Tottenham’s rebuild under Roberto De Zerbi is already taking shape, with Spurs now linked with another Manchester City player who possesses one attribute the Italian coach desperately wants in his squad.Tottenham Hotspur narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League after securing a must-win 1-0 victory against Everton on the final day, eventually finishing just two points above the drop zone.A huge amount of the credit for that survival belongs to Roberto De Zerbi, who completely transformed the mentality around the club within weeks of arriving in North London.Spurs supporters are now hoping the Italian is heavily backed in the transfer market this summer because De Zerbi himself has admitted that he wants to “build a new team” and believes only around “10 to 12” players are good enough to remain part of his plans next season.Tottenham are already advancing on several targets, with players such as Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson expected to join the club, while Spurs have also reignited their interest in Manchester City winger Savinho to strengthen the attack.Now, another City player has emerged on Tottenham’s radar.Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty ImagesTottenham weigh up John Stones transferWith club captain Cristian Romero expected to leave this summer, Tottenham are actively searching for an experienced centre-back capable of leading the back line.According to The Independent, six-time Premier League winner John Stones is one of the defenders currently being considered by Spurs. The England international has captained Manchester City on multiple occasions and remains one of the most respected defenders in the Premier League despite his recent injury struggles.It is believed Tottenham consider Stones, who will leave City as a free agent this summer as someone who could immediately bring leadership and calmness into a dressing room that looked mentally fragile for large parts of last season.That leadership profile has become even more important given both Romero and fellow leadership group member Guglielmo Vicario could depart the club this summer.De Zerbi is also believed to value defenders who are comfortable progressing the ball under pressure, something Stones has excelled at throughout his Manchester City career. However, Tottenham are far from alone in the race.TEAMtalk have previously reported that Everton remain interested in bringing Stones back to Goodison Park, while Bayern Munich are also monitoring the situation closely, especially with Stones’ former teammate Vincent Kompany understood to be a huge admirer of the defender.Stones’ injury record and wages could become major problems for TottenhamThere is absolutely no doubt about John Stones’ quality when fit, but Tottenham supporters would understandably have concerns over his fitness record.Spurs suffered one of the worst injury crises in Europe last season, and their medical department has faced heavy criticism for a long time now after repeatedly mismanaging and misprofiling injuries.Stones himself endured another injury-hit campaign at Manchester City, suffering three separate setbacks that kept him sidelined for a combined total of 103 days. That said, his quality still remains undeniable, considering Thomas Tuchel has selected him in England’s World Cup squad despite the lack of minutes this season.Another huge obstacle for Spurs would be the financial side of any potential move. Stones is currently believed to earn around £250,000 per week at Manchester City, making him one of the club’s highest earners and comfortably above Tottenham’s current wage structure.That means Spurs would almost certainly need the defender to significantly reduce his salary demands if they are to stand any realistic chance of completing a deal this summer.READ MORE: Savinho to Tottenham: Fabrizio Romano reveals Spurs have reactivated £70m talksThe post Tottenham consider shock move for England World Cup star as De Zerbi searches for leaders appeared first on Spurs Web.