Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly showing interest in signing Brighton & Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey in the January transfer window.
The Lilywhites have often been left short in defence this season due to injuries, with Cristian Romero the latest to suffer a scare on international duty with Argentina this week.
Ange Postecoglou is also missing Micky van de Ven due to his latest hamstring concern, while Djed Spence has spent a few weeks out with a groin problem over the autumn months.
A lack of central cover barring Radu Dragusin could force Postecoglou into deploying Ben Davies or Archie Gray in the heart of defence in an emergency, which would then leave Spurs short in the full-back areas.
In a bid to improve his side's defensive depth, FootballTransfers claims that Postecoglou is weighing up a January approach for Lamptey, who will enter the last six months of his Seagulls contract in January.
Brighton 'motivated' to sell Spurs-linked Lamptey?
© Imago
The ex-Chelsea starlet will therefore be free to enter pre-contract discussions with foreign clubs in the January transfer window, leaving Brighton at risk of losing him for nothing in the summer.
Desperate to avoid that scenario materialising, the report claims that Brighton could be 'motivated' to sell Lamptey over the winter, and both Spurs and Everton have thrown their hat into the ring.
Tottenham's status as a Europa League-competing team would immediately give them the edge over Everton, and the Lilywhites are said to be particularly attracted to Lamptey's versatility.
The 24-year-old would arrive to compete with Pedro Porro at first, although he may end up replacing the Spaniard if he finds a summer move to Real Madrid too tempting to turn down.
The Champions League holders are said to have identified Porro as one of their top two defensive targets for 2025, but the former Sporting Lisbon man still has four years left on his Spurs contract.
How has Lamptey performed in a Brighton shirt?
© Imago
One of the many Chelsea academy graduates who failed to make the grade at Stamford Bridge, Lamptey joined Brighton for just £1m in 2020 and quickly made an impression with his explosive displays down the right flank.
The 24-year-old made 30 appearances for Graham Potter's Brighton in the 2021-22 campaign, but injuries have not been kind to him; he has missed 94 games for club and country over the past four years.
Lamptey's fitness troubles have allowed Joel Veltman to establish himself as Brighton's first-choice right-back, and the former has made just four appearances in 2024-25, providing one goal and one assist.
Only one of those matches has come in the Premier League, a 10-minute cameo off the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and his perennial injury problems may lead to concerns among the Spurs fanbase after several weeks of defensive shortages.
