Robin Koch made his debut for Germany last October (Getty Images)
According to The Sun, Spurs are weighing up a £20 million deal for Freiburg centre-back Robin Koch in the summer, as the manager Mauricio Pochettino looks to find a long-term alternative to Toby Alderweireld.
Koch, 21, is regarded as one of the most promising young centre-backs in the German Bundesliga and is a regular for Germany at the U21 level. Pochettino believes Koch has the talent and the potential to make the grade at north London and the Argentinian is interested in striking a deal for the youngster, who has earned rave reviews for his consistently impressive performances in the German top-flight. (The Sun)
The Sun also reports that Spurs are ready to brace themselves for potential offers for Toby Alderweireld in the summer, with Man United believed to be amongst those interested in triggering the Belgian’s £25 million release clause.
The 30-year-old has a contract at White Hart Lane which runs until the summer of 2020 but there is s strong possibility that he might head for the exit door at the end of the season, with so many top clubs circling around like sharks. (h/t Sun)
Koch, who made his move to Freiburg from 2.Bundesliga club Kaiserslautern back in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £3 million, has proven himself to be a massive bargain in the Bundesliga. The 21-year-old German youth international has been an ever-present for Freiburg at the heart of the defence, making a total of 22 appearances in the Bundesliga this term. In all competitions combined, Koch has made a total of 51 appearances for Freiburg, scoring thrice.
To put things into perspective, Spurs have every reason to look at Robin Koch as a good long-term investment and the Lilywhites would do themselves a world of good if they manage to get their hands on him this summer. Signing promising youngsters and transforming them into established stars has very much been the Spurs way of doing business in the transfer market and Koch perfectly fits that profile.
Having failed to sign a single new player for two consecutive transfer windows, Spurs desperately need to do some fruitful business this summer. Although the Lilywhites have done exceedingly well on all fronts despite not spending a penny in the transfer window this season, they need to bring in some new players to freshen up things and add more depth to their squad.
Toby Alderweireld’s potential departure would leave a massive void in the defensive ranks at Spurs, although they would still have the services of Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth.
Foyth has proven himself to be a bit rash and error-prone at the back and he is still very much in the developmental phase of his career, so bringing in Koch, who is also a player in the same mould, would certainly increase competition for places and add to squad depth. Given that Vertonghen,32, is also nearing the latter stages of his career, Spurs need to invest in young centre-backs and the German perfectly fits the bill.
Standing at 6ft. 3 inches with a towering frame, Koch is known for his physicality, aerial ability and ball-playing abilities as a centre-back. He is quite sharp and agile for a defender of his stature and he has also showcased good game reading ability for a player of his age. The 21-year-old averages 2.8 aerial duels, 3.2 clearances, 1 tackle and 1.3 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga this term, while also boasting of a pass accuracy rate of 81.2, including 2.7 successful long balls per game.
It is a no-brainer that Spurs need more depth in their squad if they are to challenge for silverware on all fronts. Despite Pochettino’s incredible managerial acumen, they have fallen agonisingly short in their pursuit of silverware over the last few years and that needs to change if they are to establish themselves as one of Europe’s elites.
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With that being said, Spurs should not hesitate to strike a deal for the promising young German defender this summer.