Tottenham are said to be interested in a defender who has been described as a ‘role model’.
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Tottenham are said to be interested in a player they could yet face on Monday night. Spurs are gearing up for a Premier League date with Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest, who have seen results go against them over the weekend.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are now outside of the top five having been in control of third spot for much of the season, but they are only goal difference behind Chelsea in fifth, while a win here will take them back into third place.
Spurs have very little to play for, but having booked their place in the Europa League semi-finals, still having a route to the Champions League, Ange Postecoglou will want to see his men keep up momentum, and not only that, but currently in 16th place, the North London side will be desperate to improve upon that position before all is said and done.
Asked ahead of this one about the challenge of maintaining motivation and producing wins in the Premier League, the Spurs boss said: “Yeah, look, it's fair to say it's been challenging. But I think part of that challenge is, obviously the rotations in the team. I think, to be fair, it's going to be similar Monday night, we're going to have to make five or six changes to the team, because we just want to make sure that everyone's sort of in the right space. But, you know, I think at the same time, we're obviously disappointed with the performance, not the performance against Wolves, but certain aspects of the Wolves game.
“And you know, we need to have the same levels of concentration and focus that we did on Thursday night, because there's no doubt Forest are tough opposition. They’re having a great season. They've got huge motivation to win on Monday night. And yeah, for us, as much as we understand that the league has been very, very disappointing, and Europa offers us a magnificent opportunity to achieve something special, I still think the best preparation for that is us to play well in the two games preceding it.”
Spurs linked with Forest man
Ahead of the game, Tottenham have been linked with a move for Forest full-back Ola Aina, who is actually a doubt for Monday night’s game. The 28-year-old, who actually has a Premier League winners’ medal from his days at Chelsea, has made 30 league appearances for Forest this season, proving to be a key player in what has been a superb season.
CaughtOffside report that Liverpool see Aina as a possible replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, or at least as a player to add depth to the position, while Tottenham are also credited with an interest to add competition to Pedro Porro. Crucially, Aina is out of contract at Forest this summer, but the East Midlands side are said to be in talks over a new deal.
Forest boss Santo said back in February: “I think so, things are going well. I am positive and confident everything is going to be solved. He’s been performing fantastically, not only this season, the last season. He’s a big, big influence on the squad, but his experience means he is a role model for everybody, especially for the young guys in the team.”