Everything was going smoothly for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, as if it was almost going too well. And that proved to be exactly the case, with the Lilywhites going from an unbeaten start to three consecutive losses and a growing injury list in the Premier League. Postecoglou is finally seeing the issues that previous managers had, as Spurs’ lack of squad depth continues to be exposed.
Defeats against Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa – in a game that saw Spurs line-up without a true centre-back – have left the North London club out of the top four. It’s no surprise that recent results have shocked Spurs into transfer action, with reports suggesting that the Lilywhites are targeting one position in particular.
Spurs transfer news
After losing Harry Kane in the summer window, Spurs did well to recoup and go again, splashing the cash to welcome the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario, who have all enjoyed excellent starts under Postecoglou. What they failed to do, however, was add some depth in their backline, even after losing Davidson Sanchez late on in the window. And that has left them without an out-and-out senior centre-back after just two absences.
According to reports in Spain, Spurs are one of the main contenders in the race to sign Antonio Silva, who reportedly has a release clause of €100m (£86m) at current club Benfica. The North London side are reportedly joined in the race by Manchester United and Barcelona in what will be a tight battle to land the defender’s signature in the summer window next year. Those at Spurs reportedly see Silva as a player with impressive potential, who can add competition to Postecoglou’s backline both in the short-term and long-term.
Spurs must go all out to sign “talented” Silva
At just 20-years-old, Silva could be set to have the world at his feet with a number of options to choose from in the summer window. Spurs will hope that he chooses North London over Manchester, however, if they decide to push on and secure a deal. Silva’s stats prove that he’d be more than capable of stepping into Postecoglou’s side and keeping up with the likes of Van de Ven and Romero.
Player | Progressive Carries | Progressive Passes | Tackles Won | Blocks |
Antonio Silva | 10 | 43 | 18 | 23 |
Cristian Romero | 11 | 60 | 15 | 13 |
Micky van de Ven | 9 | 34 | 12 | 7 |
Given the numbers, it’s little shock that Silva has been at the centre of praise from Benfica manager Rodger Schmidt, who said, via TalkSPORT: “Antonio is 18, but when you see him on the pitch, he doesn’t look that age.
“It was obvious in pre-season that he is a talented player and that he is already a professional player who is able to withstand the pressure playing for the Benfica first team, and he has shown it many times this season.”
