Tottenham eye roll to sign Lautaro Rivero from River Plate

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing River Plate defender Lautaro Rivero, the Spanish newspaper reports Transfers.

Since joining the Lilywhites a few years ago, Micky Van de Ven has established himself as an undisputed starter. However, he has struggled with fitness issues over the past two seasons, and in his absence former manager Ange Postecoglou used Ben Davies and Archie Gray in the left centre-back position.

The Welshman is a natural left-back, while Gray is a midfielder. Spurs don’t naturally have a left-footed centre-back to support the Dutch international, so it looks like Thomas Frank will want to find a solution for that next year.

Transfers states that Tottenham want a young defender to strengthen the defense and have identified Rivero as a serious option after being impressed with his recent performances.

However, the north London club are not the only club interested in the Argentine, with Atletico Madrid also keen to secure his services next year. Rivero has an £87 million release clause in his current contract, which runs until 2028, so River Plate is in no rush to sell him anytime soon.

Tottenham’s transfer strategy is to attract talented young players and provide them with a platform to flourish. Rivero therefore fits perfectly into their transfer strategy.

Rivero to Tottenham

The youngster came through the Argentine giants’ youth system before showing his qualities when loaned out to Cordoba Central. He returned to River Plate this summer and played regularly.

After showing glimpses of his qualities recently, he was called up to the Argentina national team for this month’s international break and made his debut against Puerto Rico.

Rivero, who stands 6 feet tall, is a very talented left-footed centre-back and plays comfortably from the back. Furthermore, he is robust in defensive contributions, so he could be a smart addition for Tottenham looking to the long-term future if they were to buy him.

However, it will be interesting to see whether the north London club will ultimately make a concrete move to secure his services next year. It is highly unlikely that Frank’s side will do a deal to sign the defender if River Plate remains firm on the valuation of the release clause.