Why Tottenham should make a move for Norwich City’s Max Aarons

According to Football Insider (h/t The Daily Star), Tottenham have made Norwich City’s Max Aarons their top target in the summer as they look to reinforce the right-back position.

Max Aarons, 20, is an integral figure at Carrow Road, playing 23 games for Daniel Farke’s side so far. He was key in the club’s promotion from the Championship last term. The right-back is not only a Premier League regular, but has also broken into the England Under-21s side this season.

While Aarons is Tottenham’s top target at right-back and the groundwork has already been laid over a transfer for the 20-year-old, they are eyeing West Brom’s Nathan Ferguson as a potential alternative, the report adds. (h/t The Daily Star)

Tottenham’s defence has been a problematic area for Jose Mourinho, whose side have conceded 32 goals in 25 games. None of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld or Davinson Sanchez has been consistent at the back this season.

And while Japhet Tanganga has got off to a decent start to his career at Spurs, Mourinho must add an experienced central defender to his ranks in the summer.

In addition to a centre-back, Spurs also need a new right-back. The north London outfit never replaced Kieran Trippier last summer, who joined Atletico Madrid, leaving Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters as the only options at right-back.

Aurier has failed to justify his position in the starting XI, committing a lot of errors at the back, including conceding a penalty against Manchester City over the weekend.

Also, Walker-Peters could be allowed to leave permanently after signing for Southampton on loan this January. (h/t The Daily Star) This makes it vital for Mourinho to recruit a right-back before the start of the 2020/21 season and Max Aarons would be a smart fit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As per WhoScored, Aarons has averaged 1.3 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.9 clearances and 0.9 blocks in 23 Premier League appearances. He is yet to contribute with a goal or an assist so far this season.

Aurier, meanwhile, has averaged 3.3 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 2.7 clearances and 0.3 blocks in 20 Premier League appearances. Going forward, the Ivorian has registered four assists. [Courtesy: WhoScored]

Read More

• Why Tottenham should sign Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose this month
• Why Danny Ings could be the man to solve Tottenham’s attacking issues
• Why Tottenham must avoid signing Benfica forward Haris Seferovic

Aurier has better numbers in almost every single department but the Spurs right-back has been sloppy throughout the season. On the other hand, Aarons has been one of the very few bright spots this term for Norwich, who are reeling at the bottom of the table.

Although not an instant upgrade on Aurier (in terms of statistics), he would be a good option to add strength to the right-back position.

Verdict

Aurier has shown this season that he is not a long-term solution at right-back for Spurs. On the contrary, Aarons is just 20, so he has plenty of room to develop as he gets more Premier League minutes under his belt.

Irrespective of the statistics, this is one good reason why Mourinho should land the Norwich defender in the summer.