Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been told that it would take a fee of £60m to prise Marc Guehi away from Crystal Palace this summer.
The England international has gone from strength to strength since leaving Chelsea for the Eagles in 2021, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 82 matches.
Guehi played the full 90 minutes in all but one of Palace's 2022-23 Premier League fixtures, scoring one goal against Leeds United and wearing the captain's armband on eight occasions.
Having made a name for himself at Selhurst Park, Guehi earned a recall to the England squad for June's Euro 2024 qualifiers and started alongside Harry Maguire in Friday's 4-0 win over Malta.
The 22-year-old's form has apparently led to interest from several European-competing clubs, including Tottenham, while Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are also believed to be admirers.
However, with Guehi under contract at Crystal Palace for another three years, CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs claims that the Eagles are after as much as £60m to sanction a sale this summer.
Nevertheless, Tottenham could still test Palace's resolve over the coming weeks, as new head coach Ange Postecoglou has apparently made bolstering an ailing defence his top priority.
The Lilywhites shipped a staggering 63 goals in the 2022-23 Premier League season, their most since a tally of 66 in the inaugural 1992-93 campaign, as they missed out on a place in Europe for the first time in 14 years.
Postecoglou is supposedly hoping to sign Premier League-proven defenders in order to plug the holes in his side's backline, and a move for Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo has also been mooted.
The former Manchester City product is out of contract in 2024 and could theoretically be available for a cut-price fee this summer, but Tottenham are yet to make a formal approach.
Roma's Roger Ibanez is rumoured to be an alternative target for Tottenham, who have lost one central defender in Clement Lenglet following the conclusion of his season-long loan from Barcelona.
Despite speculation of a possible permanent move for the Frenchman, Spurs have seemingly moved on to other targets, and Postecoglou could also oversee a mass clearout at the back.
Joe Rodon, Japhet Tanganga and Davinson Sanchez do not appear to have futures in North London, while there is fresh doubt over a new contract for the under-fire Eric Dier.
The Englishman lost his place in the starting lineup under Ryan Mason towards the end of the season, and Tottenham have apparently not ruled out letting him leave for free in 2024 when his deal expires.
Postecoglou has already made his first permanent signing as Tottenham head coach, as the Lilywhites confirmed the permanent signing of Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus on Saturday.
The Swedish attacker impressed during an 18-month loan spell, and Tottenham are believed to have paid £25.7m for his services on a five-year contract. body check tags ::
