Tottenham Hotspur have apparently identified four potential centre-back acquisitions as they prepare to cope without Micky van de Ven for a number of weeks.
Dutchman Van de Ven had formed an excellent partnership with Cristian Romero in the opening weeks of the season, helping Ange Postecoglou amass a record 26 points from his first 10 Premier League games.
The duo unsurprisingly linked arms for Monday's London derby with Chelsea, but Van de Ven pulled up in agony towards the end of the first half and dropped to the turf clutching the back of his leg.
Postecoglou immediately conceded that Van de Ven's issue appeared to be serious, and the former Wolfsburg man is now confirmed to be missing for the remainder of the calendar year.
Prior to Van de Ven's withdrawal, Romero was given his marching orders for a reckless challenge on Enzo Fernandez, and the Argentina international served the first of a three-game ban in Saturday's clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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Romero and Van de Ven's absences left Eric Dier - who is expected to leave the club when his contract expires in 2024 - as Postecoglou's only senior centre-back, and he was joined by Ben Davies for the lunchtime kickoff at Molineux.
The second-string pairing initially repelled several Wolves attacks after Brennan Johnson gave Spurs an early lead, but late goals from Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina completed a dramatic turnaround for Gary O'Neil's side.
Postecoglou also has 18-year-old Ashley Phillips available to him, but the ex-Blackburn Rovers man is not being considered for Premier League starts just yet, so defensive reinforcements are likely to be top of sporting director Johan Lange's agenda in January.
According to The Mirror, Tottenham are keen admirers of four centre-backs, including Bournemouth man Lloyd Kelly, who - like Dier - is due to become a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Spurs apparently failed with a £20m offer for Kelly late in the summer window, but Bournemouth will now be forced to cash in over the winter or lose him for nothing next year, as the report adds that he has no plans to extend his deal.
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AC Milan, Juventus and Liverpool could all provide stiff competition for Kelly's signature, and he is one of two Premier League-based targets for Spurs alongside Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.
The Eagles are under little pressure to sell the England international, though, as his contract runs until the summer of 2026, and it could take a bid of at least £60m for Palace to open discussions.
Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba and Torino's Perr Schuurs are also being tracked by the North London giants, although the latter's chances of a marquee move could be scuppered by a severe ACL injury.
Meanwhile, Burkina Faso international Tapsoba only signed a new long-term deal with Leverkusen in September, and those terms are not due to expire until the summer of 2028.
Tottenham enter the international break fourth in the table following back-to-back defeats and are back in action at home to Aston Villa on November 26, before making the trip to the Etihad to meet champions Manchester City on December 3.
Ben Knapton
