Manager outlines transfer stance of Spurs-linked £20m ‘top centre-back’

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Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with Wales international Joe Rodon in recent weeks.

As reported by the Daily Mail earlier this week, Jose Mourinho’s Spurs are hoping to bring the centre-back in from Swansea before the Friday deadline for domestic transfers.

The outlet claims that the Championship club has valued the 22-year-old at £20million after rebuffing a bid from Spurs worth £7million plus add-ons earlier this month.

BBC Sport, meanwhile, reported on Thursday that Swansea are expecting a bid for Rodon before Friday’s 5pm deadline, but manager Steve Cooper is adamant he won’t leave on the cheap.

“If we do lose an asset then our supporters will want to see some re-investment and some good players coming in,” he is quoted by BBC Sport as saying.

“What I would say about Joe or any other of our assets – and Joe is right up there as one of our biggest ones – it’s really important that if we do end up having to sell, then we get something to show for it.”

Cooper acknowledges that the opportunity of moving to a club like Spurs is likely to appeal to a player like Rodon.

“To move from a Championship club to a big-six club – it is difficult for a player not to be excited,” he added.

“I understand that. The biggest thing in the Championship is there is another level above it. We all want to get there, whether it’s through promotion or moves.”

Referring to high-profile Championship moves like the £25million Everton paid for Ben Godfrey, Cooper said: “I think Joe is a really good player and if that’s what the going rate is, then Joe, for a young player, will be a top centre-back in the Championship.”

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Rodon, who came through the ranks at Swans, has clocked up 54 senior appearances for the Championship side, including five in all competitions this season, plus seven Wales caps.

Sports journalist Dominic Booth, who formerly covered Swansea for the South Wales Evening Post, told Sky Sports in May that Rodon was destined for the upper echelons of the game.

“He brings the ball out from the back, he’s comfortable with it at his feet,” Booth said.

“Rodon is a leader given his age, a bit of an old head on young shoulders. He’s good in the air despite not being a huge presence, and looks destined for bigger things.”

Will Tottenham get the deal over the line? We’ll find out by tomorrow afternoon.