After weeks of negotiations and talks, Antonio Conte finally got his man. The arrival of Pedro Porro is arguably Tottenham's most important transfer in a number of years, and is definitely under the Italian.
Obviously Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur have proven to be brilliantly shrewd acquisitions but in no other position was a truly first-class option needed more than at right wing-back. Spurs have seemingly solved any issues on the opposite side with the signing of Ivan Perisic and planned arrival of Destiny Udogie ahead of the 2023/24 season but there still remained a gaping hole on the right.
Djed Spence looked as though he'd be the man to solve that after a stellar year at Nottingham Forest, helping them to promotion into the Premier League. However, the 22-year-old has played just 43 minutes so far this season and will now spend the remainder of the season on loan at Rennes. Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal have each been sharing the role, but in the 14 months Conte has been at the club, neither have been able to claim the position as their own.
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The imminent arrival of Porro from Sporting CP on an initial loan deal with obligation to buy of €45m (£39.5m) looks to have solved that problem. In fact the problem can really be dated back to the departure of Kyle Walker in 2017 when he joined Manchester City.
Kieran Trippier filled the role admirably upon his departure before he left for pastures new in 2019, however both Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters were unable to succeed in the role. Prior to Conte's arrival, Doherty had endured a stuttering start to his Spurs career and the Italian, who is known for deploying a wing-back system, joining the club as manager looked set to only benefit the former Wolves man.
However, following the knee injury suffered against Aston Villa towards the back end of the 2021/22 season, Doherty struggled to get a look in and will now no longer have the chance to fight for his place, sealing a permanent departure to Atletico Madrid after a mutual contract termination was agreed.
While the exit of Doherty is a surprising one Spurs will hope Porro, who has the attributes to be the perfect wing-back under Conte, can soften that blow with a clear solution now in place to solve that gaping six-year hole left by Walker.
Attention now must turn to adding quality first-team and depth options to other positions that greatly need it. A new central defender will undoubtedly be high on the list and football.london understands the club are in the market for two centre-backs.
Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni is a player of interest, however his importance to the Italian club cannot be underestimated which likely means a large fee will be demanded. RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol will also likely be the recipient of substantial offers in the summer with Real Madrid and Chelsea eyeing up a move for the Croatia international
Alternative options include Bayer Leverkusen's Piero Hincapie, who Spurs made an enquiry for this month. The 21-year-old's contract does not expire until 2026, although his asking price, which stands at £80million, will likely tempt off an interest. The club are also big admirers of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi who signed for the Eagles from Chelsea for £18million in 2021 although his stock has grown considerably since then which could subsequently see a significant rise on his valuation.
Two defenders who could certainly be in reach for a favourable price are Eintracht Frankfurt's Evan Ndicka and Villareal's Pau Torres. Both fit into the category that needs filling desperately as they are both left-footed, with Clement Lenglet likely heading back to Barcelona in the summer at the end of his loan spell.
Ndicka's current contract in Germany expires in the summer and therefore Spurs can agree a pre-contract deal for the 23-year-old, who has also obtained interest from Arsenal and Barcelona. As for Torres, Spurs have kept tabs on the 26-year-old for many windows and could finally make their move this summer with his contract at Villareal up in 2024, and therefore this summer will likely be the last time the Spanish club can get a decent fee if he does not sign a new deal.
Conte certainly knows a world class centre-back is next on the agenda and that parting ways with a lot of money is likely the only way to secure one. Although plenty of other cheaper options, alongside Torres and Ndicka, could yet emerge before the Italian makes a decision over who to pursue in the summer months.
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