There have been conflicting reports regarding Tottenham's interest in Burnley defender Maxime Esteve, with Fabrizio Romano cooling talk of a Lilywhite pursuit.
Thomas Frank has inherited a pretty deep centre-back depth chart, one bolstered by the arrival of Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale. Teenager Luka Vuskovic has also officially joined the club after we secured his signature two years ago.
There are plenty of right-footed options, but fewer capable of providing cover for Micky Van de Ven on the opposite side. Spurs have the ever-reliable Ben Davies currently operating as the Dutchman's second in-command, although Takai has shown in his homeland that he's adept on either side.
Spurs' centre-back plans this summer are poised to revolve around the future of Cristian Romero, but the apparent targeting of Esteve would suggest that the club are also looking at signing superior cover for Van de Ven.
Maxime Esteve to Tottenham links played down by Fabrizio Romano
🚨🇫🇷 Maxime Estève, attracting interest from several clubs this summer but no approaches/talks with Tottenham so far.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 8, 2025
Spurs are currently focused on different targets at this stage. ❌ pic.twitter.com/VK6jSZv5Xa
The left-footed Esteve played a major role in Burnley's promotion to the Premier League last season, with the Clarets remarkably conceding just 16 times in 46 Championship games.
We were tenuously linked with the Frenchman in January amid our emergency hunt for another centre-half, and reliable L'Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi reports that Spurs have resumed talks with Burnley over a move for Esteve.
Tanzi said the newly promoted club were after €35m for the 23-year-old in January. Spurs failed with a bid worth €24m before turning to Kevin Danso.
Gianluca Di Marzio backed up Tanzi's report, but Fabrizio Romano has offered a different opinion. The Italian journalist understands that while several clubs are interested in signing Esteve this summer off the back of his excellent season in the second tier, Spurs are currently pursuing 'different targets', which suggests we're in the market for another centre-back.
If we were to believe Tanzi over Romano, there's scope for Esteve to not only backup Van de Ven but also emerge as a potential option at left-back. There have been a few murmurs of a potential pursuit for a depth option at this position, so the addition of Esteve could be seen as killing two birds with one stone. Van de Ven may also earn minutes at left-back under Frank.
Given the Dutchman's fragile hamstrings and the reduced role Davies should play under the new manager, there is a need for a bridge between the two. Esteve was excellent for Burnley last season, excelling in the air and showing plenty of promise as a progressive ball-player. For a moderate fee, he'd be an excellent backup option.
However, I'm sure most of us won't rest until Mohammed Kudus is donning Lilywhite.