Report: Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to pay £50m to sign 'unbelievable' centre-back
Yesterday at 03:15 PM
Tottenham Hotspur are not having the best of times at the moment, and it seems that head coach Ange Postecoglou has already identified an area to strengthen in the January transfer window.
Expected to at least challenge for the Premier League top four this season, Tottenham find themselves down in 10th place.
That Spurs are only three points behind fourth-placed and North London rivals Arsenal is encouraging, but they are facing stiff competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Aston Villa this season for a UEFA Champions League place.
According to CaughtOffSide, Tottenham are keen on making their defence stronger and have identified Illya Zabarnyi as a potential target in the January transfer window.
How much Tottenham Hotspur need to pay for Illya Zabarnyi
Although Bournemouth only recently handed Zabarnyi a new contract, the Cherries are reported to be open to cashing in on the 22-year-old centre-back for around £50 million.
Tottenham have been tracking Illya Zabarnyi for a while now, but the problem for the Spurs, who also want to sign Andy Diouf, is that Chelsea are also keen on the Ukraine international centre-back.
CaughtOffSide has noted that new Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is "a huge fan of the defender's playing capabilities and would make room for him in an ever-expanding Chelsea squad".
What has been said about Tottenham Hotspur target Illya Zabarnyi
Zabarnyi has been on the books of Bournemouth only since January 2023, but he has already played 53 times in the Premier League and has been getting a lot of praise.
Bournemouth and Denmark international midfielder Philip Billing noted in The Daily Echo in December 2023 that the 22-year-old centre-back is "unbelievable".
Gary O'Neil, who signed Zabarnyi for Bournemouth, said on BBC Sport in February 2023: “He [Zabarnyi] has played a lot of high-level football matches for his age. He has good quality on the ball and a real good physical presence.
“I’m delighted to have him as it was an area I was keen to strengthen in. Traore played against AC Milan on the weekend and got an assist. They scored five goals that day so he is a talented boy that has been playing top-level football in Italy.
“He comes in real good shape as he has been used to playing 90 minutes of football. Zabarnyi was in a period of a mid-season break at Dynamo Kyiv so he comes in with a slightly different situation. However, I am delighted with both of them.”
Earlier this month, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola noted in The Daily Echo that Zabarnyi "especially is improving a lot in his first decision making on the ball".
