British media “The Sun” delivered the situation on the 25th, saying, “Tottenham was virtually told by Crystal Palace to “erase the thought of joining the army.”
Tottenham needs to recruit a central defender in the winter transfer market, which will open soon. It has already been more than a month since Coach Ange Postecoglou took over and Mickey van der Pen, who was selected as the main center back, was out of power due to an injury. Van der Pen’s return is scheduled for January, but it is questionable whether he will be able to recover his normal condition at once.
Christian Romero, the undisputed mainstay, is also in physical condition as a time bomb. He is a fighter and has strong temperament, so he often suffers minor injuries while playing in fierce defense. He was replaced after playing in the first half due to abnormal physical condition in the 18th round of the 2023-24 English Premier League with Everton two days ago.
They are Tottenham, who have to hold out for most of the season, but they are struggling from the beginning due to their absence. Fortunately, Ben Davis is more than expected as a center back, but fourth-ranked Eric Dier is not competitive, so there is a problem with the thickness.
The solution should be solved by recruiting players. For this reason, various names including Jean-Clerc Todibo (OGC Nice), Radu Dragucine (Genoa), and Morato (Benfica) are mentioned through local media as a defender targeted by Tottenham. Mark Gehi is also a key player in the list.
Gehi, a defender born in 2000, started his professional career with Chelsea. Although he couldn’t find a position at Chelsea, he spent time on loan at Swansea City. After moving to Crystal Palace in 2021, he grew into a top center back in the Premier League. He has blossomed into a talent show by playing 101 matches during three seasons, and has played nine A matches for England since last year.
As a center back who has already adapted to the Premier League, its market value has increased significantly. Crystal Palace reportedly wants at least 60 million pounds. Moreover, they argue that he needs to pay more money to leave the winter transfer market during the season.
Regarding this, The Sun said, “Crystal Palace told Tottenham to give up recruiting. Unless the transfer fee is really huge, they will not budge in January,” adding, “Tottenham will not have enough funds to recruit Gehi in the winter.”
In addition to Tottenham, Gehi is also receiving attention from Newcastle United. Crystal Palace gave Newcastle the same answer as they delivered to Tottenham. It is not easy for both Tottenham and Newcastle to recruit Gehi in the winter.