Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the signing of Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi on a free transfer, with personal terms yet to be finalised.
According to a report from the BBC, the deal for the 29-year-old Argentina international is advancing towards completion. Senesi turned down a third contract offer from Bournemouth back in December, and it now looks like he will be staying in the Premier League – just in north London rather than on the south coast.
This is not exactly new territory for those who have been following this one closely. We reported previously that Senesi had allegedly visited Hotspur Way, and there were strong indications a verbal agreement was in place conditional on Spurs avoiding relegation. BBC confirmation is a meaningful step up in certainty, and at this point the deal feels close to done.
Senesi would be a smart acquisition for Spurs
The 29-year-old left-footed centre-back made all but one of Bournemouth’s league games this season as they finished sixth and qualified for Europe for the first time in their history. He is physically robust, composed on the ball, and has proven himself consistently in the Premier League over four years and 128 appearances. As our own analysis has outlined, he offers genuine tempo control and creativity from deep – qualities that suit Roberto de Zerbi’s style of play. Picking him up on a free, with Barcelona, Liverpool, and Manchester United all tracking him at various points, could prove to be a real bargain.
Spurs need to get their defensive rebuild right
Vinai Venkatesham was blunt about the squad’s shortcomings this week, telling BBC Sport that Spurs need “experience and leadership” and “physical robustness” after a season in which the club finished 17th and narrowly avoided the drop. Senesi addresses part of that, but only part. Spurs are also reportedly pursuing Andy Robertson and have been linked with Tarik Muharemovic as another centre-back option, which suggests de Zerbi wants genuine competition and depth at the back rather than a single addition. It remains to be seen how quickly the paperwork is wrapped up once Senesi’s Bournemouth contract expires on 30 June, but the direction of travel here is clear.
