When Tottenham Hotspur take to the field against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon, the combined age of their two centre-backs may be younger than all of Lukasz Fabianski, Ashley Young and James Milner, the three oldest players to feature in this season's Premier League.
With Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies all working their way back from injuries, Radu Dragusin and emergency defender Archie Gray have been assured of weekly Premier League starts, but the former sustained an ankle problem in the 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
Head coach Ange Postecoglou was non-committal when asked if Dragusin would be available for Spurs' final Premier League game of 2024, where the Lilywhites would have no fit senior centre-backs available if the Romanian fails a fitness test.
In that scenario, Postecoglou could drop Yves Bissouma into a deeper role alongside the 18-year-old Gray - who has held his own in that position - or take a punt on the latter's fellow teenager Alfie Dorrington, who made his debut against Southampton a couple of weeks ago.
None of Romero, Van de Ven or Davies should be missing for longer than another month, but unpopular chairman Daniel Levy is facing incessant pleas from disgruntled fans to open his chequebook when January rolls around.
A short-term or loan deal should be enough to tide Spurs over until the end of the season, when they can take their search more seriously, and here, Sports Mole takes a look at six centre-backs the club could realistically pursue over the winter.
Milan Skriniar - Paris Saint-Germain
Once heralded as one of the strongest centre-backs in European football, Milan Skriniar was tipped to follow Antonio Conte to Tottenham in 2021, having excelled in the Italian's system during his glittering Inter Milan stint.
The four-time Slovak footballer of the year opted to stay loyal to the Nerazzurri for a couple more years, but his influence waned towards the end of his San Siro spell and he was an unused substitute in the Champions League final loss to Manchester City in 2023.
Paris Saint-Germain had seemingly pulled off a major coup when Skriniar joined as a free agent in 2023, but the 29-year-old has quickly fallen out of favour under Luis Enrique, making just five appearances this season and not playing a single minute in the Champions League.
Marquinhos, Willian Pacho and Lucas Beraldo are all above the experienced Skriniar in the pecking order, and it has been reported that Spurs are interested in signing the Slovakia international next month.
Tottenham may not even need to go above £30m to capture Skriniar, but they will certainly not be alone in their pursuit of a centre-back who still has plenty of life left in his legs, and one who has thrived more in a back three rather than a traditional four-man rearguard.
Abdukodir Khusanov - Lens
Another Ligue 1 defender who could make a quick trip across the English channel in January, Abdukodir Khusanov is believed to have caught the eye of the Tottenham board after becoming a prominent member of the Lens lineup.
The French upstarts used to have a settled back three of Facundo Medina, Kevin Danso and Jonathan Gradit, but Khusanov has bumped the latter down the pecking order, making 11 Ligue 1 starts this term and playing his part in seven clean sheets.
Lens have only let in 14 goals in the top flight this season - the joint-best defensive record in the division alongside PSG themselves - and at just 20 years old, Khusanov could very well have another two decades left at the top level.
Lens sporting director Diego Lopez recently confirmed to L'Equipe that Khusanov's agent Jorge Mendes has been given the green light to sell the Uzbekistan international in January, as Les Sang et Or are in desperate need of funds midway through the season.
Given the Ligue 1 side's desire to sell, Spurs would not have to break the bank - a fee of around £20m has been mooted - but competition for the 6ft 1in youngster will undoubtedly be fierce.
Sergio Ramos - free agent
Sergio Ramos vs. Mohamed Salah run it back - could we see the legendary 38-year-old have one final European hurrah in the Premier League?
It is not beyond the realm of possibility. Ramos has been without a club since leaving Sevilla for a second time at the end of last season, and no offer that appeals to the Real Madrid icon has been tabled yet.
A sensational Bernabeu return has been mooted amid the Champions League holders' own defensive crisis, but that is not thought to be a realistic option at this juncture; instead, the most serious interest is believed to come from South America.
