Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven has reportedly been ‘shortlisted’ by Real Madrid as Carlo Ancelotti looks to bring in cover for Eder Militao.
The Spanish giants brought in two exciting attackers in Kylian Mbappe and Endrick last summer but didn’t make any additions to their back line, after missing out on Manchester United star Leny Yoro.
With Militao and David Alaba currently sidelined with injuries, Madrid’s decision not to invest in a new centre-back has been a mistake, given they’ve conceded 29 goals in 26 games so far.
According to Spanish outlet Relevo, Madrid have begun drawing up a shortlist of defensive targets for the January window.
The report claims that Tottenham star Van de Ven is among their top targets and they would be very interested in bringing him to the Bernabeu.
RB Leipzig star Castello Lukeba is also being looked at by Madrid and it’s claimed he could be available for around €60million (£49.7m / $62.5m) next month.
Madrid are expected to ‘hold meetings’ in the coming weeks to decide who to prioritise in the winter window, but a new centre-back is their top priority.
Real Madrid linked with Tottenham ace
Van de Ven joined Tottenham from Wolfsburg in 2023 and has established himself as one of the most important players in Ange Postecoglou’s squad.
The Dutch international is statistically the fastest player in the Premier League. Sources close to Tottenham say they believe their back four of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie are among the best in the division.
However, Van de Ven has suffered with injuries and has missed nine league games due to that so far this term, which has negatively impacted Spurs’ season.
He is under contract until 2029 and Tottenham have absolutely ZERO intention of selling him in January, so Madrid will have to look elsewhere for a new defender.
Romero has also been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu in the past, but Tottenham have made it clear they won’t sell him either unless a huge offer is submitted.
With this in mind, it would be a major shock to see Tottenham part ways with any of their defenders in January, as they’re actually looking to add to their centre-back options, rather than take away from them.
Spurs ramp up centre-back hunt
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Tottenham are considering a January move for Borussia Monchengladbach Ko Itakura, who, like Van de Ven, is known for his electric pace.
As mentioned, Postecoglou’s defence has been crippled by injuries at the heart of their backline for much of the season, with Radu Dragusin suffering an ankle injury at Nottingham Forest to join Romero, Van de Ven and Ben Davies on the sidelines.
It has been claimed that Tottenham are keen on signing Monchengladbach star Itakura, who was known to be a target for the club during the 2023 summer window.
The north London club have reportedly refused to rule out the prospect of launching a formal proposal for Itakura, even though he has not been pinpointed as their first-choice recruit at this stage.
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