Sébastien Bassong, the Newcastle United defender, is believed to be close to completing a move to White Hart Lane.
According to reports on Sky Sports News, Bassong completed a medical at Spurs Lodge this morning ahead of a proposed £10m move to north London.
If true, Harry Redknapp has wasted little time in spending the funds from the sale of Darren Bent to Sunderland yesterday.
Redknapp hinted earlier in the week that the Frenchman is a player he is interested in bringing to the club, a desire that was only strengthened by the news that he faced starting the new season with no fit senior central defenders.
Ledley King is unlikely to be fit for the opening match against Liverpool, with Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson both major doubts as well.
When they do recover, Bassong will provide extra competition for one of the two spots at the heart of Redknapp’s back four.
Although it is difficult to imagine the former Metz player usurping either a fully fit King or Woodgate in the short-term, at 23-years-old and with a season of Premiership football behind him, Bassong has the mix of youth and experience Redknapp is looking for in a long-term successor to his injury ravaged club captain.
Bassong has largely ducked the criticism leveled at his Newcastle teammates during their dismal slide toward relegation, and had attracted the interest of Arsenal and Manchester City before Harry made his move.
Whilst his performances showed promise, he was not faultless for his role at the heart of one of the most shambolic defences in the Premiership. The high regard he is held in among some fans is probably more to do with prevailing opinion disseminated by Sky Sports and the Sun; similar to the ill informed guff that says Titus Bramble is rubbish, Peter Crouch can’t head the ball and Gomess is spelt exactly that.
With this in mind, the £10m fee is excessive, especially given Newcastle’s precarious financial position, but those who question why Levy would be willing to pay such an inflated price, when Bassong was signed from Ligue 1 for £500k just a year ago, need look no further than the encouraging performances of Wilson Palacios, who cost Wigan a purported £1m before we signed him for twelve times that amount.
Regardless, Redknapp is acutely aware that his defence needed strengthening ahead of the new season, and Bassong will provide the pace and athleticism to be considered a useful foil for Woodgate or King.