Tottenham Hotspur sign RC Lens defender Kevin Danso on loan

Tottenham Hotspur have signed defender Kevin Danso on loan from Ligue 1 side RC Lens. Spurs will have an obligation to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.

In Short

• Kevin Danso will initially join Spurs on loan until the end of the season
• Spurs have been struggling for form with a lengthy injury list
• Danso had also been linked with a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers

Tottenham Hotspur have signed Austria international Kevin Danso on loan from Ligue 1 side RC Lens, with an obligation to make the deal permanent at the end of the season. The Premier League club confirmed the move will bolster their defensive options.

Spurs will pay Lens a fee of £20.9 million in the summer, securing the 26-year-old centre-back on a long-term contract running until 2030. According to multiple media reports, the total deal is valued at around €25 million ($25.91 million).

Danso, who will wear the No. 4 shirt, had been linked with a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers and was on the verge of undergoing a medical with the Midlands club before Tottenham made a last-minute approach. Spurs intensified their search for defensive reinforcements after Radu Dragusin suffered a knee injury during a Europa League tie against Elfsborg last Thursday.

With Cristian Romero also sidelined due to a thigh injury and Micky van de Ven only recently returning from a hamstring layoff, Tottenham's defensive ranks had become depleted. Ange Postecoglou's side has been struggling with a growing injury list, with key players such as Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner, and Dominic Solanke all currently unavailable.

Danso is no stranger to English football, having moved to the country at the age of six. He played in the youth systems of Reading and MK Dons before joining German club Augsburg in 2014. In 2019, he spent a season on loan at Southampton but made just 10 appearances. Following stints at Fortuna Dusseldorf and later at Lens, where he amassed 128 appearances in all competitions, he became a key figure in the French club's defense.

The Austrian defender has earned 24 caps for his national team and featured in Euro 2024. Subject to international clearance and work permit approval, Danso could make his Spurs debut in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool at Anfield next Thursday. Tottenham lead the tie 1-0 from the first leg in north London.