Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened talks for the signing of SC Braga defender David Carmo.
As per a report by Portuguese newspaper A Bola, as relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur have opened negotiations to sign Portuguese centre-back David Carmo from SC Braga. The 22-year-old defender is also being courted by Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, who have also initiated talks over a summer move, making for an interesting transfer race.
Carmo, who has risen through the ranks at Braga since joining them in 2015 at the under-17 level, is reportedly on the radar of Manchester United and Liverpool as well. La Liga side Atletico Madrid are also reportedly interested in the Portuguese defender.
The 22-year-old has made 18 appearances for the club across competitions in what has been an injury-riddled season. Carmo missed the first half of the season due to an ankle fracture but has slotted right back into the heart of the Braga defence since recovering from the injury. The fracture took a good chunk out of his last season as well, when he played 21 matches for the club.
The towering defender could be a good option for Tottenham, who are on the lookout for a central defender as they prepare for a summer overhaul. But there are still question marks over whether Carmo can take a starting spot in Antonio Conte’s side with just 40 matches of top-flight league football under his belt.
Reportedly, Carmo has a €40 million release clause in his Braga contact which still has over three years left on it. Triggering the release clause should not be a problem for Tottenham should they decide to go ahead with the negotiations. But they will have to beat competition from Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid.
Conte currently has Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon as his centre-back options. The Tottenham boss is not convinced with the central defenders at his disposal and wants to add reinforcements this summer. Spurs have been linked with Pau Torres again. The defender had turned down the opportunity to join them last summer.
