Tottenham have made a surprise play to sign Andy Robertson right now, dropping their original plan to wait until his contract runs out this summer. Head coach Thomas Frank is facing a real defensive crisis in north London and has pushed the club to move fast for the Liverpool veteran, with talks going smoothly as the Scotland captain looks for regular minutes before the 2026 World Cup.

Spurs didn’t want to enter the market just yet. They’d marked Robertson, 31, as their top target for the summer, planning to battle it out with other clubs once he became a free agent on June 30. But things changed fast. Frank’s defence has been hit hard by injuries, and now Tottenham needs help on the left side—urgently. Negotiations are moving along, and you can feel the pressure from the Spurs side. The club’s higher-ups think Robertson would add much-needed quality and leadership to a squad that’s struggled in the league, even though they’re doing better in Europe and currently sit fifth in the Champions League.

The situation at Tottenham hit rock bottom on Monday when Ben Davies was ruled out for surgery on a fractured ankle. Destiny Udogie, the usual first-choice left-back, has managed just 10 Premier League games this season with his own injuries. Frank’s been forced to get creative: Djed Spence, naturally a right-back, has filled in on the left, and even Archie Gray and centre-back Micky van de Ven have played out of position. Spurs did sign 19-year-old Souza from Santos this week, but they know they need someone proven in the Premier League—now.

For Robertson, a move to London is more than just a fresh start. He’s set to captain Scotland at the World Cup—their first time back since 1998—and he needs regular game time, no questions asked. Since Milos Kerkez joined Liverpool from Bournemouth last summer, Robertson has slipped down the pecking order. He’s made 21 appearances in all competitions, but just four Premier League starts this season. Earlier this month, he admitted things are up in the air: “I’ve got five months left, and we need to see what the option is to stay or if there are options to go and things like that. I’m a player who wants to play. I wanted to qualify for the World Cup, and thankfully, we’ve managed to do that. I need to see what my family and I want going forward.”

The talks between Spurs and Liverpool are helped by the respect Robertson has built over his years at Anfield. He joined Hull City in 2017 and has become a modern legend, racking up 363 appearances and winning everything from the Champions League to two Premier League titles. Liverpool isn’t looking to block a move for a loyal player who wants to play regular football as his contract winds down. Both clubs want to make sure the transfer goes smoothly. Sure, losing Robertson mid-season would leave Liverpool short on natural left-backs, but they have a backup plan: they can recall Kostas Tsimikas from his loan at Roma to cover for Kerkez for the rest of the season.