Tottenham Hotspur are now battling north London rivals Arsenal for the signature of a young French defender who has a “rare quality”.

Spurs looking defensively solid since Frank's arrival

Despite leading Tottenham to Europa League glory, Ange Postecoglou received widespread criticism for his inability to make his side defensively sound, conceding a whopping 65 goals in the Premier League alone last season, which resulted in a 17th-place finish.

Since Thomas Frank’s arrival, however, Spurs have looked much more solid at the back, according to former midfielder Danny Murphy, who said: “He’s fixing the main problem that Tottenham had last year, which is why they finished 17th. They conceded so many goals and they were wide open.

“He’s gone in there and gone, ‘We’re going to be better defensively, first and foremost, and we’ll sacrifice the looking great and creativity for a little while.”

It has been an impressive start to the season for Frank’s side, having collected 14 points from their opening seven games, and their improved defensive record suggests the Dane may not need to bolster his options at the back anytime soon.

However, according to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have now joined the race for a new centre-back, namely FC Nantes defender Tylel Tati, who is also being targeted by Arsenal, and a number of Europe’s top clubs.

Tati is a versatile player, also capable of slotting in at left-back and defensive midfield, and he has caught the eye of Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool, with scouts being sent to watch the 17-year-old in action.

Born in Paris’ eastern suburbs around 11km from the birthplace of current French sensation William Saliba, if the teenager is able to continue his current rate of development, there is a feeling he could be ready to move to a Champions League side in 2026.

Tati has one "rare quality" that sets him apart

The French youngster has emerged as a key first-team player for Nantes this season, which is no mean feat at just 17, and Stéphane Ziani, director of the training centre, believes the starlet has one key strength that sets him apart.

Ziani said: “Tylel has this rare quality of reading the game before the others. And he has a good head on his shoulders.”

Perhaps the youngster’s most impressive performance to date came in a 1-0 defeat against Strasbourg back in August, winning every duel he contested and making a number of other important defensive contributions.

Statistic

Number completed

Clearances

2

Tackles

3

Duels won

6 (6)

Tati is clearly a very talented young player, but signing a new centre-back should not be Tottenham’s priority heading into the January transfer window, given their improved defensive performances since Frank’s arrival.

Instead, it would be a smart move to bring in a new left-winger, having arguably failed to replace Son Heung-min, with AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo of interest, although it could take a club-record £75m offer to get a deal done.