Tottenham cleared to sign €30m Serie A star as upgrade for 410-game veteran Postecoglou no longer trusts

Tottenham are reportedly growing increasingly confident of signing Bryan Cristante in 2024 with Jose Mourinho likely to be left with little choice but to cash in on a star that has been described as ‘indispensable’ to Roma.

Ange Postecoglou has made a rapid impact at Tottenham since taking charge in the summer and had his side unbeaten and top of the Premier League but an ill-fated home defeat to Chelsea saw the club have two men sent off and pick up a string of injuries in the process.

And when their depleted squad succumbed to a second defeat five days later to Wolves – their 2-1 defeat coming via two injury-time goals at Molineux – it illustrated exactly why the Tottenham squad still needs some serious reinforcements if they are to remain competitive throughout the duration of the 2023/24 season.

To that end, the Aussie is already drawing up his plans for the forthcoming transfer window, with the January market now officially opening for business in just 42 days time.

Postecoglou’s immediate priority is likely to rest in bolstering his midfield with first-choice paring Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma both heading off to the African Cup of Nations in the early weeks of the new year. If either nation progresses deep into the competition, Spurs could lose both players for up to six weeks.

Unfortunately, the man used most frequently so far as their back-up, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, is reportedly unsettled at the club and seemingly wants out. To that end, the Dane is reportedly a target for Juventus and Atletico Madrid, with Spurs setting a €30m (£26m) valuation on his head.

Should he depart, Tottenham will be left with just Rodrigo Bentancur and Oliver Skipp as central midfield options.

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Roma facing up to sale of Bryan Cristante to Spurs

To alleviate the potential problem, reports in Italy over the last week or so have linked Spurs with a move to sign Roma midfielder Cristante.

The versatile midfielder has arguably been Roma’s player of the season so far, covering a variety of different positions under Mourinho.

While considered first and foremost a defensive midfielder, the 28-year-old can also occupy a more advanced midfield role as well as a centre-half when required.

Mourinho has, in fact, used the 37-times capped Azzurri star in all three roles this season, where he has scored two goals and managed three assists from 16 appearances.

Now in his sixth season with the Giallorossi, Cristante is contracted to the club until summer 2027.

However, despite becoming an ‘indispensable’ player under Mourinho, Tuttomercatoweb claims Spurs are ready to spend €30m (£26m) to prise the player away from the Stadio Olimpico in 2024.

With funds tight at Roma and given the player’s age, the report claims Roma will be left with little choice but to cash in on the star with Spurs now ‘ready to invest’ into his signing.

Tottenham ready to sacrifice Eric Dier

To help grease the wheels, it’s claimed Tottenham could offer Roma the opportunity to sign Eric Dier as part of any deal.

The 410-game star is in his 10th season at Spurs, but with his deal expiring next summer, it appears the clock is ticking on his time in north London.

Dier appears well down the pecking order under Postecoglou this season, making just two appearances in the Premier League – both of which were those two most recent defeats – and with his chance only arising after injury to Micky van der Ven and the suspension being served by Cristian Romero.

As such, a parting of ways in 2024 looks highly likely with the player recently reportedly making clear his plans to walk away as a free agent.

Indeed, he has already caught the attention of a number of sides, with former club Sporting Lisbon, as well as Roma – with Mourinho knowing him well.

Now Spurs could look to offload Dier for a cut-price fee in January to ensure they don’t lose the 49-times capped England man as a free agent.

And with their interest in Cristante heating up, a potential swap deal between the clubs certainly makes a great deal of sense.

Spurs reportedly value Dier at around the €10m mark, meaning they would still need a cash adjustment of around €20m to push through any capture for Cristante.

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