Tottenham are set to face competition from London rivals for the signing of a Premier League defender.
Tottenham Hotspur finally pulled the plug on Thomas Frank after a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday. He left his post after eight months in charge with Spurs lying 16th in the Premier League.
Spurs have won just two of their past 17 league matches, taking 11 points in that time, and the current winless run of eight games is their longest in the Premier League since October 2008. Thomas Frank only saw a modest improvement in form initially, and after a series of poor performances and results, the board felt compelled to act in midweek.
The Dane time and again spoke about having the trust of CEO Vinai Venkatesham and the hierarchy, and that his job was safe in N17. The Lilywhites supported him in the winter transfer window with the signings of Conor Gallagher and Souza, whilst planning to reshape the squad for the summer window.
Tottenham set to face competition from Chelsea for Bournemouth defender
One of Tottenham’s summer targets is Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi. They have been closely monitoring the 28-year-old’s performances ahead of a potential move at the end of the season.
Marcos Senesi has been a rock at the back for Bournemouth since he arrived from Feyenoord in 2022. The Argentine has established himself as one of the most reliable defenders in the Premier League thanks to his mix of physicality, reading of the game, and technical ability. He has been a regular feature for the Cherries this season, supplying four assists in 25 Premier League outings.
However, Senesi is out of contract in the summer and doesn’t look like extending terms at the Vitality Stadium. This has been one of the factors to have caught the attention of other European clubs too.
Now, according to Caught Offside’s The Daily Briefing, Chelsea are seriously considering Senesi as a summer transfer target to bolster their defensive ranks.
Having missed out on the signing of highly-rated French defender Jeremy Jacquet to Liverpool earlier this month, the Blues view the Bournemouth star as one of the alternative targets. Clubs such as Juventus, Crystal Palace, Everton, and Brighton also remain interested in the two-cap Argentina international.
Chelsea planning a summer move for Senesi on a potential free transfer should come as a big blow for Tottenham, who could be on the lookout for a quality replacement if one of Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven leaves in the summer. Spurs failing to qualify for Europe next season would lead to serious doubts over the futures of Romero and Van de Ven, and with top European clubs already vying for his signature, it makes sense for the club to plot succession plans.
A left-footed defender, Senesi is likely to be viewed as an option to replace Van de Ven if he pushes to leave N17. But Chelsea’s interest in him does not bode well for Tottenham, especially with our bitter London rivals in a strong position to finish in the Champions League spots.