Tottenham have completed the signing of the Lens centre-back, Kevin Danso, on an initial loan with an obligation to buy for €25m (£20.9m) in the summer.
The Spurs manager, Ange Postecoglou, had said on Friday that the club might need to strengthen in central defence as they waited for an update on Radu Dragusin. The Romanian centre-back suffered what looked a worrying knee injury against Elfsborg in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Related: Daniel Levy, Spurs’ Pelé of debt structuring, may yet be vindicated | Barney Ronay
Postecoglou also has Cristian Romero out with a thigh problem, describing it as “tricky” and still without a clear comeback date. The club’s only other specialist senior centre-half is Micky Van de Ven, who returned to the starting line-up on Thursday, playing the first half in a pre-planned arrangement.
Spurs have taken Danso, the 26-year-old Austria international, from under the noses of Wolves. The Midlands club were close to securing his signature, having booked him in for a medical only for Spurs to move at the last moment. His debut could come on Thursday night at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final, second leg. Spurs are 1-0 up from the first leg and bidding to seal a place in the Wembley final.
Danso, who will wear the No 4 shirt at Spurs, was born in Voitsberg, Austria but moved to England at the age of six where he began his early career with MK Dons and Reading. He then went to Augsburg in Germany in 2014 to kickstart his senior career. In 2019-20, Danso spent the season on loan from Augsburg at Southampton, making 10 appearances, including six in the Premier League.
Postecoglou has been pleading for new signings all month as he battles an injury crisis – he will be without nine senior players for the trip to Brentford on Sunday afternoon – and he is still especially keen for a player for the front line.
Spurs indicated a readiness to pay €60m (£50m) for Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel but the forward did not want to join them. They are continuing to try to add a player in this area before Monday night’s transfer deadline. Their only other signing so far this month has been the goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, bought from Slavia Prague for £12.5m.
