Tottenham have moved close to signing Marcos Senesi on a free transfer after holding positive talks this week, although personal terms for the 29-year-old remain to be finalised, the club and sources familiar with the discussions said.
Senesi, a three-cap Argentina international, spent four seasons at Bournemouth after joining from Feyenoord in 2022 and made 128 appearances for the south coast club. This season he played in all but one of Bournemouth's league games, appearing 37 times and supplying five assists as the newly promoted side finished sixth and qualified for Europe for the first time in their history.
Bournemouth had attempted to keep Senesi, offering him a third new contract in December, but the centre-back rejected that proposal and the club abandoned efforts to retain him. After turning that offer down he began talks with major overseas clubs; LaLiga and Serie A teams tabled offers before Tottenham emerged as the leading suitor.
Spurs are understood to be hopeful the paperwork will follow the positive conversations, though negotiations over wages and length of contract are still ongoing. That personal-terms hurdle matters because, having become available on a free transfer at the end of a four-season stay at Bournemouth, Senesi represents a low-cost route to add experience and a physical presence at centre-back.
Tottenham’s interest in Senesi comes as the club makes strengthening its squad a priority. Vinai Venkatesham, Tottenham's chief executive, has set a blunt public benchmark for the summer: "The squad needs work and the squad hasn't got the right balance." He has also said the club wants senior figures on the pitch: "We need experience and leadership and also that kind of physical robustness to play in the most demanding league that exists." His final warning, underscoring the scale of the task this window, was equally plain: "We need to strengthen the club over multiple transfer windows but this transfer window, in particular, is going to be critical."
The potential Senesi signing would follow a pattern of recruiting proven, experienced players available on frees. Tottenham are also hopeful of finalising a deal to bring Andy Robertson to north London; Robertson left Liverpool and is out of contract this summer and is due to depart on a free transfer. Spurs tried to sign Robertson during the January transfer window and there was late interest from Juventus before Robertson’s decision to move on became public.
The tension for Tottenham is twofold. First, Senesi’s own talks with other clubs mean Spurs must convert positive discussions into signed contracts quickly if they want him. Second, the club’s broader rebuild depends on getting multiple pieces right this summer — landing Senesi would strengthen the backline, but the club still faces the challenge of adding the leadership and physicality Venkatesham has demanded.
If Tottenham can finalise personal terms with Senesi and complete the Robertson pursuit, they will have filled two of the most conspicuous gaps identified by their chief executive: experience and robustness at the back. The next few days will show whether the talks translate into the paperwork that turns interest into arrivals, and whether Spurs can both win the race for Senesi and close the Robertson deal before rivals intervene.
