Tottenham Hotspur are not expected to prioritise a new centre-back in January despite their difficult start to the Premier League season.

with Football Insider reporting that Kim Min-jae is unlikely to arrive at the club this winter. Roberto De Zerbi remains satisfied with his defensive options for now, although the Bayern Munich defender could become a more serious target when the market reopens in the summer.

Spurs currently sit bottom of the Premier League after a poor start to the new campaign, having already conceded multiple goals in most matches this season. That has naturally raised questions about whether further defensive reinforcements are required.

Tottenham unlikely to add to their defence

Tottenham invested heavily in their defence during the summer, bringing in Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, and Tosin Adarabioyo, while Micky van de Ven is now the club captain. Van de Ven and van Hecke have emerged as De Zerbi’s preferred partnership so far, with Senesi and Tosin yet to establish themselves as regular starters.

Despite those struggles, the Tottenham manager does not currently believe another centre-back is essential and Kim remains a player Spurs have admired previously, but signing the South Korean in January would represent another significant investment in a position the club already strengthened substantially. That does not mean the door is closed permanently.

Kim Min-jae could be a summer option in 227

The situation could look very different next summer as Kim’s position at Bayern Munich has become less secure, with the 29-year-old competing for minutes behind Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah. Bayern are understood to be open to a sale if the right circumstances develop, potentially creating an opportunity for Tottenham.

A summer move would also give Spurs more time to assess their current defenders before committing to another major transfer but for now, De Zerbi appears willing to work with what he has. Tottenham’s decision not to panic in January is probably the sensible one as their defensive problems are obvious, but buying another centre-back simply because the results have been poor would risk creating an unnecessarily bloated squad.

Van de Ven remains an excellent fit for a high defensive line, while Van Hecke has shown enough to justify more time. The bigger question is whether Senesi and Tosin can force their way into De Zerbi’s plans. If they cannot, then Kim becomes much more interesting in the summer.

His experience, physicality and Champions League pedigree would give Tottenham another proven option, but at 29, he is unlikely to represent a long-term solution on his own. Spurs should use the next few months to establish whether they need Kim or simply need their existing defence to settle and instead focus their budget on other pressing needs.