Aston Villa have reportedly made an enquiry about the possibility of signing versatile Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga.
According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, Aston Villa are keen to sign Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga before the transfer window closes as they look for reinforcements in defence following an injury to Diego Carlos. The Villans have made an enquiry for the versatile defender but will face stiff competition from both Nottingham Forest and AC Milan for his signature.
Diego Carlos, who joined Aston Villa in a £26 million deal from Spanish side Sevilla this summer, was only two games into his debut Premier League campaign when he, unfortunately, ruptured his Achilles in the 2-1 victory over Everton.
The 29-year-old now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with Steven Gerrard desperate for a defensive reinforcement to plug the gaping hole left by Carlos’ devastating injury. Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah and Southampton’s Jan Bednarek have been mentioned as possible options for Aston Villa in recent weeks. Longari has now revealed that Tottenham outcast Japhet Tanganga is on their radar as well.
Tanganga rose through the youth ranks at Tottenham and has made 43 appearances for their first team, with injuries robbing him of a chance to play more. The 23-year-old suffered a serious knee injury in January and has not featured since. And his chances of action have become even less following the arrival of Clement Lenglet on loan from Barcelona earlier this summer.
He is under contract at Tottenham until 2025, and Antonio Conte has already given the green light for the utility man to leave the club, with the player no longer in his future plans. Serie A giants AC Milan have long been interested in acquiring him, and negotiations about a loan deal are ongoing between both clubs. But Spurs are insisting on an obligatory purchase clause.
The 23-year-old has also attracted the attention of Nottingham Forest, who are keen on completing a permanent move for the English defender. Now, Aston Villa have thrown their hat into the mix for Tanganga as well.
The Tottenham defender is quick, physical, robust and, perhaps most importantly, has previous experience of playing in the English top flight. He can play anywhere across the back four and that level of versatility could help Aston Villa.
However, it would not be easy for Aston Villa to sign Tanganga, who has had his eyes on a move to Milan if he were to leave the north London club this summer. As a consequence, a switch to the Midlands is improbable at this moment in time, although it makes sense for Aston Villa to try their hand with an offer for the Tottenham defender given their need for a central defender.