Who is Kevin Danso? Everything you need to know about Tottenham Hotspur’s central defender

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Tottenham Hotspur secured the signing of Kevin Danso in the 2025 winter transfer window, hijacking his move to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Danso helped Tottenham win the Europa League that season, going on to earn a permanent move to N17 that summer. He joined from RC Lens for £21 million.

So, in a defensive department with increasingly fierce competition, who is Kevin Danso? Here’s everything you need to know about Tottenham’s Austrian centre-back.

Tottenham hijacked Wolves’ transfer for Kevin Danso

On February 1st 2025, it was revealed that Tottenham Hotspur had hijacked Kevin Danso’s transfer from RC Lens to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

According to reports, Tottenham‘s swoop was rather late as the centre-back was set for a medical with Wolves. It certainly felt good to be on the other end, as Spurs had witnessed a similar fate earlier in the same window when Randal Kolo Muani opted for Juventus instead of Spurs while Fikayo Tomori turned down a transfer to Tottenham along with Bayern’s Mathys Tel.

But who is this centre-back that the Lilywhites have gone through all this hassle for? Is he really worth the effort? Let’s meet him.

From Milton Keynes to Hotspur Way: Kevin Danso’s footballing journey

Kevin Danso was born on 19 September 1998 in Austria to Ghanaian parents. His footballing journey began at a young age when he moved to Milton Keynes in England at the age of six.

He developed his skills in the academies of Reading and MK Dons before making the switch to Germany, where his professional career took off.

Initially playing as a striker in his youth, Danso transitioned into a defensive role as he progressed through the ranks. At FC Augsburg, where Danso transferred in 2014, he became the youngest player to make a league appearance in the club’s history aged 18 years and 165 days.

A week later, he earned a new four-year contract with the club.

In the summer transfer window of 2019, Danso moved to Southampton in the Premier League on a one-year loan. This included an option to buy at the end of that season. It was not taken up.

Instead, Danso moved on loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf the season after, scoring twice in 32 games.

Danso found a new permanent home the following season when moving to RC Lens in Ligue 1. This proved a key move for him, proving a crucial part of the team as they finished the 2022-23 season as runners-up and qualified for the Champions League. This earned him a place in the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year, as well as growing interest from top clubs around Europe.

That included the Premier League, with Tottenham hijacking his transfer from RC Lens to Wolverhampton Wanderers in February 2025 to bring him to N17.

At an international level, Danso opted to represent Austria rather than Ghana. He was called up for the first time in May 2017 and has been part of their Euro 2024 and 2026 World Cup squads.

He also played the full 90 minutes of a piece of Austrian football history, when demolishing San Marino 10-0 for their biggest ever win in international football.

What position does Kevin Danso play?

Danso has established himself as a right-footed centre-back, but his versatility allows him to play in different defensive roles when required.

Up until the start of August 2026 Kevin Danso has played 250 matches as a centre-back, four as a right-back, three as a left-back, and two as a defensive midfielder.

Kevin Danso goals and assists so far

Although primarily a defender, Danso has contributed with goals and assists throughout his career, as a centre-back, Danso’s goal contributions are rather impressive.

The 27-year-old centre-back has noted a total of 23 goal involvement throughout his career. He has scored ten and assisted twelve in a total of 259 appearances.