Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keeping tabs on the situation of RB Leipzig centre-back Mohamed Simakan.
Despite managing to shore up the Lilywhites' defence with his switch to a back three last term, Antonio Conte is still on the lookout for a new centre-back before the summer window shuts.
Eric Dier, Ben Davies and Cristian Romero all impressed in Spurs' backline following the arrival of Conte, who may be waving goodbye to the out-of-favour Joe Rodon in the coming weeks.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano - via football.london - Tottenham have now added Simakan to their list of centre-back targets after the 22-year-old enjoyed a productive first season at RB Leipzig.
Simakan came through the youth academy at Strasbourg before sealing a £13.5m move to Leipzig last summer, and he made 40 appearances for the club in all tournaments during his debut season.
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The former France Under-20 international - who is still awaiting his first senior cap for Les Bleus - scored one goal and set up one more in that time and started 23 Bundesliga matches to help Domenico Tedesco's side secure a fourth-placed finish.
Simakan also started all six of Leipzig's games in their triumphant DFB-Pokal run and was part of a backline that conceded just two goals in the tournament before beating Freiburg on penalties in the final.
However, the Frenchman's contract at the Red Bull Arena does not expire until 2026, meaning that Leipzig are under no pressure to sell and can play hardball in negotiations with Tottenham.
The Lilywhites have already been frustrated in their pursuits of some of their defensive targets this summer, namely Inter Milan duo Alessandro Bastoni and Milan Skriniar.
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The agent of Bastoni has affirmed that the Italian will not be leaving San Siro this summer, while Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are thought to be in a two-way battle for Skriniar.
Another RB Leipzig centre-back in Josko Gvardiol is said to have caught the eye of Tottenham chiefs, who have allegedly made contact with the German club to enquire about the Croatian.
Tottenham are also rumoured to be in talks over a loan move for Barcelona's Clement Lenglet, while Bayer Leverkusen's Piero Hincapie has been mentioned as a possible target.
Spurs have already welcomed Yves Bissouma, Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic to the club ahead of the 2022-23 season, and Conte is also after a new attacking player before the window shuts.
An earlier report from Tuesday claimed that the North London club had made a £100m double bid for Everton pair Richarlison and Anthony Gordon.
Ben Knapton
