Matthew Chadder

Sat 17 June 2023 10:43, UK

It is no secret that Tottenham are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements after last season.

Ange Postecoglou’s first Tottenham task will be to get Spurs’ backline sorted after an abysmal campaign last year in which the club conceded 63 Premier League goals. A key area that Spurs should be prioritising is a left-sided central defender to partner Cristian Romero.

Spurs have been playing a pragmatic back-five for the past couple of seasons and will now likely be switching to Postecoglou’s favoured expansive style with a back-four, which means new defenders are needed desperately.

And according to the Daily Mail (16 June), one player they might turn to in order to help them make these fixes is Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi.

It is reported that the club are after “proven Premier League stars” and “Guehi has reportedly long been on Spurs’ radar’.”

However, with a “£60million” fee quoted and the player still having three years left on his contract, a long and drawn-out negotiation would not be worth the time or cost, and Spurs should instead be looking elsewhere for a new defender.

Despite the 22-year-old’s potential, Spurs need a quick fix, and the England international is not yet ready to make that step up as the stats have suggested.

As per FBREF, Guehi is way off the level of one of Spurs’ top centre-back options, Cristian Romero. The Argentinian made 2.59 tackles per 90 in the league last season, which put him in the top three per cent of defenders, while Guehi made just 1.41 per 90, placing him in the lower 50 per cent.

Once again, in terms of interceptions per 90, Romero was in the top 10 per cent, making 1.68 per 90 while Guehi made just 1.22 which positioned him in the bottom 50 per cent of Premier League defenders.

Romero and Guehi play on different sides, with the Spurs man more equipped to play on the right-hand side while the Crystal Palace man often features on the left. Therefore, for the reported money that Palace are after, Daniel Levy should look to put that money into a world-class centre-back who can partner Romero and match his numbers now.

Although Guehi may not quite be at the level of Romero, he would certainly however be an upgrade on Tottenham’s other defensive options.

Ben Davies is a natural left-back who has been playing on the left side of a back-three and it is therefore hard to picture the Welshman playing as a centre-back in a back-four, which may make the 30-year-old surplus to requirements next season.

As for Eric Dier, Guehi would certainly be an upgrade on his fellow countryman. Last season, Dier was in the bottom 30 per cent of defenders for tackles (0.96 per 90), tackles won (0.61 per 90) and the bottom 40 per cent for interceptions (1.12 per 90). He also tackled just 47.4 per cent of dribblers he challenged, placing him in the 13th percentile.

Dier did boast better-passing numbers than Guehi, however, the tactical differences between Spurs and Crystal Palace’s approaches, in regard to playing it out from the back, would have given Dier the opportunity to complete passes more often than Guehi, therefore boosting his numbers.

Overall, although Guehi would be an upgrade on Dier, it would still not be the right signing for Tottenham.

The club need a ready-made left-sided defender who can slot in straight next to Romero in order to help turn their defensive troubles around straightaway. If the reported price on Geuhi was lower, it would be worth considering as he certainly has the potential to develop into a top player.

However, in Spurs’ current circumstances, that £60million can be much better utilised.

In other Tottenham news, while the club hunt for a new defender, one is likely on his way out.