Spurs in pole position to sign their next Cuti Romero

Tottenham Hotspur now have an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League, currently trailing fourth-placed Aston Villa by six points in the Premier League.

While Ange Postecoglou’s squad hold two games in hand on the Villans, and would level the standings by winning both, forthcoming fixtures against Liverpool, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Manchester City speak of the tough task of closing the gap.

Securing a place among Europe’s elite, or failing to do so, must not define a promising first campaign under new management after a dismal 2022/23 campaign that saw Antonio Conte dismissed with no love lost and Harry Kane leave for Bayern Munich in Germany.

Focus will remain fixed on crafting a late-season streak to push for the highest possible position but Postecoglou’s project is at its base and Daniel Levy is already looking ahead to the summer transfer window, identifying yet another target from the Italian scene.

Spurs eyeing another Serie A star

According to Corriere dello Sport – via reports in Spain – Tottenham bosses have been informed that they will need to cough up €40m (£34m) if they are to sign Alessandro Buongiorno from Torino this summer, currently leading the race for his signature.

It’s stated that Buongiorno ‘fits perfectly into their plans’ having earned all the plaudits for his performances this season and his outfit are now keen to exploit the wealth of the Premier League.

While Postecoglou would welcome another star to strengthen the backline, a £27m outlay was granted to secure Radu Dragusin from Genoa in January and it remains to be seen whether Levy will facilitate another similar venture.

Alessandro Buongiorno’s season in numbers

Buongiorno might not be a big name over in England but he has deservedly cultivated a reputation for his dynamic, modern-tuned defensive work, having chalked up 106 senior appearances for Torino after graduating from the academy and enjoying a series of loan spells in lower divisions.

An energetic and vast-ground-covering defender, Buongiorno has completed 26 matches in Serie A this season – missing eight games due to injury – has scored three goals, has placed one assist and has incredibly kept 13 clean sheets, as per Sofascore.

The 24-year-old is preventing the opposition from scoring once every two matches this season, with his sublime showings earning him three caps for Italy over the past year, with Euro 2024 looming.

And it’s not as if Buongiorno isn’t pulling his weight, relying on the strength of his teammates to carry him over the finish line. Averaging 2.4 interceptions, 2.5 tackles, 4.3 ball recoveries and 4.4 clearances per outing, he truly is one of the finest centre-halfs in his homeland and is developing a complete and cultured skill set.

The 6 foot 3 titan’s aggressive defensive style and deceptive technical quality suggest that he would be a tailor-made addition to Postecoglou’s team in the Premier League, also winning out on top in 57% of his contested duels, winning 6.6 per game.

The left-footed defender’s caveat is that he is a tad overzealous on occasion, picking up seven yellow cards, though this hardly negates his exciting ability in the central defence.

Now, who does that sound like?

How Alessandro Buongiorno would fit in at Spurs

With a striking stylistic similarity to Cristian Romero, Spurs’ supreme star in the rearguard, there’s no reason why moving for Buongiorno would not enhance the current crop.

It’s important to remember that while Micky van de Ven and Romero are the preferred defensive axis, Tottenham have not played any European football this season. When that door opens next year, the full strength of Postecoglou’s squad is going to be called into question.

Romero is a world-class defender and he has been magnificent this season – red cards notwithstanding – and a similar peer in Buongiorno would prove to be a wonderful addition to Postecoglou’s project, especially on the other side of the central defence.

As per FBref, the Italy international ranks among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 8% for tackles, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 11% for aerial duels won per 90, highlighting the core qualities that could see him emulate a high-level star such as Romero.

Indeed, Tottenham’s Argentinian ace ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 9% for pass completion, progressive passes and tackles and the top 17% for shot-creating actions and aerial wins per 90.

With Torino’s main man in defence offering a style of play that focuses on both defensive solidity with an aggressive, front-footed approach and progressive, attacking success, there’s no reason why he could not cement himself as a key player in Tottenham’s system.

His left-sided preference also makes him the perfect foil for Van de Ven, who is elite and athletic and has been a revelation since joining from Wolfsburg in a £43m deal last summer but has picked up several injuries through the campaign and doesn’t quite have the perfect stand-in, with Dragusin more effective when on the right.

Described as “remarkable” and “one of the most underrated players in Italy” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Buongiorno could turn out to be a real player at the top of the European game, having already planted the seeds in his homeland, and Tottenham must now move to fortify their ranks ahead of an anticipated return to European competition next year.