According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Leicester City and Crystal Palace are showing interest in signing Celtic’s highly-rated defender Kristoffer Ajer.

The report claimed that Leicester scout Sean St Ledger attended the Europa League game between Celtic and Lazio at Celtic Park on Thursday evening. Palace also watched him in action recently.

Ajer is a promising young central defender who has established himself as an important player for Celtic. And that is why Spurs should join the race to sign him.

Natural leader 

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers worked with Ajer when he was the manager of Celtic, and he hailed the Norway international as a “natural leader”, as quoted in The Daily Record.

The 21-year-old is a technically gifted player who is capable of operating as a defensive midfielder. Mauricio Pochettino loves to work with talented, young and versatile players, and Ajer fits the bill perfectly.

Spurs will be looking to add new faces in central defence next summer if they ship out the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.

Although Ajer is nowhere close to being a like for like replacement for the Belgian duo, or being the finished product, he is a fantastic talent to work with.

Pochettino has worked wonders with young players since he joined the club, and Ajer has the potential to be a top-class defender. He won’t be an expensive buy, and Spurs should make a smart move and secure his signing before other rival clubs swoop in.