'Tottenham are there': Spurs want £40m defender, but Manchester United are favourites – journalist

Yesterday at 12:15 PM

If Tottenham Hotspur are desperate for anything during this January transfer window it's defensive reinforcements.

Spurs are threadbare at the back at the moment. Cristian Romero injured himself against Chelsea a few weeks ago and has been out ever since, while Micky van de Ven has another hamstring problem.

It's not just a centre-half where Spurs' problems lie either.

Destiny Udogie is injured too, and Tottenham don't have much cover at left-back at all with Djed Spence filling in that position at the weekend against Newcastle.

Luckily, the January window is open and Spurs are in a position where they could make a move or two.

Speaking on Last Word on Spurs, Ben Jacobs has been discussing Tottenham's January plans, and the journalist says that Milos Kerkez is a target.

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Tottenham in for Milos Kerkez

According to Jacobs, Tottenham are indeed keen on Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez.

Unfortunately for the north London club, Jacobs is led to believe that Manchester united are the frontrunners to sign Kerkez at this point.

"And Tottenham are there for Milos Kerkez, for example, along with Manchester United, who are probably the front-runners at this stage. I don’t think Bournemouth will sell in January. They want 40 plus million," Jacobs said.

"But in the summer, Kerkez has got a new agent. So let’s wait and see. And you never know, Manchester United might get PSG’s Nuno Mendes, who Ruben Amorim gave his debut to at Sporting.

"And then that will be there left back covered. And then Kerkez may be available in the market to a slightly smaller pool of Premier League clubs, and the player would prefer to stay in England. So Tottenham could be there as far as Kerkez is concerned."

Milos Kerkez compared to Destiny Udogie

Tottenham do hold an interest in Kerkez, and this would be an interesting signing.

Kerkez is one of the most in-demand defenders in the Premier League right now, Liverpool are also keen on Kerkez and it's easy to understand why.

The Hungarian has been brilliant for Bournemouth this season, and he's ready for a big move.

That said, Tottenham do already have a young star of a left-back in the shape of Destiny Udogie, and comparing Udogie to Kerkez statistically certainly makes for interesting reading.

Kerkez does outshine Udogie in a number of key areas, so perhaps this would be an upgrade.

However, Postecoglou does rate Udogie highly, and there is a more natural opening in the Manchester United team given Luke Shaw's injury history, so perhaps a move to Old Trafford would be more appealing for the young defender.

Regardless of where he ends up, Kerkez looks like he's set for a move to a big club in the near future.