Tottenham could reportedly be on the verge of completing their third signing with a move for Duje Caleta-Car believed to be close.
According to a report from Croatian club SportKlub, Tottenham are set to reinforce their defence further with the signing of Olympique Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta-Car.
The 24-year-old defender spent the formative years of his career at HNK Sibenik in Croatia before having stints with FC Pasching, FC Liefering and RB Salzburg in Austria. Caleta-Car then sealed a high-profile transfer to Marseille in the summer of 2018, where he has gradually grown into one of the most reliable defenders in Ligue 1
During his three-year stint with Marseille, Caleta-Car has featured 91 times in all competitions, scoring three goals and setting up six more. On the back of his performances at club level, the centre-half has also managed to establish a foothold in the Croatian national team as well, making 16 appearances so far, two of which came in the UEFA Euro 2020.
Caleta-Car’s impressive growth in France has seen him attract a lot of interest in recent months. Indeed, Liverpool were heavily linked with a move for the Croatian defender during the January transfer window but a move failed to materialise. However, the defender could still make his way to the Premier League this summer with Tottenham now emerging as a likely destination.
The Fabio Paratici-Nuno Espirito Santo revolution seems to be hitting top gear at Tottenham. Following the signings of Pierluigi Gollini and Bryan Gil from Atalanta and Sevilla, respectively, the focus will now shift to the centre of the defence where Toby Alderweireld’s imminent departure to Qatar is set to leave a gaping hole.
With either of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez also likely to be offloaded, it becomes imperative that Tottenham sign at least one, if not two, centre-backs to compliment Joe Rodon. The Lilywhites are said to be closing in on the capture of Cristian Romero from Atalanta while Bologna’s Takehiro Tomiyasu also remains firmly on the radars.
But, it seems like things have developed rapidly with regard to Spurs’ interest in Caleta-Car. Indeed, as per the aforementioned report, Tottenham already have reached an agreement with the player over a summer transfer and are now ready to lodge a €24 million offer with Marseille to complete the transfer.
It remains to be seen if there is any truth to these reports, but given that Caleta-Car’s contract runs out in 2023 and Marseille’s difficult financial situation, a deal could possibly be on the horizon.