With Toby Alderweireld expected to leave this summer, Tottenham had been linked with a move for Joachim Andersen as his potential replacement. The Londoners could be turning their attentions elsewhere, however, with Mohamed Bouhafsi of RMC reporting on Thursday that Spurs are lining up a bid for William Saliba.
Andersen has been continually linked with Tottenham and recently spoke out about his desire to move on from Sampdoria, but it doesn’t appear that Mauricio Pochettino is willing to bring him to London. Saliba could now be their No.1 target after Arsenal’s bid for the 18-year-old was rejected.
Pochettino currently has Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth to choose from at centre-back, but the 47-year-old could be short on options in 2020 as Alderweireld & Vertonghen are out of contract in 12 months. Eric Dier could be a makeshift defender but signing a new player is a more likely option for Tottenham.
One issue with Saliba, however, might be his age. The AS Saint-Etienne man won’t turn 19 until March 2020 and may not be a ready-made replacement for Alderweireld. Saliba could have a bright future under the right guidance, but he may need serious development before he’s a regular in the first-team.