Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly backed away from making a January approach for Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah.
Since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou in the summer, Spurs have impressed, initially going on a 10-match undefeated run in the Premier League.
However, a red card to Cristian Romero and injury to Micky van de Ven against Chelsea on November 6 exposed their lack of depth in the middle of their backline.
With Eric Dier also having just over seven months remaining on his contract, there is a desire to bring in another experienced player for that position at the midway point of the campaign.
A number of players have been linked with a switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, including Atalanta BC's Giorgio Scalvini and Roma's Bryan Cristante.
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On the Premier League front, though, Chalobah has emerged as an obvious option courtesy of dropping down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
Although the academy graduate played the majority of pre-season, injury has largely kept him out of contention since the start of 2023-24, and he missed out on a transfer away at the end of August.
Despite not signing for either Bayern Munich or Nottingham Forest, opportunities are expected to arrive in January, and Spurs were believed to be in the race for the 24-year-old.
Nevertheless, according to Sky Sports News, that is likely to be no longer the case with Chalobah having suffered another fitness setback.
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While there was no specific timeframe on Chalobah's return from a hamstring injury, it is claimed that he will now be absent until January at the earliest.
Spurs are allegedly now against trying to negotiate a deal for the versatile Englishman, having concerns over his injury record when he has not played competitively since May.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Bayern and Borussia Dortmund have also pulled out of the race to secure Chalobah's signature in January.
Chelsea's preference is a permanent sale, yet they may now have to consider loan deals in order for Chalobah to prove his fitness ahead of a potential departure from his boyhood club.
Darren Plant
