Tottenham Hotspur look to have been dealt a blow in their chances of signing Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa, as Dean Smith's side are reportedly planning on handing the centre-back a new deal to try and convince him to stay.

According to the Mirror, Villa are in talks with the former Brentford man over a new deal, as they look to fend off interest from both Spurs and Liverpool.

The 23-year-old has been a key part of Villa's impressive season so far, having made 24 appearances in the top-flight, in which he has contributed two goals and averaged a solid 6.82 rating.

This represents a huge improvement from last season for the young defender, who struggled as Villa only just staved off relegation, as he averaged a disappointing 6.47 rating across the Premier League season.

It comes as a blow for Spurs that Villa are in talks over a new deal with Konsa, as his current contract is set to expire in 2023, and any extension to that will surely see the Birmingham-based club demand a huge fee if Spurs do come knocking in the summer.

The centre-back is already valued at £10.8 million by Transfermarkt, a valuation which has shot up in the past two seasons, and it will only increase further if he signs a new deal, and if his impressive performances continue.

It will be a blow for Jose Mourinho if he does decide to stay with Villa, as he could've been the ideal man to replace Eric Dier in this Spurs squad, with the England international struggling to force his way back into the side at the moment.

Dier didn't feature against in any of Spurs' last three fixtures, which saw them win three times and concede just once, whilst the 26-year-old centre-back has helped the North London club keep just eight clean sheets in 26 appearances in all competitions this season.

His performances in the Premier League have seen him earn a solid, if unspectacular, 6.71 rating this season, which is significantly below what Toby Alderweireld has managed, and only slightly better than Davinson Sanchez, who has come back into favour with some recent strong displays.

Earlier this year, Smith was full of praise for his centre-back, saying:

“He’s excelling in his position; he’s been one of our best players this season, very consistent and reliable.”

Therefore, if Konsa were to join Spurs, you would imagine that it would be Dier who would be the man to drop out, especially with youngsters Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga also coming through.

It will be interesting to see if Konsa does sign a new deal with Villa, as if he doesn't, he could definitely be one that Daniel Levy targets in the summer transfer window.

And, in other news... Levy should steer well clear of £4.8m-rated target; Alli is far better