Tottenham Hotspur are considering a summer swoop for an “incredible” Premier League player who currently earns £75,000 per week.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly planning a summer bid for an “incredible” Premier League defender as they seek to reinforce their back line.
Spurs tracking centre-back options after Romero uncertainty
Thomas Frank has been unable to give any guarantees over Cristian Romero’s long-term future at the club after the Argentine criticised Tottenham’s limited business in the January transfer window. When questioned on whether Romero would remain in north London, the Spurs boss admitted he could not be sure, despite stressing that the defender is club captain and tied down to a long-term deal.
Romero’s situation was further complicated by his dismissal in the 2-0 loss to Manchester United, where he left his side short-handed after being sent off inside the opening half-hour. Even so, TEAMtalk report that Tottenham have no intention of allowing their captain to engineer a move away. However, there is growing uncertainty surrounding Luka Vuskovic, with Bayern Munich said to be pushing strongly for the Croatian youngster.
With that in mind, Spurs have begun drawing up a list of defensive targets ahead of the summer window. Nottingham Forest’s Murillo is one of the names under consideration, as Tottenham look to strengthen at centre-back regardless of whether Romero, Vuskovic or Micky van de Ven depart.
Murillo is not the only defender on Tottenham’s radar. Benfica’s Antonio Silva, Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez and Toulouse centre-half Charlie Cresswell are also being monitored.
Murillo seen as ideal defensive addition
Tottenham could be forced into the market for a new centre-back if one of their current options leaves, and Murillo is viewed as a strong candidate to bolster the defence. The Brazilian has already shown his quality in the Premier League, earning praise from journalist Ryan Taylor for his display against Liverpool last season.
At 23, Murillo is comfortable on the ball, averaging 39.1 accurate passes per 90 minutes in the league this campaign — the third-best figure at Forest — while his 1.6 interceptions per game places him top of his team’s rankings. The defender is believed to earn around £75,000 per week and remains under contract with Forest until 2029.
Tottenham are also understood to be tracking Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, meaning Murillo is not the only Premier League talent on their shortlist as they plan for the summer.
