Tottenham Hotspur are still on the lookout for defensive reinforcements this summer, with new manager Nuno Espirito Santo prepared to raid his former club Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign Conor Coady.
According to Football Insider, Nuno is keen on signing a leader at the heart of the defence and is pushing Tottenham to make a move for the England international.
Coady has been the bedrock of Wolves’ defence ever since he joined the club from Huddersfield Town in 2015. The 28-year-old has made 275 appearances for Wolves in all competitions. In three seasons under Nuno, Coady missed just one Premier League game.
The former Liverpool defender will not come for cheap, however, as he still has four years left on his current contract.
Is Conor Coady the right option for Tottenham Hotspur?
Spurs are looking to revamp their backline ahead of the new season. Last season, they conceded more goals than any other ‘Big Six’ side (45) despite being coached by a defence-oriented manager in Jose Mourinho.
#Tottenham head coach, Nuno Espírito Santo wants former player, Conor Coady, they have reportedly opened preliminary talks with Wolves.
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— Tottenham Zone (@Tottenham_Zone) August 2, 2021
Toby Alderweireld has departed for Qatari club Al-Duhail, while Davinson Sanchez, Joe Rodon and Serge Aurier could be shipped out this summer.
Thus, Tottenham are in dire need of defensive reinforcements as they look to challenge for a Champions League spot this season. The London club are closing in on the signing of Cristian Romero from Atalanta and Coady could be the ideal man to partner the Argentine.
The early indications are that Nuno will opt for a three-man defence at Spurs and both Romero and Coady can thrive together in such a system.
The England international will add plenty of experience and leadership to the Spurs backline. A no-nonsense defender, Coady is strong in the air and great at winning the ball back. Last season, he made 3.5 clearances per game and won 1.1 aerial duels.
He is disciplined and does not often give away cheap fouls; last season he averaged just 0.6 fouls per game.
Coady is also composed in possession and has fantastic distribution skills. Nuno likes his teams to play out from the back and as the central defender in a back three, Coady’s abilities on the ball will come in handy.
Last season, he averaged 6.7 long balls per game, more than any other outfield player in the Premier League. He also completed over 88% of his attempted passes.
At 28, Coady is still in the prime of his career and the prospect of moving to a big club will be tempting. He has shown he has the ability to succeed at the highest level and Tottenham should not hesitate in snapping up the Englishman.
Stats via Whoscored
