Pundit tells Tottenham to break the bank for Josko Gvardiol after what he’s just seen – ‘it’s terrible’
Noel Whelan has urged Antonio Conte and Tottenham to sign Josko Gvardiol “no matter what the cost” after their “terrible” defensive display in the 2-2 draw with Brentford.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted Spurs have everything in place to “tempt” the highly-coveted 20-year-old.
Tottenham conceded the first goal for the sixth consecutive game against Brentford on Boxing Day (26 December) – with a woeful defensive display largely to blame for them dropping two points against the Bees.
According to The Athletic (26 December), Gvardiol is a potential big-name target for Tottenham and Conte ahead of the January window.
The Croatia star enjoyed a stellar World Cup campaign and helped his nation secure a third-place finish in Qatar.
According to Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg (20 December), Gvardiol has a €110million (£97.3million) release clause in his contract at RB Leipzig that becomes active in 2024.
Whelan told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “Spurs have got the training ground, the stadium, the fanbase, the facilities.
“They’ve also got a world-class, fantastic manager. That is everything you need to tempt someone like Gvardiol to the club.
“They’re sitting in a very healthy place in the Premier League, as well.
“Tottenham are crying out for a solid player to go next to Romero. He was a standout during the World Cup.
“They’ve conceded two cheap, terrible goals against Brentford, they’ve conceded first in their last six games.
“If I’m Conte, I’m steaming in and signing this player no matter what the cost. It could be the difference between getting Champions League football or not.”
In other news, insider claims Richarlison has “high-end grade two” injury as Tottenham get bad news.