Spurs: Postecoglou rejected £40m transfer target

Ange Postecoglou was not keen on a move for the Premier League player.

HIGHLIGHTS

•  Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou rejected signing Max Kilman due to his lack of pace, which is crucial to his defensive system.
•  Spurs signed Micky van de Ven instead, who offers similar attributes to Kilman but with greater speed and potential impact.
•  Kilman could have cost around £40m, but his age and potential may not have justified the price tag, making Van de Ven a better
• value for money signing.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou rejected the possibility of signing centre-back Max Kilman this summer, instead opting for

Micky van de Ven, according to The Athletic’s Tim Spiers.

Is Kilman leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers?

One of Tottenham’s biggest targets this summer was a new centre-back. Having witnessed Spurs’ lack of defensive solidity from a distance

last season, Postecoglou was desperate to reinforce a porous backline.

Postecoglou’s prayers have now been answered with Spurs signing two new centre-backs this summer: Ashley Phillips and Van de Ven.

Phillips is more of a project player, arriving from Blackburn Rovers at just 18-years-old, and perhaps even going out on loan to get more

first-team experience. Van de Ven, however, is expected to make an immediate impact following his £43m move after a breakout season

in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg.

 

It could have been very different though, with Spiers announcing that Spurs’ recruitment staff were very “hot” on Wolverhampton

Wanderers defender Kilman, but Postecoglou took against the idea.

Speaking on The View From The Lane podcast, Spiers suggested that Postecoglou wan not keen on Kilman, partly due to his lack of pace

and ability to therefore fit into the Australian’s system.

“I feel like speed is the key here, in terms of why there were so keen to bring him [Van de Ven] in. I know that they looked really closely at

Max Kilman from Wolves and that the recruitment team were really hot on him and I can understand why because he and Van de Ven

share an awful lot of attributes in terms of their size, their physicality. Kilman is excellent technically.

“A similar price as well, I think Kilman could be got for £40m, from what I hear. He also has family in London, I think he’d have been open to the move.

“But the issue with Kilman is he’s not quick, that’s what he lacks, and I do feel like speed is the key to what Postecoglou wants. And from

what I’m told, the recruitment team were really hot on Kilman but Postecoglou was not, and I’d imagine it’s for that reason [a lack of pace].”

Whether Spurs will sign a third centre-back this summer remains to be seen, but it seems it certainly won’t be Kilman.

Postecoglou’s tendency to play offensive football with attacking full-back means that his central defenders need good recovery pace as to not get caught out on the counter-attack, something Kilman lacks.

Van de Ven, however, has showcased his speed in the Bundesliga, with a now viral clip of his recovery pace to make a goal-saving block against Union Berlin documenting just how quick the 22-year-old is.

How much is Kilman worth?

As Spiers mentions, a transfer for Kilman would likely cost around £40m, similar to that Spurs have paid for new signing Van de Ven.

Although, considering Wolves have already lost two centre-backs this summer in Nathan Collins and Conor Coady, they may have pushed

that price tag up even further.

The 26-year-old is a very competent Premier League player and has blossomed at Molineux since arriving from Maidenhead United in

2018, however he is four years older than Van de Ven and arguably has less potential to develop further.

The 26-year-old is also a left-footed centre-back who is tall and physical who possesses great ability with the ball at his feet, but the

signing of Van de Ven perhaps represents better value for money.