Tottenham failed to strengthen their attack as planned over this summer and didn’t succeed in bolstering their backline either. Spurs went into the transfer window knowing Toby Alderweireld’s future was uncertain, but they didn’t manage to locate a replacement and it’s led to another area of the squad being depleted.
Mauricio Pochettino has Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth to choose from at centre-back, but Foyth has been injured and Sanchez is filling in at right-back. Vertonghen was dropped from the starting eleven early into the season too. Tottenham don’t have enough depth in defence and botched signing cover over the summer.
The Lilywhites have been linked with a move for Joachim Andersen (Sampdoria), Robin Koch (SC Freiburg), William Saliba (Arsenal), Michael Keane (Everton), Ozan Kabak (Schalke 04) and Nathan Ake (Bournemouth) among others but didn’t manage to get one player over the line. Alderweireld and Vertonghen will be out of contract next summer, so Spurs need to move quickly.
Replacing the Belgian duo won’t be an easy task and could cost a tidy sum, however. Pochettino has Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier who can fill in at centre-back this season, but he needs Daniel Levy to be prepared for Alderweireld and Vertonghen’s potential departures in 2020.