Tottenham have made contact over the possibility of signing Juventus left-back Andrea Cambiaso in the wake of Ryan Sessegnon’s latest injury.
Which players are Tottenham signing in 2023?
The Lilywhites have been very active in the transfer window since Ange Postecoglou’s arrival, immediately securing the permanent deals of loan stars Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski.
Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison and Manor Solomon have also joined, taking the total spend well over £100million if you include the loan to buy deals, but Daniel Levy is showing no signs of slowing down just yet.
That is because attention has now turned to providing his new manager with reinforcements in defence, where Spurs were nothing short of abysmal last season, conceding the most goals of any Premier League side who finished higher than Bournemouth in 15th place.
Clement Lenglet looks to be a likely addition – like Porro and Kulusevski he’s already spent a temporary spell in north London – as rumours are swirling about a deal with Barcelona to bring the France international back.
Left-back is now also an area of concern though, as the club confirmed this week that Sessegnon has undergone surgery on his left hamstring after picking up an issue in pre-season training. It’s now hard to envisage a world where Spurs can rely on the former Fulham starlet long-term, such are the extent of his unfortunate injury issues.
And according to Sky Sports Italy, via Sport Witness, Spurs chiefs have submitted an enquiry for an unfamiliar name for most fans in the shape of Cambiaso, presumably to his agents rather than Juventus. A 23 year-old defender who made the move to Turin last summer, he spent the season on loan with Bologna.
The Old Lady have placed a €25m (£21m) price tag on the youngster as they need to recoup some cash to offset Financial Fair Play difficulties, while AC Milan are also interested. Both suitors apparently see that as quite a large sum for a somewhat inexperienced player, but it is “something to keep an eye on” moving forward.
Is Cambiaso a good signing for Spurs?
With Destiny Udogie still an unknown quantity and Ben Davies now into his thirties – and also an option at centre-back – it’s no surprise to see Ange and Levy go shopping for a new option on that flank, and Cambiaso looks like an astute addition at around the £20m mark.
He more than proved he can hold his own in a top European league during his loan spell at Bologna, starting 25 Serie A games with an additional seven substitute appearances, recording three assists.
Cambiaso ranked particularly highly in a number of areas which are sure to appeal to the new Spurs boss – namely shot-creating actions, successful take-ons and tackles, painting the picture of a player who is on the front foot, aggressive and looking to get stuck in and get his team moving forward.
He played a key part in Bologna finishing an impressive ninth in Serie A, ranking in the top ten in his squad for pass completion, tackles per game, interceptions per game and key passes per game, and is also capable of filling a role further forward on the left side of midfield, so could be the perfect option as a wing-back if Ange opts to go that route.
All in all, while neither Spurs or Milan seem happy to pay Juve’s asking price, a deal around £20m for a versatile young player with an impressive season under his belt in a tough league looks a decent a bit of business.
