Tottenham join fierce Premier League race for AC Milan defender Koni De Winter

Tottenham have set their sights on AC Milan centre-back Koni De Winter following his impressive displays in Serie A this season. Tottenham Hotspur are stacked in defence, with Roberto De Zerbi having a plethora of options to pick from at the moment.

Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies all stand as centre-back options for the Spurs boss, each possessing a unique skill set. However, De Zerbi's preferred centre-back pairing so far this season has been Van Hecke and Van de Ven, with the two impressing, especially with their passing and work on the ball when Spurs are in possession.

van Hecke Tottenham - Premier League (2026 - 2027) Appearances 10 Minutes Played 900 Average Rating 7.69 Goals 2 Tackles 16 Blocks 10 Interceptions 10 Duels Won 62 Fouls Committed 11 Yellow Cards 2 Red Cards 0 Stats correct as of 9 November 2026. It is hard to see how such a strong pairing will be broken up given how well they have performed, but that has not stopped Spurs from keeping track of more centre-back options.

It first emerged in the summer of 2025 that Tottenham held a keen interest in Koni De Winter, who was still at Genoa at the time, but Milan won the race to sign him 18 months ago. MORE SPURS STORIES The 24-year-old defender has made 10 league appearances so far this season and has been one of Milan's best performers, with FotMob handing him an average rating of 7.04.

That is a higher match rating than Van de Ven, who is on 6.99, but lower than Van Hecke, who is on 7.56. That makes for impressive reading and could well explain why Tottenham scouts have been monitoring the centre-back.

Statistic Koni De Winter Micky van de Ven Jan Paul van Hecke Club AC Milan Tottenham Tottenham League Serie A Premier League Premier League FotMob average rating 6.98 6.99 7.56 Appearances 11 9 10 Starts 9 8 10 Minutes played 970 736 900 Goals 0 0 2 Assists 0 0 0 Yellow cards 3 3 2 Clean sheets 3 4 4 Tackles per 90 1.64 1.13 1.60 Interceptions per 90 1.33 0.49 1.00 Clearances per 90 4.70 4.40 4.80 Aerial duels won per 90 1.84 2.45 4.00 Shots blocked per 90 0.51 0.37 1.10 Spurs face Premier League competition for De Winter But Spurs are not alone in the race for De Winter. It is understood that scouts from Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle, Leeds United and Brentford have also been present to watch the Belgian in recent games, alongside scouts from Tottenham.

In his last three outings, De Winter has put in solid displays, earning FotMob ratings of 7.6, 7.5 and 7.8 against Genoa, Ferencváros and Inter respectively. With the centre-back in fine form, Chelsea and United look likely to be Spurs' biggest competitors, as both are active in the market for defenders at the moment.

De Winter, though, is said not to be a top priority for most of these sides, and even if he were to depart, it is explained that he may prioritise regular playing time. As such, he could be open to listening to offers from the likes of Newcastle and Leeds before rushing into a move to a 'big six' club.

Milan are sitting just five points off the top of the Serie A table after 11 matches, and the former Genoa man has been instrumental to their excellent start. The report claims that De Winter is not desperate for a move away from the Italian club in January, having just joined ahead of last season, but he is expected to be 'one to watch in the upcoming transfer windows'.