Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a swoop to sign Athletic Bilbao centre-back Aitor Paredes, according to Fichajes.
Spurs’ lack of depth was evident on Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, forcing central midfielder João Palhinha to drop into a centre-back role. Yet, Spurs showed resilience to claw their way back for a 2-2 draw, with Dominic Solanke striking twice after the interval.
Despite that, club captain Cristian Romero openly questioned Tottenham’s quiet January window while applauding his teammate for a spirited performance, saying, ‘Great effort from all my teammates yesterday, they were all incredible.’
‘I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn’t feeling well, especially as we had only 11 players available – unbelievable but true and disgraceful.’
Following the bust-up, Argentine journalist Gastón Edul has revealed that Romero will depart the club this summer after previously rebuffing approaches from several clubs.
It appears Thomas Frank’s side are already seeking his potential replacements, as Fichajes reports that Tottenham have set their sights on Bialbao’s Paredes as the ‘ideal profile’ to reinforce their backline.
The report adds that the manager is particularly keen on the 25-year-old among other options, citing his efficiency on the ball and physicality in duels.
Romero’s replacement?
While the Spanish international is contracted at the Estadio San Mamés until 2029, Tottenham are looking to use their financial strength to agree a deal with Bilbao, who have set a £34m release clause on the centre-back, according to the report.
Under Ernesto Valverde, Paredes has grown into a trusted figure, taking part in 15 LaLiga fixtures and starting each of the last seven, while also featuring seven times in the Champions League.
He averages 2.7 tackles and interceptions per league match, the third-highest among Bilbao players, which is clear why the report claims Frank is keen to add him to his backline.
With a sky-high 86.6% successful pass completion rate, 49 long balls and more impressively, a 100.0% successful dribble rate while playing out from the back, the Spaniard would be a solid weapon in bypassing opposition press during build-up.
His defensive qualities also stand out with 21 interceptions, 55 recoveries and 56 clearances while also recording a 58.5% win rate of his 24 contested duels this season.
With Romero publicly calling out the club, it’ll be interesting to see whether they hold talks with their captain to retain him or explore options to replace him if he’s resolved to leave.
