What Tottenham need to do before Monday's transfer deadline

 

Tottenham have enjoyed a wonderful transfer window as we near Monday's deadline. Rather than waiting until the death throes of the market, the north London side have brought in a number of established stars to bolster the squad. Matt Doherty is an upgrade on Serge Aurier, while Sergio Reguilon is a step up from Ben Davies at right and left-back, respectively. 

 

In midfield, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is a top quality addition and on the frontline, Gareth Bale's return has boosted Jose Mourinho's options and Carlos Vinicius has seen Spurs at long last acquire a backup for Harry Kane.  

 

Where they are weak 

 

In truth, Tottenham have done very well to rectify a number of problem positions from last season. The one final area of concern for the north London side remains at centre-back. Eric Dier's decision to revert to defender has seen him establish himself as first choice for Mourinho's side, and the real question is who partners the England international at centre-back. 

 

Toby Alderweireld boasts the top level experience and positional awareness that has seen him establish himself as one of the best in Europe, but he lacks the speed that Davinson Sanchez brings to the side. The jury is still out on the 24-year-old as he enters his fourth year in England, while Mourinho perhaps doesn't fully trust the Colombian. 

 

The departure of Jan Vertonghen and the exit of Juan Foyth means Spurs run the risk of going through the opening months of the campaign with three senior centre-backs, which could prove costly in their push for a Champions League return and silverware. 

 

The Transfer Targets 

 

As the transfer window ticks towards its closure, two targets stand out in Spurs' push to land a new centre-back. Milan Skriniar is the preferred choice of Mourinho, who is a huge fan of the Inter man, so much so that he pushed to sign the 25-year-old during his time at Manchester United. He remains the number one option for the north London side, but Spurs have options elsewhere. 

 

Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger is seen of a Plan B for Spurs, even when taking into account the bad blood between the pair. The German isn't wanted at Stamford Bridge and hasn't made an appearance for Frank Lampard's side this season, yet Chelsea are prepared to allow him to move from west to north London, provided he signs a new deal first. Reports suggest he refused to play against Spurs in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night and he is expected to leave before the transfer window closes, be it to the Premier League side or elsewhere. 

 

Who they should sign 

 

 

Milan Skriniar may be the more expensive option for Spurs, but there's a reason he is first choice whereas Antonio Rudiger is considered a Plan B. The Slovakian reads the game well and is a fine distributor of the ball from the back having made more accurate passes (4150) than any other defender since the start of the 2018/19 Serie A season.

 

Comfortable in a back three or a four-man defence, Skriniar would allow Spurs to operate in a particular system depending on the opponent and he is an immediate upgrade on the current options at Mourinho's disposal. Reports suggest Inter want €50m for Skriniar and after securing Vinicius' services, Spurs will now make one final push for the former Sampdoria man before 11pm on Monday.

What Tottenham need to do before Monday's transfer deadline