Tottenham’s five top transfer needs to address this summer
4. Centre back cover
This all comes down to which version of Kevin Wimmer you believe in. If you think his time filling in for Jan Vertonghen two years ago is the real Wimmer, then you’re happy to keep him and deploy resources elsewhere. If you’ve watched him play during the last 15 or so months, you fervently believe the position must be upgraded.
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I have to confess I’m a bit torn, but I’m starting to lean towards purchasing a more proven commodity to replace Wimmer. In particular, Pochettino should be pushing to acquire another centre back if he plans to play a back three frequently next season.
Yes, Eric Dier is capable of filling that role, but he clearly prefers to be deployed in the midfield. That means Pochettino must either rely on Wimmer or purchase someone new. The Argentine gaffer clearly doesn’t trust the Austrian so the answer to this problem seems pretty obvious.
A young, proven Premier League player like Michael Keane would have been perfect, but that ship has sailed. Pochettino may prefer a more athletic player who is more comfortable with the ball at his feet. Typically, that means purchasing a centre back abroad. Look for Tottenham to be linked with more and more European defenders in the coming days.