Southampton interested in Kevin Wimmer, but are balking at Tottenham’s price tag

For the first time this summer we have a credible transfer rumor involving Tottenham Hotspur center back Kevin Wimmer. The Austrian defender has been linked away from Spurs for a while after barely making an impact in Spurs’ first team this past season, but while it seemed likely that he would leave Tottenham, there have actually been very few rumors surrounding him.

That’s changing now, with the Mirror reporting that Southampton are interested in bringing Big Kev to Saint Mary’s. The only problem: Daniel Levy wants £20m for him.

On the one hand, this feels like a ridiculous ask. £20m for a reserve defender who barely played for Spurs last season? On the other hand, Wimmer is under contract at Spurs until 2021, and with all the cash flooding the Premier League market thanks to the new TV deals, prices are going up. We also know Levy is extremely adept at navigating the transfer market to get the best deal for his club. Obviously Spurs won’t get the full £20m for Wimmer should they sell, but I can see them coming to an agreement for something around £15m (or the equivalent with add-ons) when it’s all said and done. Considering Spurs bought him for £4.3m, that’s a nice profit.

For what it’s worth, Wimmer could do very well should he land at Southampton. We know he’s adept at playing in a back four, as he filled in admirably for Jan Vertonghen in 2015-16, and he would be an upgrade for the departed Jose Fonte and a very good partner to Virgil van Dijk, assuming Soton can keep ahold of him. It seems clear at this point that Wimmer has very little chance of jumping ahead of Toby Alderweireld and Vertonghen in Spurs’ first XI, and Pochettino has clearly preferred Eric Dier to Wimmer in back three formations. Wimmer seems like the kind of player who complements an outstanding defensive partner more than one that excels on his own.

With Spurs kicking the tires on Ajax’s Joel Veltman and a number of other center backs, seeing Wimmer linked to other clubs is an expected outcome. I’m just surprised we haven’t seen more of these kinds of rumors up until now.