With Tottenham preparing to sell Kevin Wimmer, would Alfie Mawson or Ben Gibson be an upgrade?

Add as preferred source on Google

As Mauricio Pochettino ponders over his squad, as he looks to build on two consecutive second place finishes in the Premier League, the Mirror say that defender Kevin Wimmer will be sold with two Premier League players targeted as replacements.

Spurs hope to bring in £25 million for the back-up option and could look to upgrade by immediately investing the money in either Swansea’s Alfie Mawson or Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson, but how do the trio compare?

Kevin Wimmer

With just 10 appearances last season and only four Premier League starts, it’s clear to see why Tottenham could be considering cashing in on the Austrian. At 24-years-old, he is nearing the end of the period of his career when he can expected to continue improving and developing.

Doubts have been raised over Wimmer in two key areas, one of which is his aerial strength. Alongside the dominant presence of Toby Alderweireld or Jan Vertonghen, Wimmer has failed to live up to expectations. His tackling too has shown cause for concern, with his 0.6 tackles per game the lowest of any Spurs defender, yet he has the highest foul per game ratio of any centre-back at the club at 0.8 per game.

There is also the fact that Wimmer does not particularly fit into the Tottenham style of play. His style of spraying long balls out from the back completely goes against the short passing game that Mauricio Pochettino has implemented.

Alfie Mawson

The England under 21 international was playing League 2 football only two years ago but has completed a remarkable climb from a loan spell at Wycombe to Swansea via Barnsley. The commanding central defender joined the Welsh club last summer and established himself with 27 Premier League appearances last season.

Mawson is strong in the air and is rarely beaten with in aerial battles, even against some of the strongest competitors in the Premier League. With four goals, from set pieces and headers, he also poses an attacking threat as well as defensive strength.

The 23-year-old is also reluctant to dive into tackles, with his patient style reflective of his intelligence on the ball. On the ball, he is also keen to dribble out from the back at times, as Spurs like to do. Being based in London, that may help to convince Mawson to make the move.

Ben Gibson

One of few bright sparks for Middlesbrough in their immediate relegation from te Premier League last season was the form of local boy Ben Gibson at the heart of their defence.

Despite relegation, the side had one of the best defensive records in the top flight, much of which was built around the 24-year-old. Like Mawson, Gibson is not the kind of player to dive into tackles and has greater intelligence on the ball too, with his strength allowing him to hold players off while he looks for support.

With his side relegated to the Championship, Boro may not have much choice but to sell their star man and he will be keen to return to the Premier League as soon as possible.

Featured Image: All rights reserved by Craig Ballantyne.