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Tottenham hijacking Arsenal’s move for this 6ft 4in giant would prove their dominance in North London

Tottenham opinion: Spurs should beat the Gunners to sign Saliba

According to a report from the Daily Mirror, Tottenham have attempted to hijack their bitter rivals Arsenal’s move for Saint-Etienne defender, William Saliba.

William Saliba, 18, made 19 appearances for Saint-Etienne across all competitions this past season and has represented France at Under-16, Under-17, Under-18 and Under-19 level.

His impressive displays at the heart of Saint-Etienne’s defence have caught the attention of Arsenal, who are in for a defensive shake-up this summer.

The Gunners have been in talks with the teenager for some time now, with Unai Emery having identified the defender to solve the club’s problems at the back.

But their bid for Saliba has been rejected and Tottenham are ready to take full advantage of the situation and lure him away to the newly-built Tottenham Hotspur stadium, adds the report.

Despite the summer transfer window being wide open for some time now, Spurs are yet to make a signing. In fact, the last time they signed a player was back in January 2018 when Lucas Moura arrived from Paris Saint-Germain.

That clearly suggest it’s high time for the north London club to splash the cash and add some more quality to their ranks, especially after tasting defeat in the Champions League final last term.

Mauricio Pochettino is aware that if his club are to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title next season, he’ll need to address the problems in his squad.

One of the areas Spurs need strengthening is the defence, with Belgian duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen now on the wrong side of 30.

Alderweireld’s future remains up in the air as he has only 12 months left in his contract, but there is also a £25million release clause that runs until the final two weeks of the summer window.

Davinson Sanchez had an inconsistent 2018/19 campaign and Juan Foyth impressed in patches in 2019. There’s a clear requirement for a young, quality central defender and Saliba would fit the bill perfectly at Spurs.

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Saliba is a rising star in French football, producing performances way beyond his years for Saint-Etienne last season.

His giant 6ft 4in frame combined with his strength, power, impressive reading of the game and ball-playing abilities makes him an exciting prospect. The teenage Frenchman has all the required qualities to thrive in the Premier League as well as in Pochettino’s system at Tottenham.

Verdict

Saliba’s performances seem to have caught the attention of both Arsenal and Tottenham. Both the clubs need to strengthen at the back this summer and if Tottenham do manage to sign the 18-year-old centre-back ahead of their North London rivals it will put further distance between the two sides.