New Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is keen to strengthen the defence after the Lilywhites conceded 63 goals in the Premier League last season. Turkish outlet Aksam say Spurs want to sign Victor Nelsson and met Galatasaray vice-president Erden Timur in London to discuss a deal.
The 24-year-old joined Gala from FC Copenhagen in 2021 and has gone on to make 80 appearances in all competitions. Nelsson has been a regular at the Rams Global Stadium and lead the Lions to the Super Lig title last season. He made 33/36 league appearances as Gala had the best defensive record.
Tottenham conceded more goals than all but five Premier League clubs in 2022/23 (63), so changes are expected to be made to the backline. Postecoglou has inherited Davinson Sánchez, Cristian Romero, Joe Rodon, Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga but will need to clear the deadwood to make space for a new arrival.
Sanchez was short of form and eventually playing time last season, so he could be made available for sale. Rodon spent the previous campaign out on loan, so he might also be deemed expendable. And Tanganga hasn’t been able to nail down a starting place, so at least one defensive upgrade will be needed.
According to Fanatik (h/t Sport Witness), Gala are requesting €25m (£21m) for Nelsson and have shown an interest in Sanchez, so Tottenham might hold all the cards in negotiations.
After finishing 8th in the league last season, Spurs need a good recruitment window to turn things around. And with one of the worst defensive records in the previous 12 months, Postecoglou is right to prioritise the backline. It remains to be seen how keen Nelsson is to make the switch though, as his current side won the title and will be in the Champions League.
Tottenham won’t have any European football to lure players in, so they might struggle to sign all their coveted targets.
