According to reports in the Daily Mail, Southampton and Everton are both lining up a move for £12m-rated Lazio centre-back Wesley Hoedt as they look to strengthen their backlines ahead of the new Premier League season.
The Daily Mail says that the 23-year-old could be a potential Virgil van Dijk replacement for Saints with their captain having told the south coast outfit that he wants to leave and with rumours of a move to Liverpool failing to go away.
However, Toffees boss Ronald Koeman is also taking a closer look at the Dutch centre-half as he looks for more cover following the news that Ramiro Funes Mori will be out of action for a further six to nine months following surgery on his knee.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino may also be looking to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of the month and the Netherlands international could prove to be an inspired buy for the north London outfit.
Here are three reasons Spurs should join Southampton and Everton in the race to sign Hoedt…
Attributes
If Pochettino is looking for an all-round centre-back to provide competition for the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, then he could certainly do a lot worse than take a closer look at Hoedt.
The 23-year-old proved last season during his 23 Serie A appearances for Lazio that he is strong defensively – he made 109 clearances, 23 interceptions and successfully won 22 tackles – but he is also strong in the air and good with feet.
The Dutchman stands at just under 6’4″ tall and he won 52 of the 62 aerial duels he faced in those 23 outings, while his passing accuracy of 87% shows that he can distribute the ball well, too.
They are short at the back
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino ended the campaign playing with three centre-backs – Vertonghen, Alderweireld and Eric Dier – and he will need to add more depth in that position if he intends to do the same this season.
Spurs only really have Kevin Wimmer as back up in that case, and the Austria international has been linked with a £20m move away from the north London outfit throughout the summer after failing to impress Pochettino and making just 15 Premier League appearances in his two seasons with the club.
In that respect Hoedt would be a good addition as he has proved that he is able to play at a good level with Lazio and AZ Alkmaar respectively, and he looks to have the potential to develop even further.
Price tag
If it is true that Hoedt is available for £12m, then there is no doubt that Tottenham should consider joining the race for the 23-year-old in what has proved to be a nightmare summer transfer window in terms of valuations and fees.
The Dutchman would certainly be a cheaper option than the likes of Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson and Swansea City’s Alfie Mawson would be if Spurs choose to go English, and he has all of the attributes a centre-back needs to be a success in the Premier League and increase his value during his time with the club.
Do you agree, Spurs fans? Let us know below.