Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering a winter move for Union Saint-Gilloise defender and Japan international Koki Machida.
According to 90min, Tottenham are keen to add a new centre-back in January in an effort to solve their defensive crisis and have been “impressed” with the displays of Union Saint-Gilloise defender Koki Machida this season.
Spurs’ first season under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou and without talisman Harry Kane was sailing smoothly, with the starting XI looking very established, and the lack of cup competitions meant the schedule was not as demanding. However, two key injuries to the spine of the side may have changed plans entirely.
While Van de Ven reportedly does not require surgery on his hamstring tear, the Dutchman is still expected to be out of action until January. That means that Postecoglou would have to rely on Dier, who is the only other senior centre-back at his disposal if the Australian head coach does not want to turn to the more inexperienced players.
There has been plenty of speculation over the England international’s future recently, with reports emerging last week that Daniel Levy would look to get a fee for the 29-year-old in January rather than allowing him to run his contract down and leave as a free agent next summer.
However, it’s reported that Postecoglou would only give the green light for Dier to be sold after another centre-back arrives through the door in January, with Spurs now prioritising a deal for a new centre-back. Another left-footed centre-back as cover and competition for Van de Ven would be ideal.
The north London side have been looking at situations surrounding Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly, Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, and Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo in recent months as they seek a new option for 2024, yet it seems they will also open up their search outside of the Premier League in the hope they can find a perfect solution for January.
Scouts have tracked Koki Machida of Belgian outfit Union SG for some time now and have been suitably impressed. Tottenham manager Postecoglou is well-versed in the Japanese market, having previously coached Yokohama F. Marinos before joining Celtic.
Postecoglou brought Japanese players Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi, Tomoki Iwata, and Yuki Kobayashi during his tenure with the Celts, many of whom had amazing successes in the Scottish Premiership.
Formerly of the Kashima Antlers in the J1 League, Machida joined USG on loan in 2022 and turned the move permanent earlier this year. He has played 37 times for Union SG so far, including 16 appearances this season.
The 26-year-old has also recently established himself as an important part of the Japanese national team, only making his international debut earlier this year. Now with four caps to his name, the player may feel that the time is right for him to make a big Premier League move.
His contract with Les Unionistes Union 60 is set to expire in 2026, but in comparison to some of Tottenham’s other targets, his market value is relatively modest, meaning Spurs can target additional improvements if they land his services early.