However, a report from Footboom claims that the Spaniard still wants to continue his career on his home continent - also ruling out a lucrative MLS or Saudi move - and from purely a playing perspective, there are few reasons why Spurs should not consider a short-term deal.
Ramos will surely be attracted by the prospect of trying his hand at Premier League football and would offer invaluable experience to youngsters such as Gray and Dorrington. Furthermore, his attacking powers have not waned - he scored seven goals for Sevilla in the 2023-24 season.
The veteran's salary may be the biggest stumbling block when it comes to a January deal, but if the South American proposals do not meet his expectations, Spurs could do a lot worse than just put a feeler out.
Stefan de Vrij - Inter Milan
Another cornerstone of the Conte era at Inter Milan, long-serving Nerazzurri defender Stefan de Vrij was seemingly coming to the end of his San Siro career, only to take up the offer of a two-year contract extension in 2023.
The 32-year-old is still a Champions League regular for Inzaghi's side, helping the Italian champions keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Arsenal in November, but he has started fewer than half of Inter's Serie A matches thanks to the rise of Yann Bisseck.
The renewal that De Vrij signed in 2023 is due to expire at the end of the season, although Inter do have the option to trigger a 12-month extension, which would keep the Netherlands international on the books until 2026.
De Vrij said in a recent interview with Il Giornale - as quoted by FCInterNews - that he remains "very happy" in Inter colours, but he is still in the dark about whether the club will exercise their right to prolong his deal again.
If the Nerazzurri decide that the time is right to move on, offers should be entertained in January to avoid losing him on a free, but the club could also trigger his contract extension simply to protect his value and just demand a little bit more next month.
Danilo - Juventus
Unless a former manager pips them to the post, Juventus' Danilo could be an intriguing option for Tottenham in January - the South American is experienced, versatile and Premier League-proven, winning two titles during his short stint at Manchester City.
Also set to enter the last six months of his contract in January, the 33-year-old has supposedly been told by the Bianconeri board that he is free to explore his options in January, as he does not fit into Thiago Motta's plans for the future.
Danilo is far from an outcast in Turin - he has made 16 appearances in all tournaments this season and worn the captain's armband in eight of them - but a parting of the ways next month is almost inevitable.
Manchester United were briefly linked with a shock move for the ex-Man City defender, who is also thought to have admirers in Saudi Arabia, but Conte's Napoli are believed to be the frontrunners at this stage.
However, Calciomercato claims that there is still one stumbling block to overcome, as Juventus want to obtain a small fee for Danilo in January, but Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis - renowned for being a cut-throat and ruthless negotiator - wants to sign him for nothing.
As long as a full agreement remains outstanding, there is scope for Tottenham to steal in and take Danilo on a short-term deal, one that would not set them back much financially whatsoever.
Olivier Boscagli - PSV Eindhoven
Out of all the centre-backs on the planet due to become free agents in 2025, PSV Eindhoven's Olivier Boscagli is rated at the third-most valuable on Transfermarkt, only behind Liverpool rock Virgil van Dijk and Bundesliga invincible Jonathan Tah.
The Monaco-born defender might be able to leave the Dutch giants for nothing in six months' time, but he is still one of the first names on the teamsheet for the all-conquering Eredivisie champions, starting every league and Champions League match this season.
Boscagli has also proven his worth at the other end of the field with one goal and four assists in Eredivisie action this season, after scoring three goals and setting up another four en route to the 2023-24 Dutch top-flight title.
At 27 years old, Boscagli is either in or about to enter his prime years, and it was reported by journalist Dennie van Laar on PSVFans over the summer that Spurs could throw their hat into the ring for his signature.
The Lilywhites will certainly not be the only potential landing spot for the former France youth international, who is also allegedly being courted by Real Madrid and was the subject of a rejected offer from Brighton & Hove Albion the summer.
Furthermore, Romero and Van de Ven will no doubt come straight back into the first XI when fully fit, so Tottenham could be fighting a losing battle trying to convince a player at the peak of his powers to accept a backup/sporadic role.
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