Forget Malcom – Three Players Who Tottenham Can Target Instead
January is not the ideal time to strike high-profile transfer deals and this year, however, has been an exception. Liverpool have acquired Virgil Van Dijk whereas Philippe Coutinho has left for Barcelona. Manchester United have now completed the best possible winter deal by snapping up Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal at the expense of Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Armenian has moved in the opposite direction.
Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal’s North London rivals, are also actively looking for attacking reinforcements, preferably a wingman and have reportedly identified Bordeaux’s Brazilian winger Malcom as a prime transfer target.
Malcom, the 20-year-old Brazilian, was previously being chased by the Gunners but are now unwilling to meet Bordeaux’s asking fee and have shifted their focus on Borussia Dortmund’s wantaway attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Yet, Mauricio Pochettino has received a massive transfer blow in their pursuit of the young Brazilian following the latest statement by the newly appointed Bordeaux boss Gus Poyet.
“I asked straight away if Malcom would be staying or not. They said yes. I said: ‘OK, now we can continue the discussion,'” stated the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and ex- Sunderland boss when asked about the future of his prized asset.
This, however, might force Spurs to look for alternate options as there are a few achievable names available even in this window.
David Neres
Age: 20
Current Club: Ajax
Nationality: Brazilian
Neres, another young Brazilian, holds similar traits as that of his fellow countryman and has shown his quality for Eredivisie heavyweights Ajax since completing a winter move last year. He has an incredible 8 goals and 11 assists in 17 league games this season and loves to operate from the right-wing, a slot that is currently occupied by Danish sensation Christian Eriksen who is not an out-and-out winger.
Son Heung-min has been sublime down the left-hand side but Spurs need someone on the opposite flank following the fitness concerns of Erik Lamela who is not yet ready for 90 minutes football. Youngster Georges-Kévin N’Koudou, currently on loan at Burnley, is not in Pochettino’s plans. Neres will be a shrewd piece of business and the youngster too will benefit from this move in order to attain a proper career growth in one of the world’s best football leagues.
Lucas Moura
Age: 25
Current Club: Paris St. Germain
Nationality: Brazilian
The Brazil international has been playing for one of the most fearsome teams in Europe right now and has appeared 228 times for PSG since his debut back in 2013. However, his first-team slot is not quite assured in PSG’s star-studded squad and the player now must think about the next career step amidst interest from North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The right winger is believed to be available for a fee of around £35m and his experience at the very highest level will be a massive influence in either of these two sides. Spurs must not hesitate to meet the demands and would do well to acquire him before it gets too late.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJus7hfeCaM
Riyad Mahrez
Age: 26
Current Club: Leicester City
Nationality: Algerian
An option that suits Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur but none are actively pursuing him despite his player’s availability. Mahrez, the Premier League player of the year during Leicester’s league-winning campaign, handed in a transfer request last summer amidst interest from AS Roma.
The Serie A heavyweights, however, didn’t match the Foxes’ asking fee and the Algerian stayed put. Mahrez, however, has accepted the situation and has shown true professionalism as well as the commitment to his current employers.
He has scored and assisted 8 times each in the league and has kept the opposing defence on their toes with his great footwork, dribbling skills and shooting ability down the right flank. He will probably cost around £50m in this inflated market and certainly is someone who is worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_PL201GIBM