
Transfers
Will Tottenham turn towards Hoffenheim’s Jeremy Toljan to replace Kyle Walker?
According to reports coming from Portugal over the course of the weekend, Tottenham are beginning to close in on their opening signing of the summer as they look to replace Kyle Walker.
claim that highly-rated Hoffenheim and Germany Under-21 right-back Jeremy Toljan is growing closer to a White Hart Lane switch as Mauricio Pochettino looks to re-enforce his defence.
The 22-year-old only has one year left on his current contract at the Bundesliga side, who were a surprise package last season, and it’s thought that Tottenham have suitable financial capabilities.
Would the Germany Under-21 man be the right fit?
Regardless of the fact that England international Kieran Trippier penned a new five-year contract extension just last week, there’s still a lingering feeling that Tottenham need to invest at right-back.
Toljan, at just 22, is one of the hottest prospects on the European market since bursting onto the scene at Hoffenheim four years ago, and last year he established a regular first-team status.
20 Bundesliga appearances last season helped Hoffenheim on their way to going a whole year unbeaten at home, eventually finishing fourth, and he created just under a chance per game in a stand-out year.
The big selling point as far as Pochettino is concerned is that Toljan is comfortable as either a traditional right-back or as a wing-back, meaning he could slot into Tottenham’s experimental three-man defensive system well, while he can also play either centrally or on the left-side either.
With a big void left after the exit of Walker whoever replaces him will need to be able to add a similar level of attacking intent to the north London side, and Toljan can certainly contribute this.
His speed – on and off the ball – allied with his directness and desire to break into the opposition territory can be a real weapon in the Premier League, particularly considering the amount of space that he would be awarded on the big Wembley Stadium pitch that Tottenham will be calling home.
And, although there are question marks over whether the Bundesliga is as competitive as the Premier League, he has just returned from a very impressive European Championship campaign.
Playing on the right-side of Germany’s Under-21 team, he helped them overcome England on penalties in the semi-finals before battling past Spain in the final, catching the eye along the way.
However, although Tottenham were touted just yesterday as the main contenders, fresh reports from on Monday have claimed that Turkish outfit Galatasaray have stolen a march for him.