Thomas Frank wants Collins as Tottenham ready to beat Liverpool to another Brentford raid
Thomas Frank is keen to reunite with Brentford defender Nathan Collins in the closing weeks of the transfer window.
Tottenham were linked to Collins earlier in the summer, but were said to be targeting the defender in the case of Cristian Romero’s departure.
But after Romero was named captain by Frank, the Argentine now looks set to stay at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Piero Hincapie is also reportedly among Tottenham targets, but any deal for the defender is expected to be significantly expensive.
Three Premier League teams target Nathan Collins
Collins has become a reliable centre-back for Brentford and Ireland in recent years, despite being just 24 years old.
The defender played every single minute for the Bees last season, scoring two goals and providing five assists along the way.
And following Christian Norgaard’s move to Arsenal, Collins was named Brentford captain in August.
That has not done anything to convince fellow clubs that the 24-year-old is unavailable this summer, though, with the Daily Mail reporting on 18 August (page 60) that Manchester United, Liverpool, and Tottenham are all targeting moves for Collins.
- Collins signed for Brentford in 2023 from Wolves, for around £23million.
- His contract expires in 2029, with Brentford holding an option to extend it to 2031.
United have already signed Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford this summer, but would likely need to sell before committing to another huge fee.
Liverpool signed 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni last week, and would like to sign another centre-back in the coming weeks – although their top target appears to be Marc Guehi.
That would leave Spurs, who would like to add another quality centre-back to compete with Micky van de Ven and Romero.
Brentford would be unlikely to give up their captain without a fight, having already lost several key players, and Frank’s willingness to rub salt into the wounds of his former employers is unclear.
Nathan Collins money better spent elsewhere
Collins is a brilliant defensive talent who may well go on to be among the Premier League’s very best.
But the likely £50million-plus it would take to sign him from Brentford is not a sensible use of funds for Tottenham right now.
| Tottenham’s options at centre-back |
| Cristian Romero |
| Micky van de Ven |
| Radu Dragusin |
| Kevin Danso |
| Ben Davies |
| Luka Vuskovic |
| Kota Takai |
Instead, decision-makers at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should focus on getting the Eberechi Eze deal over the line.
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