Tottenham Hotspur know they must fix a leaking defence as a priority for new head coach Ange Postecoglou in the summer transfer window.
Spurs conceded 63 goals in the Premier League last season, worse than all but five other teams in and around the bottom of the table. While Postecoglou's sides defend high up the pitch with their aggressive, relentless pressing, he will also need a back line he can trust for when the opposition play around or over that front foot defending.
Only four Premier League teams scored more than Tottenham last season - mostly thanks to Harry Kane's 30 goals accounting for almost half of their 70 - so the focus will mainly be on fixing the defence. That's not to say Spurs are not looking for a new midfielder - namely James Maddison - and a young winger of which you can find details in part one of our look at the club's summer transfer plans right here.
This part two is all about the defence and that starts with the man between the sticks as Tottenham finally have to replace long-time number one and captain Hugo Lloris.
The 36-year-old publicly announced his desire to leave for a new challenge after 11 years in north London and, despite having a year left on his contract, the club are not expected to stand in his way as long as they can secure their long-term replacement for the Frenchman. football.london reported last December that the plan was always to bring in a long-term successor for Lloris this summer but now those plans have been stepped up to find a more immediate heir.
Brentford goalkeeper David Raya sits high among the candidates to be his successor. The 27-year-old is not only a fine shot stopper but has the ability with his feet to fit Postecoglou's system, while his arrival in England at Blackburn Rovers as a 16-year-old means he is classed as homegrown.
READ MORE: James Maddison and Spurs' plans to help transform Postecoglou's midfield
The key aspects for a Postecoglou goalkeeper are someone who can get the ball rolling quickly, with little hesitation, in starting to build up possession from the back. You are unlikely to find one of the Australian's keepers kicking the ball long and while Raya can still improve in some areas of his distribution under pressure, his passing and ability to play within a high line will help Tottenham squeeze the space the opposition have to work in.
While Raya is said to be keen on a move to Tottenham, the north London club will not pay over the odds for a player in the final 12 months of his contract. Brentford are believed to be looking for £40million for the Spain international, while Spurs last summer paid an initial fee of £25million for Yves Bissouma who was in a similar contract situation at Brighton. The Bees have already signed Raya's replacement in Mark Flekken.
Speaking to The Times last week whilst on international duty with Spain, Raya said: "I know there are rumours about me leaving. There are some options for me to go but obviously Brentford are asking for a lot of money. That could make clubs not want to buy me, it could make them look somewhere else, but if that's the value they give me then it's up to them. I have a year left on my contract and until then I'm a Brentford player, there's nothing I can do.
"I have ambitions to make the next step in my career. I want to try to win titles and to compete in Europe in the next couple of years. I'm 27 now and I feel like I'm at the point in my career when I want to make that step up. There are options out there but it's not just my ambitions, the club also needs to let me go."
Manchester United are also said to be interested in Raya as well as England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, another player Spurs have monitored in recent years along with Dean Henderson as homegrown options as well as Brighton's Robert Sanchez. Pickford signed a new four-year contract with Everton just four months ago so will not come cheap for any potential suitors.
Tottenham have alternatives for Raya as they seek someone for the long-term to replace Lloris.
Among them, football.london reported back in December that the club had identified 22-year-old Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili as a potential successor for the Frenchman. The Georgian, who has a contract until 2027, is being heavily linked with making the move away from the Mestalla this summer.
Spurs have also had a long-held interest in 27-year-old Milan keeper Mike Maignan, although both the Frenchman and Mamardashvili have reported values in excess of what it would cost Spurs to sign Raya. Other names will no doubt come into the frame, with chief scout Leonardo Gabbanini looking across Europe and no doubt in his native Italy.
Then there is the centre-back situation at Tottenham. The club's biggest issue in the past two summers has been an inability to move defenders out of the door in order to realise plans to bring in two new centre-backs. Once again that is the aim this summer but there is an expectation that players will finally be moved on this time to create the space.
For the Postecoglou system, the club needs defenders who are brave on the ball, with a crisp short, sharp passing technique under pressure, strong in duels and in their marking with the mobility to play in a high line. They do not need to be lightning fast, but must have the anticipation and reading of the game required to deal with breaks and also be able to step up into midfield themselves as Spurs will squeeze that space available to the opposition.
Tottenham are understood to be looking for a couple of centre-backs who can play in both the left and right-sided roles in Postecoglou's central duo. Depending on the options available in the market, it could be that the club bring in both an experienced and younger centre-back to supplement the Australian's squad.
Once again much depends on who departs the club. Davinson Sanchez has been open to a move in recent windows in order to get regular first team football and with his contract now approaching its final 12 months, it seems a natural point for a parting of the ways between Spurs and their once record signing.
The 27-year-old has the pace to deal with Postecoglou's high line but there have often been question marks about his passing under pressure and that could be exposed in the new head coach's system.
Question marks continue to surround the future of Eric Dier. The 29-year-old is nearing the final 12 months of his contract with Tottenham after a disappointing season in which it was later revealed he played with a worsening groin injury from the World Cup onwards which finally required surgery last month.
The England international is expected to be fit for pre-season and it will be down to Postecoglou to decide what comes next for the centre-back and whether if he does remain he would still be a consistent starter.
