ClapTottenham Hotspur are yet to sign a player this summer. Whenever they do, it will be their first signing since the winter of 2018 when they signed Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain.
With their midfield lacking in depth, that seems like a priority this summer. And if Christian Eriksen leaves, there will be another midfielder who comes in to replace the Danish midfield maestro.
There has hardly been any shortage of players being linked with a move to Spurs and there are many names that they have already held talks for this summer. But the dilemma lies in who to pursue and who not to.
Those three names are Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon, Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis and Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon.
It is certain that there won’t be shortage of interest from other clubs for any of these players, but Tottenham currently seem to be leading the race for two of them- Ndombele and Lo Celso.
And if Eriksen does end up leaving, Spurs should sign both of them. They will fit right into the system at the club.
Lo Celso would essentially be a replacement for Eriksen- more than that, in fact. The Argentine is everything that a manager like Mauricio Pochettino would like to have in his high-pressing system.
Lo Celso played brilliantly for Betis in Quique Setien’s high pressing system last season and in what was a disappointing season for them overall, shone for them and played in a variety of positions in midfield. He played as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder and a left midfielder. More so, he has played as a defensive midfielder at PSG and has also played on the right for the Argentine national team.
What he brings to the table is what Pochettino would love. He works his socks off, likes to press high and carries the ball forward to the attacking players from the deeper areas. He can perform the Eriksen role and can also perform the Mousa Sissoko role.
Ndombele though, is more of a box to box midfielder or a deep-lying playmaker. He binds the play together with his slick passing and likes to dictate play from the midfield. Alongside someone like Harry Winks or Eric Dier, a player like Ndombele can dominate the midfield.
In many ways, he is a replica of Mousa Dembele- the man Spurs sold in the winter and are missing him since.
The reason why Bruno Fernandes won’t be a move as good as these two is because of how much Spurs would have to pay for him. With Manchester United firmly in for him, prying the Portuguese away from United would require a fee of around 75 to 80 million euros and secondly, he won’t fit in straightway. He will take time to settle into the system.
Ndombele and Lo Celso played a high-pressing brand of football that switched from three at the back to a flat back four consistently throughout a game. If Tottenham sign them, they will surely strike goal in the summer window.
