Tottenham Hotspur and Everton are reportedly interested in signing Lazio defender Mario Gila, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Lilywhites currently have Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Kevin Danso, and Radu Dragusin as centre-back options. However, the Argentinian and the Dutchman have been linked with a move away amid the North London club’s struggles this season.
On the other hand, Drăgușin hasn’t been able to find his feet in the Premier League since joining from Genoa, with injuries being one of the main reasons.
So, it appears Spurs are considering signing a new centre-back in the summer, and Fichajes state that they have identified Gila as a serious option. Tottenham have been monitoring his performances closely before making a potential swoop.
The 25-year-old is valued at around £26m and has entered the final 15 months of his current contract. So, Lazio might be open to cashing-in on him this summer if they fail to tie him down to a fresh term over the coming months.
Gila is even keen on a move to the Premier League. However, purchasing the Spaniard won’t be straightforward for Tottenham as Everton, AFC Bournemouth, and Aston Villa are also interested in him.
Moreover, Chelsea and the Cherries previously made a formal bid worth around £30m to secure his service, but the Italian giants didn’t allow his departure.
Battle
With Michael Keane’s existing deal set to expire at the end of this season, Everton are seemingly looking to sign a new centre-back to replace the former Burnley star.
Gila is a 6ft 1in tall right-footed centre-back. In 29 appearances across all competitions, he has registered eight clean sheets thus far this season. Moreover, he displayed an excellent performance in Lazio’s 1-0 victory over AC Milan in Serie A last weekend.
The centre-back is quick, strong, good in the air, comfortable playing out from the back, reads the game well, and is efficient in defensive contributions.
Gila is a talented player and is currently at the prime stage of his career. So, he might be a shrewd acquisition for Tottenham or Everton should either club purchase him.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club or the Merseyside club eventually manage to secure his services in the upcoming summer transfer window.
