Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened talks with Southampton over defender Jannik Vestergaard after an impressive 2020/21 campaign.

What's the story?

According to Gary Jacobs of The Times, Spurs have begun negotiations with the south coast club ahead of a potential move for the highly-rated 28-year-old.

Nuno Espirito Santo is believed to want to add two new centre-back's to his first-team squad, and Vestergaard has been outlined as a top target after he entered the final year of his contract.

He's a big upgrade

The Denmark international was a standout performer for Ralph Hassenhuttl's men last season and has carried his good form into Euro 2020.

His impressive displays for club and country have caught the eye of the Spurs hierarchy, and it's easy to understand why they believe the 6 ft 5 beast could be the answer to their defensive woes.

Tottenham's backline came under significant scrutiny last term, with Eric Dier often receiving criticism.

Compared to the England international, Vestergaard's underlying numbers are favourably in several key aspects, highlighting the upgrade he would provide, should he make the switch to north London.

As per fbref.com, the Saints man completed 57.4% of his dribbles in 2020/21, outperforming Dier's 54.5%.

Although Dier proved to be the more successful passer, finding a teammate on 84.6% of occasions compared to Vestergaard's tally of 84.3%, the Scandinavian defender was superior in other key areas.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach centre-half completed 20 carries into the final third and won 70.1% of his aerial duels, bettering Dier's totals of 11 and 65.2% in these metrics.

His dominant displays at St. Mary's led to Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer describing Vestergaard as "outstanding" back in December, and he's gone from strength to strength since.

While he may not be the most glamourous or exciting potential addition, he would be an improvement on the current options at Spurs and would be a signing one that wouldn't break the bank.

At a time where funds are expected to be limited at the capital club, it's a transfer that makes sense for multiple reasons, and Espirito Santo would surely welcome Vestergaard's arrival.

And, in other news...Nuno could find his next Jimenez with Spurs swoop for £25m beast who lit up Euro 2020