Tottenhem ponder move for Swansea defender

With the hunt for Matthias Ginter concluded with the German’s sale to Borussia Monchengladbach, Tottenham must now look closer to home for the defensive cover they crave.

Were Ginter’s sale to have happened merely two weeks ago, Tottenham might like their options a bit better.

Previously Spurs-linked centre-backs Michael Keane and Harry Maguire moved to Everton and Leicester, respectively, leaving really only two realistic options.

The first comes in the form of Ben Gibson from a recently-relegated Middlesbrough side. Though certainly a fine player, Boro are reluctant to part with their young star defender for anything less than £25 million. Spurs might understandably be reluctant to part with that much for a player with only one season’s worth of experience in the Premier League.

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Swansea might demand something less for their own young defensive prodigy however.

Alfie Mawson bounced around the Football League for a few seasons before securing a move to the Swans last summer for £6 million. There were understandable doubts about how well the 23-year-old could fill the void left by the departed Ashley Williams, but by the end of the campaign Mawson proved to be one of the standout members of the squad.

Which, given the Welsh’s club near-relegation, might not mean all that much on the surface.  Still there is something to be said for thriving in your first season in the English top flight — especially if you do it with a team as evidently in chaos as Swansea.

What adds to Mawson’s appeal is that he already displays some of the key qualities a Spurs centre-back must have.

First and foremost, he’s a long-ball specialist. Per WhoScored, Toby Alderweireld and Eric Dier completed the most accurate long passes per 90 minutes of any Premier League centre-backs with more than 10 appearances. Mawson was third on that list, with six per match compared to Dier’s 6.3.

He also comes close to replicating one of Jan Vertonghen’s most under-rated contributions: defending through the air. The Belgian wins 3.2 aerial duels per match, with Mawson narrowly behind at 3.1.

Which means that the 23-year-old already possesses the raw talent Mauricio Pochettino expects from his players. The club would do well to aggressively pursue him before he, too, is snatched up by a Premier League rival.

The tradeoff for Mawson, like any other centre-back vying for a move to Spurs, is greater prestige for less playing time. It’s unlikely that Mawson ousts any of Vertonghen, Alderweireld or Dier for a starting spot, even with his potential. He might get some minutes in rotation or cup games, but his path to the starting XI is a lot less clear than it might be with Swansea or other clubs.

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Both his and Gibson’s English-ness are a huge plus for Spurs, especially if they loose Kyle Walker to Manchester City as the rumors suggest. Either player would thus be a fine replacement for Kevin Wimmer, whom many expect to leave as well at some point this summer.