In an exclusive interview with GIVEMESPORT, former Spurs midfielder Paul Stewart said his former club should sign at least one of two Premier League defenders in the transfer window.

Stewart is keen for Tottenham to invest in defensive reinforcements and has tipped Brighton's Lewis Dunk or Southampton's Jannik Vestergaard to be the future of Spurs' back-line.

Stewart said, "I had a chat with a few people regarding him [Vestergaard] and also believe it or not Dunk from Brighton. A big imposing lad who scores goals as a centre-half which is a bonus as well. I'd be happy if they invested in either of those."

He suggested that Dunk and Vestergaard would both be important additions to the Tottenham rear-guard. 

"Vestergaard and Dunk would be two players I'd definitely be looking at to bring at least one of them," he said. "I think Dunk's had a really good season."

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Why do Tottenham need to make defensive signings this summer?

Tottenham have conceded 41 goals in the Premier League this season, including three against Leeds at the weekend. The side have experimented with multiple options at the heart of the back four. These have included the youth of Joe Roden, Eric Dier who is more naturally suited to the base of midfield, and the more experienced options of Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez.

Alderweireld has been a solid mainstay in Spurs' defence featuring in 22 league games and achieving a WhoScored rating of 6.87. However, his defensive partners have struggled to reach the level of the Belgian, with the two more regular options of Sanchez and Dier achieving just 6.68 and 6.66 respectively.

Who would be the better signing - Dunk or Vestergaard?

Availability is one of the most important qualities for centre-backs who provide consistency at the base of the team, and despite strong stats in most defensive departments, Vestergaard's injury problems make him the less desirable option.

The Southampton defender has missed nine games this season with a knee injury according to Transfermarkt. This equates to 47 days out injured for the Saints, and adds up to 23 games missed over the last three seasons. 

In comparison Dunk has missed just two games for Brighton after sustaining an ankle injury earlier this season and started at least 36 games in all of his Premier League campaigns to date.

It may seem like splitting hairs but especially after testing so many different options this season, having a settled centre-back paring should be a must for Spurs going into 2021/22.