Tottenham Opinion: Why Spurs go all out to sign Aissa Mandi

Aissa Mandi has been one of the stars of Real Betis this season, with his performances attracting interest from Arsenal in January.

The Algerian defender, 27, has impressed in the La Liga, making 22 league appearances as Real Betis push to secure a place in Europe. As per a report from El Desmarque, Aissa Mandi has a release clause worth £26 million inserted into his current contract with Betis.

Keeping that in mind, Tottenham Hotspur should sign Mandi by triggering his release clause in summer.

Toby Alderweireld is a vital part of Tottenham’s starting XI at the moment, but his future remains uncertain at the club. The Belgian, widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the Premier League, is out of contract at Tottenham in 2020 but a £25 million release clause comes into play this summer, reports the Telegraph.

Given the present market and age, that amount represents value for money. Alderweireld is likely to attract a lot of interest from European clubs after the end of the season. The 29-year-old defender’s situation at the club is certain to leave Mauricio Pochettino in quandary, and it is perhaps with that in mind Tottenham should target Mandi in summer.

Standing at 6ft tall, Mandi, who is equally comfortable playing at right-back and left-back, isn’t the tallest of central defenders but he possesses good ability in the air, strength and power. He is a wonderful reader of the game and possesses impressive communication and leadership skills.

The Algerian international isn’t the quickest along the ground, but his positional sense is excellent – something that more than makes up for his lack of pace. Mandi is also comfortable playing out from the back, a feature Pochettino expects from his defenders.

Conclusion

Should Alderweireld leave Tottenham in summer, Pochettino will be left with an ageing Jan Vertonghen and two young defenders in Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth as options in central defence. The Argentine tactician may have defied expectations within this Spurs squad, but he should spend heavily in the summer transfer window to truly challenge the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for domestic silverware.

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Hence, Pochettino must go all out to sign Mandi as the Algerian would undoubtedly bring a real level of experience and quality to Tottenham’s backline.