Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on signing Br azilian defender Eder Militao, who is valued at €80 million by Real Madrid, in the summer transfer window.
As per a report from Spanish publication Eldesmarque, Real Madrid defender Eder Militao has emerged as a top transfer target for Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the summer transfer window, with the Los Blancos demanding €80 million for the Br azilian.
Militao was one of the most coveted defenders in Europe around this time last year and was snapped up by Real Madrid from FC Porto in a €50 million deal. However, the 22-year-old has struggled to establish himself at the Spanish capital outfit in his debut campaign.
Militao, so far, has featured just 13 times across all competitions for Real Madrid, only seven of which have been starts in La Liga. The Br azilian international has started just one league game since February, that too at right-back in order to offset the injury-enforced absence of Dani Carvajal.
With Militao seemingly not rated highly by Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, the Merengues are looking at the possibility of cashing in on him when the summer transfer window opens. And Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as a potential destination for the 22-year-old.
Tottenham are on the lookout for defensive reinforcements ahead of the next season amid doubts over the future of Jan Vertonghen. The Belgian international is in the final few months of his current contract with the North London giants and appears highly unlikely to sign an extension.
With his contract set to run out at the end of the season, there could be a vacancy in the defensive department at Tottenham which manager Jose Mourinho is keen on filling with the signing of Militao. To that end, the Spurs’ boss is understood to have made contact with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Mourinho enjoys a good working relationship with Perez, having had a stint as manager with Real Madrid. And the Portuguese is hoping to use this to try and bring down Los Blancos’ asking price of €80 million for Militao. The Merengues though want to extract the highest value for the player, who is contracted with the club till 2025.
Along with Eder Militao, Tottenham have also been linked with Manchester United’s Chris Smalling, who is enjoying a stellar season on loan at AS Roma. The Englishman is valued at £25 million by the Red Devils, while his experience in the Premier League will also be of much value, making him a more sensible target for Tottenham heading into the summer.
Given their recent defensive struggles, there are no doubts that Tottenham are in need of reinforcements in the summer. But, it remains to be seen if they are willing to fork out €80 million for Militao or pursue alternate targets to bolster their ranks.