A new left-sided centre-back is very much a priority for Tottenham in the summer transfer window as Fabio Paratici looks to add to the squad. Seeing the position as somewhere they should target back in January, the plans were instead shelved and put off for six months.
Tottenham currently have plenty of defensive cover on the right and at the heart of defence, yet they are rather light on the left with Ben Davies the only natural for the role. So who exactly should Spurs' managing director of football be looking to sign before the summer deadline to solve the position for good? football.london takes a look.
Pau Torres (Villarreal)
Torres was tipped for a summer move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021 but a transfer never came to fruition. Having helped Villarreal qualify for the Champions League after their Europa League final success against Manchester United, the Spain international instead elected to remain with his hometown club rather than making the switch to England.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte has already outlined to Fabio Paratici the Tottenham summer transfers he wants
Unable to offer Torres football in Europe's premier competition following their failure to finish in the top four for the second successive campaign, Tottenham may be able to offer it this time around if they pip Arsenal to fourth. A left-sided centre-back and one of Europe's most highly-rated young defenders, Torres can fill the position Paratici and Antonio Conte want to address and also help the team form a mean backline in the process.
Giovani Lo Celso may help Tottenham out in a deal for the 25-year-old as the Lilywhites could offer the midfielder to Villarreal on a permanent basis going on how successful his loan spell at Estadio de la Cerámica has been.
Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan)
One option for Paratici and Conte this summer could be to move for Inter Milan defender Bastoni. Conte knows him very well having worked with him for two years at the San Siro, while Paratici will also know about him due to his time in Serie A.
The 23-year-old has been a regular for Inter this season but he has been linked with a move away from Milan. Given Inter may need to move a couple of players on once again this summer in order to bring in funds, Spurs could try their luck to sign the Italian international. Bastoni has waxed lyrical about Conte in the past and he would no doubt jump at the chance to play for him once again.
Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan)
Staying with Inter Milan, De Vrij could also be a defender Conte and Paratici consider ahead of next season. The Dutchman may be a right-footed centre-back but he does operate on the left for the Nerazzurri.
Spurs' transfer policy is to buy young players and mould them into future stars, with De Vrij not quite fitting their policy due to the fact he turned 30 in February. However, the Spurs boss has made it clear he wants experienced players and the ex-Lazio man could be the ideal player for him given he has worked with him in the past.
Perhaps a cheaper option than others due to his age, Daniel Levy could get quite a good deal if Inter are going to need to move players on again in order to balance the books.
Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig)
Gvardiol has made quite a name for himself in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, thus coming to the attention of a number of Europe's biggest clubs in the process. Linked with Chelsea and Tottenham, his current side may do well to keep hold of him over the coming months given how well he has been performing.
Joining RB Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb for just over £16million, the German side would already be able to make a significant profit on the 20-year-old if they decide to cash in on him this summer. Gvardiol, who can also operate at left-back, may be young but he already has 100 senior appearances to his name after making his senior bow as a 17-year-old, with the player scoring two goals and registering three assists in his 44 appearances for his club this term.
Definitely one for the future, the Croatian international would be a very shrewd acquisition on the left of the back three.
Sven Botman (Lille)
Tottenham will have to move quickly if they want to clinch the signing of Botman from Lille amid reports he will be heading to AC Milan. Playing a huge role in Lille winning the Ligue 1 title in 2020/21, the Dutchman was tipped to depart the French club last summer but instead remained rather than heading elsewhere.
However, it only seems like a matter of time until he does move on. Botman, who has also been linked with Newcastle United, has a big future ahead of him and he would certainly help take Spurs' backline up another level.
Lisandro Martinez (Ajax)
Another left-footed centre-back Tottenham could consider is Martinez at Ajax, a player Cristian Romero knows well as he is a fellow Argentina international, the 24-year-old has excelled during his time in Amsterdam.
Linked with Manchester United and Barcelona this summer, it probably won't be long before the player is on the move from Ajax. One thing that could really help Spurs out is that they do have an excellent relationship with the Dutch club having signed Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen and Davinson Sanchez from them in the past.