Joe Rodon will also be looked at by the Australian but is likely to move on to get regular starts following his loan season at Rennes with interest in the 25-year-old Wales international's services both in the Premier League and Ligue 1.
Japhet Tanganga is in desperate need of first team football after another season with so little to his name. Clubs in Serie A have previously shown an interest in the 24-year-old. Both he and Rodon have two years left on their contracts.
It is unlikely that all four centre-backs would depart as that would only leave Cristian Romero and therefore a need for more than two new arrivals in that department.
football.london reported last summer that Spurs are big admirers of Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi and that remains the case.
The club have not taken their interest any further as of yet though and the main issue is understood to be the competition for his signature and the huge fee Palace would ask for the 22-year-old, who has three years left on his contract after another good season and suitors among most of the top teams in the Premier League.
Wolves' Max Kilman is another homegrown defender Tottenham have kept an eye on in recent seasons with the 26-year-old impressing under new boss Julen Lopetegui and good with the ball at his feet. Also within the Premier League, Spurs are said to be watching the situation of the out of favour Aymeric Laporte at Manchester City, although the 28-year-old is drawing the attention of Barcelona among others.
Spurs are also scouring Europe for new centre-backs, with an increased use of data and analytics to work out those who will flourish in the Postecoglou system, which is very different to the ones implemented before him.
The duo at the top of the old Fabio Paratici wishlist last summer for the Antonio Conte era - Josko Gvardiol and Alessandro Bastoni - were difficult targets back then and now appear to be completely out of Tottenham's market. football.london reported last summer that Manchester City were always deemed the favourites to sign Gvardiol and Pep Guardiola's side are now reportedly closing in on an £85million move for the 21-year-old Croatian as Laporte's replacement.
Bastoni had no intention of leaving Inter last summer and the Italian media have reported this week that after a season in which they reached the Champions League final, the Serie A side are expected to quickly tie up the 24-year-old's contract extension.
Another Croatian has been linked by the Italian media with Spurs this summer in the shape of Josip Sutalo, as has Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez.
Tottenham have previously shown an interest in Villarreal's Pau Torres, who has been linked with a move to Aston Villa this summer, Brazilian Gleison Bremer who moved last year from Torino to Juventus, and 20-year-old Ilya Zabarnyi, who made the switch to the now-managerless Bournemouth in January from Dynamo Kyiv.
One squad option for Spurs would be to bring back Clement Lenglet and it is a move that has not been ruled out at this stage within the club. The club announced the end of the 27-year-old's loan as a formality last week and the suggestions in Spain of Barcelona being willing to allow him to leave for a nominal fee could make it a simple deal for a player who has the technical ability to play for Postecoglou but would have to adjust to the high line.
While perhaps unlikely, Postecoglou might even look back to one of his and Spurs' former defenders in Cameron Carters-Vickers. While most Tottenham fans might remember the 25-year-old as a raw, occasional starter for them from the academy who was very much a work in progress and spent most of his time on loan, the Southend-born USA international developed in huge strides under the Australian head coach.
So big has been his development, there are plenty within Celtic who are stunned Spurs let him go in a £6million deal which could eventually be worth £10million with add-ons. Postecoglou has often lavished praise on the centre-back while admitting that playing in that role within his system is not an easy one. Carter-Vickers has plenty of interest from Premier League clubs and is expected to end up back in the English top flight at some point, even if it is not with Tottenham who rarely look back at old players.
In terms of current Tottenham academy centre-backs that Postecoglou could look at this summer in pre-season, the leading contenders are expected to be 18-year-old England youth international Alfie Dorrington, who signed a new deal this week at the club, and 20-year-old Estonia international Maksim Paskotsi who missed the end of a fragmented season with a back problem but is expected to be fit for pre-season.
When it comes to the full-back positions, unless an unmissable opportunity arises on the market to buy or sell, the sense is that there is enough to work with for the Postecoglou system.
On the right, there is Emerson Royal who has the engine to fit into the Postecoglou system while the Australian is understood to also like Pedro Porro, who - like him - is represented by CAA Base. The 23-year-old Spaniard's loan contains an obligation for a permanent £40million move to Spurs this summer. Postecoglou will likely work on Porro's ability to be a natural right-back but could also utilise him further up the pitch.
With fewer fixtures to share around this season, if Djed Spence cannot make a dent on the competition in pre-season then the 22-year-old will likely be handed the opportunity to head out for regular football for a full campaign.
On the left, Postecoglou has Destiny Udogie arriving from Udinese and tipped to make a big splash in the Premier League, the experienced and versatile Ben Davies, who can also fill in at centre-back, and Ryan Sessegnon, who is close to full fitness after a serious hamstring injury and is expected to be ready to hit the ground running in pre-season.
If Postecoglou does not expect Sessegnon to get much game time though during this campaign then the England U21 international will be allowed to leave, potentially on loan again to increase his confidence and his value with two years left on his deal.
Unless Postecoglou sees something in Sergio Reguilon, then the Spaniard is expected to move on this summer after a tough time at Atletico Madrid with injury while the veteran Ivan Perisic is being tipped to leave halfway through his two-year deal if another side can match his wages.
Tottenham's transfer priority is their defence this summer and ensuring they never have a season in which they concede so many goals again.
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