An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their targets to improve their centre-back options heading into the summer...

What's the talk?

According to football.london, Spurs are 'big admirers' of Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi but they were unable to swoop for him during the January transfer window as he was not available on the market.

The report claims that the club are planning to sign two new centre-back options ahead of the 2023/24 campaign - one for the middle or right-sided position and one for the left side of the three.

It is also stated that they are interested in signing RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, who is unlikely to arrive at the club in the summer due to his price tag and the potential competition for his signature.

Eric Dier heir

Fabio Paratici could land the long-term successor to Eric Dier's position in the heart of the Spurs defence by securing a deal to sign Guehi at the end of the season.

The current Tottenham defender has been a regular fixture in the side this season, starting 19 times in the Premier League, and has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 in the top-flight, whilst winning 64% of his duels, which shows that the 29-year-old has delivered consistently solid displays at the back.

His job, as the middle centre-back in a three, is not to regularly progress the ball out from the back and this is reflected by his place in the bottom 36% of players in his position for progressive passes per 90 over the last 365 days.

Guehi, meanwhile, ranks in the bottom 35% for progressive passes in the same time frame and his lack of quality in that area of the game would not be an issue for Spurs if he stepped into Dier's place in the side.

The £18m gem, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once described as a "giant" and a "leader", is seven years younger than his fellow countryman and could be the long-term heir to the England international in that position.

Guehi has proven himself at Premier League level over the last 18 months and his statistics indicate that he could replicate Dier's form at the heart of the defence.

In 2021/22, the 22-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 in 36 starts and won 67% of his individual battles. He has followed that up by averaging a score of 6.93 and winning 61% of his duels in the current campaign

These statistics show that the youngster is a dominant, no-nonsense, defender who is able to deliver excellent performances on a regular basis in the Premier League, without needing to consistently play killer passes out from the back.

Therefore, he could be a dream heir to Dier's role as the middle centre-back at Spurs and could be a superb long-term addition to Conte's squad in the summer.