Spurs look to bring Italian-born Nigerian defender Ahanor into the English Premier League

ENGLISH Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspurs are looking to bring Nigerian teenage defender Honest Ahanor to White Hart Lane during the forthcoming January transfer window as part of a plan to revive their flagging season.

Spurs started off the current season very well but over recent weeks, have suffered a series of defeats, which has seen them slip to 13th in the Premier League table. One of Spurs' big problems is their leaky defence that has seen them concede 23 goals in 22 games, compared with say the 10 that Arsenal have conceded, the 16 of Manchester City or the 17 that Chelsea have let in so far.

To address the problem, Spurs have sent scouts to watch Atalanta's Nigerian born 17 year old central defender Ahanor with a view to signing him. Ahanor, who only joined Atalanta in the summer, has already made 19 senior appearances for the side, including six starts in Serie A this season.

Capable of playing as a left-back, wing-back and central midfielder, the Nigerian starlet has played all his games for Atalanta in central defence. Scouts from the Premier League and European clubs are flocking to watch Ahanor in action, with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City said to be interested too.

Other clubs like Manchester United, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig are also reported to be watching with close interest.  However, Ahanor would theoretically have to wait until June 2028 to make a move to England due to Brexit rules as the UK is no longer in the European Union.

For Tottenham, landing Ahanor would represent a significant coup given the competition from clubs with rich histories in youth development. Ahanor’s representatives will contemplate whether joining Spurs would be beneficial in the player’s growth compared to established entities like Man City and Chelsea.

Securing the Italy-born talent’s signature would provide a long-term solution to the Lilywhites’ defence while addressing the immediate need for depth in that position. It remains to be seen if Tottenham can present an exciting sporting project to Ahanor and lure him to north London ahead of the likes of some top European clubs.

Ahanor is only eligible to play for Nigeria as he is the son of Nigerian parents. Despite being Italian by birth, he has never been eligible to represent Italy at youth level as under current Italian law, children born to foreign parents cannot automatically acquire citizenship.

Such children may apply for Italian citizenship only after turning 18, provided they have lived in the country continuously and legally. Ahanor’s case has reignited debate over Italy’s citizenship rules for second-generation immigrants but it puts Nigeria in the driving seat to sign him up.