Norwich City right-back Max Aarons celebrates after scoring. (Getty Images)
According to The Sunday Mirror (h/t Football.london), Tottenham are keeping close tabs on Norwich City right-back Max Aarons once again as Jose Mourinho looks to bolster his backline.
As per the report, the Lilywhites had scouts in attendance to monitor the 21-year-old at close quarters in the midweek fixture. With Aarons’ development fetching positive reviews, Tottenham are understood to be weighing up a bid for the £20m-rated youngster. It hasn’t been specified, however, whether Spurs are looking to iron out a deal in January or next summer.
Having started his footballing education at Luton Town, Max Aarons joined Norwich City’s youth system in 2016 to further his development. He made his competitive breakthrough in the EFL Championship during the 2018-19 season, registering 2 goals and 6 assists in 41 appearances to guide the Canaries to promotion. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Aarons earned rave reviews for his promising displays in the Premier League last season, despite Norwich suffering relegation straight back down to the second-tier. The England U-21 international has continued to flourish as an undisputed starter for the Canaries in the Championship this term, playing a key role in the club’s march to the top of the standings.
The 21-year-old has made a total of 110 appearances for Norwich City in all competitions and is widely regarded as one of the best rising full-back talents across the nation. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Tottenham looked to have sorted out their right-back issues for several years to come following the acquisition of Matt Doherty from Wolves in the summer. A £15m deal for the Irishman was viewed as a huge bargain at that time, considering his sparkling returns in West Midlands over the past couple of the seasons.
However, Doherty hasn’t quite hit the heights in North London that was expected of him when he came through the door. The 29-year-old has ended up playing second-fiddle to Serge Aurier, starting only 9 times in the Premier League this season so far.
It would be unfair to write him off so early, but Spurs could be forced to look for new options in that department once again if Doherty fails to impress between now and the end of the campaign.
While Aurier has rejuvenated himself with some truly colossal performances, the Ivorian has also reminded on a few occasions as to why he comes under so much criticism for his lapses in concentration.
Moreover, Aurier’s long-term future at Tottenham remains up in the air, with the player having already entered the final 18 months of his contract.
Looking at the current scenario at both clubs, a January deal for Max Aarons looks like a long shot as far as Tottenham are concerned. Norwich are contending for automatic promotion while Spurs, on the other hand, already have two accomplished right-backs in the form of Aurier and Doherty.
Hence, it’s pretty clear that Mourinho’s side would need to move on either of them in the summer to make room for a new arrival. Nonetheless, it can’t be denied that Aarons ticks plenty of boxes to come through the door at Tottenham and a potential deal would represent an excellent piece of business with an eye on the future.
The 21-year-old has proven his qualities at both ends of the pitch and still has plenty of room for development. He fits the profile of players Tottenham should ideally target in the transfer market.