Tottenham make cheeky enquiry about unsettled Man City star after setting limit for Crystal Palace man

Tottenham Hotspur are £20million short in their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, which has prompted them to ask about a Manchester City star instead, according to a report.

Defensive reinforcements will be required at Tottenham in the summer, regardless of who their manager is. At centre-back, they are looking for someone who can be a more reliable partner for Cristian Romero.

Tottenham will be keeping their options open, but Guehi is one of their main targets. The Evening Standard revealed in February that the former Chelsea product is on their radar.

Now, those links have been backed up by Football Transfers. The website reports that Tottenham would be willing to pay £45m for Guehi.

However, his current club Crystal Palace – who have him under contract until 2026 – are holding out for a fee closer to £65m, which is beyond what Spurs would be willing to spend.

Perhaps with that in mind, Tottenham are widening their search for centre-backs who could improve them. And the report from Football Transfers claims they have made a recent enquiry about Man City’s Aymeric Laporte.

Laporte has fallen out of favour at the Etihad Stadium this season. Consequently, TEAMtalk was recently told that he wants out of the club in the summer.

After joining City in January 2018 from Athletic Bilbao, Laporte has gone on to make more than 170 appearances for the club. He has won nine trophies under Pep Guardiola.

Only under contract until 2025, Laporte is now considering his future. Perhaps Tottenham could present him with a surprise chance to stay in the Premier League.

As a left-footed centre-back, Laporte could theoretically be a long-term replacement for Clement Lenglet, who has been on loan at Spurs from Barcelona this season.

But the outcome of Tottenham’s enquiry for Laporte is not yet apparent. Besides, TEAMtalk understands his preferred destination would be, coincidentally, Lenglet’s parent club, Barcelona.

An alternative for Spurs, according to Football Transfers, could be Villarreal’s left-footer, Pau Torres.

Tottenham could make exception for Laporte

Ideally, Tottenham want to invest in a young defender for the future. Due to turn 29 before next season begins, Laporte might not exactly fit that criteria. But the opportunity to add a player of his pedigree is something that serious clubs should be considering.

The report also reveals that a potential addition to the Tottenham backline – whoever it may be – might spell trouble for Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez.

It would be for different reasons. In Dier’s case, he could still have a future at the club, but back in midfield, rather than defence. Sanchez, on the other hand, risks the club selling him.

Laporte would be an upgrade on either, while Guehi has intriguing potential and Torres could deserve his first chance in the Premier League.

First of all, though, Spurs need to gain some clarity about who will be managing them after Antonio Conte. Only then will they be ready to firm up their plans about which transfer targets to go for as they construct their squad.

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