One Premier League defender, who has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, has now responded when directly asked if a move to the North London club is on the cards for him in January.
Tottenham eyeing 22-year-old Illia Zabarnyi
The player in question is Illia Zabarnyi, whose stock has risen massively since he made the switch to Bournemouth in the summer of 2023.
The Ukrainian’s solid displays at the back for Andoni Iraola’s men have allegedly attracted interest from Tottenham, with CaughtOffside reporting a couple of weeks ago that the Lilywhites are plotting a move for the player who is valued at £50m.
This report was also subsequently backed up by TEAMtalk, who claimed last week that the North London club had been tracking the 22-year-old even before he moved to the Vitality Stadium.
Illia Zabarnyi addresses Tottenham speculation
Zabarnyi has now been directly asked about the transfer speculation but the Bournemouth star chose to keep his cards close to his chest.
When quizzed on the rumours linking him with moves to Spurs and Liverpool, he said (via Ukrainian outlet Champion as translated by Sport Witness): “Liverpool or Tottenham? I don’t know yet.”
Elaborating further, the centre-back admitted that this season is a crucial one for him to make the next step in his career.
He added: “Is this season decisive for me? Perhaps yes. Every year is important for me, last season after injuries was also important. I proved myself well. Now everything is also in my hands, it all depends on me.”
Spurs unlikely to get involved in race for Zabarnyi
Unlike some other clubs in the Premier League, Tottenham are not looking for a starting centre-back but rather a backup.
That situation would only change if the club feel they are at the risk of losing one of Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven.
Postecoglou‘s men are unlikely to consider paying anywhere around £50m for a backup player. They will likely want to do their shopping in the £20m-£30m range.