Tottenham have to prepare to lose some talented players this summer in order to afford potential game-changers to get them out of their current position as one of the bottom five teams in the Premier League.
Star center back Cristian Romero has been instrumental in Spurs reaching the Europa League Final this season and is one of the best players in his position in the English top flight, but he seems to be highly interested in a move to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. And the Rojiblancos appear to be close to signing the Argentinian international.
So as Tottenham mull over Romero's future and their asking price for the defender, they need to start scouting the transfer market for replacements. Tottenham already have a few quality center backs in Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso, but if Radu Dragusin is sold along with Romero, that will only increase Tottenham's need for a center back.
Tottenham, Chelsea, and Liverpool want Jhon Lucumi from Bologna
According to a report from TBR Football's Graeme Bailey and Jamie Brown, Tottenham are among several Premier League teams interested in Bologna star Jhon Lucumi, who is now the top defender for the Serie A club after Riccardo Calafiori's summer 2024 departure to Tottenham's rivals Arsenal.
Speaking of rivals, Chelsea are among the clubs said to be interested in Lucumi, as are Liverpool, Brentford, Brighton, and Crystal Palace. Spurs and these other teams reportedly sent scouts to watch Lucumi in person.
Lucumi is one of the most underrated center backs in world football and should have received more praise than he did for Bologna's fairytale Champions League campaign last season. He was overshadowed by Calafiori, but, this season, he's been better than Calafiori has in North London and is a big reason why Bologna remain one of the teams competing for European football in Italy.
Romero was also a star in Serie A for Atalanta before joining Tottenham, so while he may not have the name recognition Romero does and shouldn't be seen as immediately being of the same quality, fans shouldn't put down Lucumi at the same time. He could very well be just as good as Romero with similar aggressiveness and fewer mental lapses.
Lucumi has completed 91.5 percent of his passes with more than 60 passes per game, and he's a wall in one-on-ones, rarely getting dribbled past. He could be a cheap alternative to Romero, but with other Premier League clubs wise to Lucumi now a year later, Tottenham may have to fight a little more for their latest smart center back signing. And looking at the likes of Van de Ven, Romero, Dragusin, Danso, and now Lucumi, it's fair to say that Spurs have a good eye for talent in central defense.