One of the main tasks for Tottenham's next head coach and new managing director of football this summer will be to fix the team's defence. Spurs have shipped goals for fun of late and that has resulted in them falling out of Champions League contention in the process.
Having found themselves five goals down after 21 minutes at Newcastle United just over a week ago following an unacceptable start to proceedings, they then went and conceded three in fifteen minutes at Liverpool last Sunday. While the Lilywhites did manage to get back into the game at Anfield before eventually losing, they are making life ever so difficult for themselves at the moment.
So much needs to be done at the club in the summer to get the team back on track after falling behind in recent years, with defence very much at the top of the priority list heading into the summer transfer window. In the market for a left-sided centre-back 12 months ago with Alessandro Bastoni and Josko Gvardiol heavily linked with a switch to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs in the end couldn't formalise a deal for either player and instead struck an agreement with Barcelona to sign Clement Lenglet on loan.
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The Frenchman has featured regularly in his first season in N17 but he is not a player that is going to transform Tottenham's backline. Spurs' struggles at the back this season can be seen by the fact they have conceded 57 goals in 34 Premier League games.
The most by some way out of the teams in the top half of the league table, five teams in the bottom half have conceded less than the Lilywhites. That in turn just increases the pressure on Harry Kane and Co. upfront to get the job done and it doesn't bare thinking about where Tottenham would be in the table if it wasn't for the striker's goals.
There is so much to do in terms of Spurs' defence as a number of players could quite easily head for the exit door on a permanent basis. With a return to Barcelona for Lenglet looking likely unless the club decide to sign him permanently, Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon could all leave for good to feature regularly elsewhere.
Eric Dier's current form and costly errors at various points across the season are also set to hand the new coach and managing director of football a decision to make over the England international. Ben Davies is one player who should remain as he has performed well in the back three and he can provide cover if he is not going to be in the starting XI going forward, while it is vital that Cristian Romero sees an upturn in form as his levels have waned massively in 2022/23 after an outstanding first year at the club.
There really is plenty to do in order to bring Tottenham's defence up to the required level if they are to compete towards the top of the Premier League and also challenge for trophies. One player who has been linked with Spurs over the past 12 months is Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, with football.london reporting in the past that the club are big admirers of the talented centre-back.
Signed from Chelsea in the summer of 2021 for £18million after impressing on loan at Swansea City, the 22-year-old has come on in leaps and bounds at Selhurst Park and has become a pivotal player in their side. Captaining the Eagles on occasions and also wearing the armband in the past for England Under-21s, the England international's leadership skills would certainly be most welcome at Tottenham if they do make a move for him ahead of the summer deadline.
Guehi would not come cheap if he is to depart Crystal Palace in the summer and he would go for considerably more than the £18m the south east London club paid Chelsea two years ago. CIES Football Observatory value the Palace man at €50m (£44m), which gives an indication of how much it could cost Tottenham to entice him across the capital
Earning plenty of plaudits in his two seasons with Crystal Palace, Tottenham fans, as well as Daniel Levy, will have the opportunity to take a closer look at him on Saturday when the sides go head-to-head at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Forming a very good partnership alongside Joachim Andersen, the pair will have to be at the top of their game with Spurs improving going forward under Ryan Mason and having Kane and Son Heung-min in good form at present.
football.london understands Arsenal are also interested in Guehi this summer, thus meaning it could potentially be a straight shootout between the north London clubs to sign the talented centre-back. Signing Guehi would be a good start for Tottenham if they can clinch a deal for the Chelsea academy graduate, but this season to date has demonstrated that plenty more needs to be done in defence if they are to move forward as a club once again.
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