Tottenham transfers: Jannik Vestergaard no longer a target | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are no longer assessing Southampton's Jannik Vestergaard as a potential signing, according to The Athletic.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

The Danish defender was linked with a move to Spurs by The Daily Mirror in March and, given he will soon enter the final year of his contract at St. Mary's, could leave Southampton this summer.

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However, the report suggests Tottenham have moved on in their search to strengthen in central defence and the 28-year-old may move abroad if he does leave the Hampshire club.

Do Tottenham need a new centre-back?

Given how the 2020/21 season went, you'd have to say so.

Despite having the league's top scorer and top playmaker in Harry Kane leading the line, as well as the player with the highest goals-per-minute ratio in the division (Gareth Bale), Spurs still finished in a lowly seventh-placed position.

Of the so-called 'Big Six', they conceded the most goals (45) and only West Ham United let in more of the top eight.

What kind of centre-back do Tottenham want?

Last month, Football Insider claimed Spurs were keen on signing a mobile central defender capable of replacing Davinson Sanchez.

The Colombian, once Spurs' record-signing at £42m, is thought to be up for sale this summer even with Jose Mourinho having been sacked in April.

Would Vestergaard be a good signing for Spurs?

If Tottenham are looking to bring more pace into their backline, it's hard to suggest Vestergaard fits the bill.

Still, that's not to say he wouldn't necessarily be a good signing. A dominant presence in the air, the towering Dane won more aerial duels per game (3.3, via WhoScored) than anyone at Spurs, while his 1.7 tackles and 1.4 interceptions over the same period would see him rank second in both metrics of Tottenham's current central defenders.

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What else has been said?

Speaking to Football FanCast in March, former England international Rob Lee expressed doubt about Vestergaard's suitability for Spurs.

"I’ve seen him play well, seen him play badly, so I wouldn’t go breaking the bank for him,” he said.

“I’d go and break the bank for Danny Ings, but for Vestergaard, no, not really.

"He’s not Virgil van Dijk, is he?”

Teammate Ings has been linked with a move to Spurs too with EuroSport revealing back in January that they were lining up a summer move for the England international.