Stefan Savic has established himself as a key player in Atletico Madrid's defence (Getty Images)
According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Daily Mail), Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a surprise move for Atletico Madrid defender Stefan Savic.
The 29-year-old Savic has been a mainstay in Diego Simeone’s Atletico defence ever since his arrival in 2015. However, constant injuries have limited his appearances in recent seasons.
A regular in his initial days with the side, Savic has featured just 14 times so far in the league this season, and 18 last year, mainly due to a variety of injuries.
A muscle injury midway through this season saw Savic being ruled out for a major time opening the doors for young defender Mario Hermoso. Despite that, Savic remains Simeone’s first-choice centre-back in the side when fit.
This was evident from the Montenegro international’s selection in their last eight league matches. Hence, it is clear that Simeone values him highly, indicating his worth in the current Atletico line-up.
However, the report also claims that Atletico are willing to let go of Savic if any club can offer him regular first-team action and match their £17million evaluation of their seasoned defender.
Meanwhile, Spurs are in the summer market for new defensive reinforcements after the side’s dismal show in the league this season. The Jose Mourinho-led side have conceded 40 goals from their 29 Premier League games. This has seen them slip to a lowly 8th in the table.
Except for 10th-placed Burnley, who have also conceded the same number of goals as Spurs, no other side in the top-ten category has conceded more goals, making sense of their need to bring in new faces in the defence.
Moreover, Tottenham need a replacement for their veteran defender Jan Vertonghen, whose current contract with the side is set to expire at the end of this month.
With Vertonghen yet to extend his stay at the North London side and offers from sides such as Inter Milan around the cards, Spurs have identified Savic as a potential replacement for the Belgian.
Having won the Europa League in 2018 and helping Atletico reach the Champions League final in his maiden season with them, there is no questioning Savic’s defensive abilities. A veteran of 103 La Liga games, 86 Serie A matches, it wouldn’t take Savic much time to adjust to the new conditions at Tottenham if a move happens.
An experienced customer, the Montenegro international could be an excellent fit at Tottenham and exactly what their struggling defence needs at the moment.
Considering Tottenham’s poor displays at the back this season, it is clear that the side needs some defensive reinforcements. Savic has been a regular for Simeone’s side all these years and his experience would be a valuable asset for the Spurs. Hence, they should quickly make a move for him and sign him.
