action press

Tottenham eyeing 22-year-old Ukrainian star to strengthen porous rearguard

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated May 19, 2025 4:46 PM ET

Tottenham will have to pay over the odds to persuade Bournemouth into selling Ilya Zabarnyi this summer

Tottenham Hotspur are set for a rebuild, and that is likely to come under a new manager even if Ange Postecoglou guides his troops to UEFA Europa League glory in Spain on May 21.

The Lilywhites’ entire season hinges on this one game, and a failure to bring the Europa League trophy back to North London will have some serious knock-on effects for the new campaign. It could be a historic night Ange Postecoglou and Co. in Bilbao as they have the opportunity to end the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

Winning the Europa League will also give Spurs direct entry into the Champions League next season, whilst boosting their transfer budget for the upcoming summer transfer window. So, Daniel Levy will be desperate to see Ange’s boys beat Manchester United at the San Mames Stadium.

After sleepwalking into their worst-ever Premier League campaign, Levy has several areas to strengthen to expect a much-improved 2025/26 season. The defensive unit perhaps appears to be at the top of the priority list, having witnessed the team suffer badly in terms of injuries and lack of organisation.

Now, according to an exclusive report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are keeping tabs on Bournemouth defender Ilya Zabarnyi. Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United are also interested in the player.

Ilya Zabarnyi has had an excellent season with Bournemouth, forging a strong partnership with Dean Huijsen at the heart of their defence. Their impressive partnership have not gone unnoticed, with Real Madrid snapping up Huijsen by activating the £50m release clause in his contract.

As a result, the aforementioned report adds that the Cherries cannot afford to lose another key player in the same transfer window and will resist any sale of Zabarnyi.

Tottenham may have to spend over the odds to tempt Bournemouth into selling the Ukrainian international, who has racked up 34 Premier League appearances this season and has a contract at the Vitality Stadium until 2029 (Transfermarkt). With his physicality, aerial ability and ball-playing skills, the 22-year-old fits the profile perfectly at Tottenham.

At 22 and with a lot more room to grow and potential to unlock, he’d be a fantastic potential replacement for Cristian Romero, who has been linked with an exit from N17. That said, however, Tottenham’s chances of signing Zabarnyi appear slim as Bournemouth do not want to lose him.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: