Tottenham are facing a defensive dilemma after Real Madrid planned a destructive raid and Bayern Munich exercised a centre-back’s release clause.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has sought for another centre-back addition, despite already having Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Radu Dragusin.
In March, Cristian Romero stated: “If you’re asking, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, well, it’s an area we will probably look into.
“With all of these activities, the goal is to strengthen the group more than anything else. When I originally joined at the club, there were probably six or seven centre-backs. So it’s not all numbers.
“It’s more about those guys’ ability to play the type of football we want and fit into the culture we’re trying to create here.
“I believe this is an area of the park that we will want to strengthen, but I believe we will look to strengthen all aspects of the park before the end of the season. That’s been planned, and other people are in charge of it right now.”
Unfortunately for Postecoglou, Tottenham may soon need two new centre backs.
Madrid makes touch with Cristian Romero.
ESPN Argentina first reported Madrid’s interest in Argentine World Cup winner Romero.
Contact with the 26-year-old’s camp has already been established, and Los Blancos president Florentino Perez is seriously considering mounting an offer.
The allure of joining one of Spain’s big two has frequently proven too much for South American talents to turn down in the past, much to the dismay of several Premier League clubs.
If that wasn’t awful enough, Bayern Munich had activated the release clause of a centre-back whom Tottenham had shortlisted.
Bayern Munich sign Hiroki Ito.
Numerous sources in Germany, as well as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, have reported that Bayern have activated Hiroki Ito‘s €30 million/£25.5 million release clause.
The Japan international plays for Stuttgart and had lately emerged as a Tottenham transfer target, but it now appears that the 25-year-old left-footer is on his way to Bayern Munich.
Bayern and Ito are negotiating personal conditions on Wednesday night. The deal is nearing completion, and no last-minute controversy is expected to derail it.
Bayern are looking to improve their centre-back ranks this summer and have put Matthijs De Ligt, a Manchester United target, out for sale.
The German behemoth is reportedly interested in Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea‘s Levi Colwill.
Despite Ito’s upcoming arrival, a move for one of those two players remains on the table. However, it is thought that there is a significant difference in Bayern and Leverkusen’s estimations of Tah, who is the pair’s primary target.
Nonetheless, the release clause makes it significantly easier for Bayern to sign Ito.
The news of his departure to Munich will raise alarms in north London, especially if Real Madrid decides to pursue Romero.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich‘s second bid for Fulham destroyer Joao Palhinha has been rejected.
Bayern have already agreed personal terms with the Portuguese midfielder, but negotiating a fee with Fulham is proving difficult.
Fulham are said to value Palhinha at roughly £60 million, and Bayern have yet to come close to matching that price.
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