Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing up a move for Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen as Ange Postecoglou looks to bolster his backline.
Spurs conceded the third-most goals out of the Premier League’s top seven last season (61), so it’s no surprise the North London outfit are keen to bring in defensive reinforcements.
How has Andersen performed in the Premier League?
Andersen first moved to England in the summer of 2020, joining Fulham on loan. The Danish defender featured in 31 Premier League games but could not do any more to help save the Cottagers from relegation.
That was far from the end for Andersen, who became a Crystal Palace player in 2021 for a fee of £17 million. Since joining the Eagles, he’s racked up 112 appearances across all competitions, and now 28, he could be ready to make that next step up in his career.
The Dane has not played European football since moving to England, but that’s no slight on his displays. Andersen averaged 5.3 clearances per game last season (WhoScored) and accumulated 14,700 progressive passing yards (FBRef), which was 6,738 more than the next closest outfield player at Palace.
It would be a major blow for Palace if they were to lose Andersen, given the growing interest in his centre-back partner, Marc Guehi, but with just two years left on his contract, this could be an ideal time for Spurs to strike.
Tottenham Hotspur continue to monitor the situation.
Having shipped at least three goals on seven separate occasions last season, Spurs will be desperate for fresh defensive blood this summer. While they did sign Radu Dragusin in January, he’s yet to make a real impact on first-team affairs.
This most recent report comes from Caught Offside, who state that Spurs, Liverpool and Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Andersen and how his situation develops over the summer.
There are murmurings of Real Madrid keeping an eye on Cristian Romero this summer and moving forward as they look to continue improving. So, signing Andersen would provide depth, as well as allow Tottenham to plan for the future if someone such as Romero does depart.
It’s still unclear as to what Andersen’s price tag would be, but according to Transfermarkt, his value is £30 million. If Tottenham could secure a deal for around that price, then it would appear to be a no-brainer with his Premier League experience and quality on and off the ball.
Is centre-back a priority for Tottenham Hotspur?
Postecoglou will have wanted Spurs to have been slightly more active in the transfer window thus far, although they have done some solid business. Spurs’ biggest area of concern is certainly centre-forward, having not sufficiently replaced Harry Kane.
Richarlison was often deployed through the middle last season but is now linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, so a new striker must be at the top of the club’s list. Dominic Solanke appears to be the priority signing, although his £65 million release clause could be a problem.
So, any deal for Andersen may have to wait until nearer the end of the summer, or at least until Spurs sort out a new striker, but it’s certainly one to keep an eye on.