spence to contend with after his return to Hotspur Way from his loan spell with Rennes.
Emerson is perhaps the player better suited to operating as a right-back out of the trio as that is the position he has played in for the majority of his career. Spence does have experience of playing in the role, most recently during his time in France with Rennes, whereas Porro did struggle there defensively when utilised as a right-back in the embarrassing defeat at Newcastle United.
Postecoglou will no doubt work on Porro's play at right-back ahead of the season, with the Spaniard also handing the new boss the option to play him further forward if required given his qualities in the final third. If he can improve on his defensive play and excel in a back four amid his previous woes there, the January addition will be the standout choice to start. If not, it could be Emerson in the driving seat for the time being.
READ MORE: Premier League squad rules offer insight into Ange Postecoglou's first Tottenham transfer window
Laporte deal
Already possessing a top quality centre-back at the club in Cristian Romero, Tottenham need to find a player of similar quality to play alongside the World Cup winner. Step forward Aymeric Laporte.
Having to contend with a place on the Man City substitutes' bench for the vast majority of the season and only starting 11 Premier League games for the champions, the 29-year-old looks on course to exit the Etihad Stadium for a fresh challenge elsewhere.
Tottenham should be all over a move for the centre-back as he would immediately take the backline to a whole new level. The Spain international has a wealth of experience in the game and he is also a winner after lifting title after title with Man City.
Valued at £34million by CIES Football Observatory, Aston Villa have also been linked with a move for Laporte as well as Tottenham. The left-sided centre-back would slot in very nicely alongside Romero and ensure that the Lilywhites are not as weak at the back as they were last campaign.
Tottenham ideally needed to bring in another two centre-backs on top of Laporte, especially as players such as Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga, Joe Rodon and Eric Dier could all head for pastures new. Clement Lenglet could be an option to provide cover for Spurs' first-choice centre-backs, especially as he could be available for only £10million as mooted following his loan spell in north London, while Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi would be an excellent signing if they can strike a deal with the Eagles.
Centre-back transfer exits
There may well be a number of exits in defence ahead of the new season with many needing to head elsewhere for regular first-team football. One of those is Sanchez after playing a bit-part role for Spurs over the past couple of seasons.
It is no good for the 26-year-old Colombian international to be sitting on the bench week in, week out and he must exit for the sake of his career. It's time for both player and club to go their separate ways after six years.
The same goes for Tanganga after only seven appearances in all competitions last season. Missing out on an exit last summer amid interest from AC Milan, the former England Under-21 international is now at the age where he needs to be playing regularly.
Injuries have played a massive part in his lack of game time but he is someone who must depart in order to get his career firmly on track. Rodon could also find himself on the move again this summer following his time on loan with Rennes.
Just not getting the regular minutes he wants over the past three seasons, it is perhaps the ideal time for the Wales international to move on as he's not going to get the playing time he desires in north London. Finally, a decision needs to be made over Dier as he will soon enter the final 12 months of his Tottenham contract.
Delivering some good performances at times but also letting himself down with some sloppy displays, his football may well be limited next season if Postecoglou strengthens at the back. If he is to go, Spurs will need to find another leader to replace him with.
Udogie's time to shine
Tottenham fans are desperate to see Udogie in action after earning rave reviews in Italy. Signed as a player to take the left wing-back role to a whole new level, the Italy Under-21 international, who cost £15million, is going to have to operate as a left-back in Postecoglou's system.
The hope is that he will still be able to have a big influence in the final third after registering three goals and four assists for Udinese last term. Working under Tottenham's new manager could even spur him on to greater heights, which will hopefully be the case.
Ben Davies will provide cover for Udogie at left-back, although the Welshman could quite easily get a run in the team to begin with if Udogie is struggling to adapt to the English game. Decisions will then need to be made over Ryan Sessegnon and Ivan Perisic.
With injury hampering the former during his four seasons at Tottenham, the latter is not a left-back and an exit could be on the cards if Postecoglou doesn't want to use him further upfield. In terms of Sessegnon, a summer move may come to fruition as it doesn't appear that Tottenham will never see the version of the player that wowed at Fulham due to his unfortunate injury issues.
Postecoglou's dream Tottenham defence: Porro, Romero, Laporte, Udogie
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