Tottenham Could Be Back in for Andrea Ranocchia

Once again, an injury to Jan Vertonghen appears to have ignited Tottenham’s interest in still-wantaway centre-back Andrea Ranocchia.

The Evening Standard reports that Tottenham might face competition from West Ham for the 28-year-old’s signature before the end of the January transfer window.

The Inter Milan and Italy defender’s name last came up when Vertonghen suffered an injury to his knee ligaments last January. Tottenham ultimately didn’t make a move for him then despite the fact that Ranocchia wasn’t in the long term plans for then-Inter manager Roberto Mancini.

Now, with Vertonghen sideline again — this time with an ankle injury — Tottenham are again pondering a January move Ranocchia.

Inter haven’t done much to protect their backup centre-back from such speculation. His last contract renewal came in June of 2015 and, unchallenged, will keep him at the club for another two years.

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The arrival of Miranda and Jeison Murillo that same summer left Ranocchia’s chances with Inter’s first team few and far between. After only earning one start in the first half fo the 2015/16 season, he was loaned out to Serie A’s Sampdoria and became a regular — if unremarkable — starter.

Since his return to Inter last year, Ranocchia’s been limited to only five starts in Serie A and four in the Europa League.

It is therefore hardly a surprise that Tottenham might be able to get their man for a paltry £5 million. With January prices typically dramatically inflated, such a fee might be too enticing to pass up this time around.

There are, of course, some hitches here. Ranocchia would only be brought into the side as a backup. Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are arguably the best centre-back duo in the Premier League when fit and simply won’t be displaced. Even if Ranocchia earns a few starts, there’s no guarantee that continues when Vertonghen returns to the side.

If the Italian is looking for an improvement from his situation at Inter, then options like West Ham might prove more appealing. No, he might not reach the same heights as he would with Tottenham, but at least he would reliably get playing time.

From Tottenham’s perspective, a deal for Ranocchia might ultimately also prove inconvenient. Adding a fifth centre-back so soon after the Wimmer reportedly balked at falling down the pecking order after his own injury is problematic enough. Factor in how much fewer opportunities promising youngster Cameron Carter-Vickers might get and it’s a migraine in the making.

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And so it would be surprising if this deal ultimately goes through. In the past Pochettino has gone out of his way to explain how adding players runs the risk of disrupting a side’s harmony. With the Premier League title once again in the club’s sights, that’s the last thing anyone at Tottenham wants.