Tottenham Hotspur are making “concrete moves” to sign star Roma defender Roger Ibanez, according to reports out of Italy.
What’s the latest Spurs transfer news?
The north Londoners are still identifying summer transfer targets, despite the lack of both a permanent manager and sporting director.
Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici both recently departed Spurs with chairman Daniel Levy on the hunt for their respective replacements.
Benfica talent-spotter Rui Pedro Braz is said to be attracting major interest from N17, meanwhile the Lilywhites have also completed the due-diligence stage of their manager search – holding interviews with both Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique (Evening Standard).
In terms of players, there are a few who remain heavily linked with joining Spurs. Leicester City star James Maddison, for instance, is viewed as a prime target for the club and reports suggest Levy is pushing to get a deal done behind-the-scenes.
Tottenham are also looking to bolster their defensive ranks, leading to interest in Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, with Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres also being targeted according to recent claims.
As well as La Liga and the Premier League, it is believed Levy could also look to Serie A for defensive reinforcements, as Spurs take a fondness to Ibanez.
According to newspaper La Repubblica, via giallorossi.net, Tottenham, Newcastle and Atletico Madrid are all eyeing a move for the 24-year-old.
It’s added that all three sides are making “concrete moves” for Ibanez, with Spurs officials even attendance to run the rule over him last Saturday.
Jose Mourinho’s side named a valuation for their star defender – which is set at around £26 million – as his contract is set to expire the season after next.
What could Ibanez bring to Spurs?
The central defensive ace has dazzled under Mourinho overall this campaign – ranking as their fourth-best Serie A performer by average match rating according to WhoScored.
Ibanez also stands out in key defensive stats, making more interceptions per 90 than any other Roma player domestically, with Chris Smalling being the only teammate to eclipse him in terms of clearances made (WhoScored).
Only Bryan Cristante has averaged more tackles per 90 than the Brazilian – not to mention he boasts the highest pass accuracy (88%) of any Roma regular (WhoScored).
Former Roma fullback Vincent Candela even recently claimed he can become “one of the world’s best defenders” – though he needs to work on his concentration.
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