Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to sign a new defender who is already in the Premier League, according to an update from a reliable journalist.
Spurs tracking Bournemouth's Zabarnyi
The Lilywhites have made a generally positive start to the new campaign having won nine, drawn three and lost four of their opening 16 games, meaning that they currently find themselves fifth in the table in the top-flight. However, Ange Postecoglou’s form has recently been hindered by injuries, and with Micky Van De Ven and Ashley Phillips both being out on the sidelines for the foreseeable, the manager needs to enter the market to find replacements to bolster his numbers at centre-back.
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Bournemouth’s Illia Zabarnyi has been highlighted as a potential target, with the colossus having impressed during his 23 appearances in this division since putting pen to paper on the south coast from Dynamo Kyiv back in January (Transfermarkt – Zabarnyi statistics). The Ukraine international isn’t a new name to the hierarchy at Spurs, who saw a late bid rejected for him last summer.
Now, if the following update is to be believed, Daniel Levy is considering taking a second bite of the cherry to secure his 21-year-old long-term target. Taking to X, The Daily Mirror's Ryan Taylor revealed that Tottenham are still scouting Zabarnyi and are wowed by his high level of performance since the start of the season.
“Fabio Paratici wanted to sign Bournemouth’s Illia Zabarnyi from Dynamo Kyiv. Data analytics suggested he was a player of huge potential. Spurs rate him very highly & his Premier League numbers are now flagging up on several key defensive algorithms.”
Zabarnyi is a "physically imposing" rising star
Standing at 6 foot 2, Zabarnyi provides a real presence at the heart of Bournemouth’s backline, which he’s proven so far this season where he’s averaging 3.8 clearances and 2.1 aerial wins per game in the Premier League (WhoScored – Zabaryni statistics).
The Kyiv native will also know what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level having secured three pieces of silverware since the start of his career, something that most of Ange's young squad in north London have not had lots of opportunities to experience yet.
Postecoglou’s target additionally only pockets £25k-per-week as it stands (Bournemouth salaries), so he would be a more than affordable option for the board to recruit because that would make him the joint fourth-lowest earner on the books (Tottenham salaries).
As described by GOAL, Zabarnyi is a “physically imposing” centre-back and there’s no doubt that he would strengthen the current defence should he put pen to paper, so this could be a situation to keep a very close eye on should any developments occur in the weeks ahead.