Why Tottenham must make a move for Aleksandr Golovin in January
Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a good start to the Premier League season and the Lilywhites sit 4th on the table with 27 points from 12 games, three points ahead of north London rivals Arsenal.
Mauricio Pochettino couldn’t manage to sign a single player in the summer transfer window and subsequently, the decision has come back to bite Tottenham very early in the season.
The likes of Danny Rose, Mousa Dembele, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Victor Wanyama and Jan Vertonghen have all been in and out of the team due to injuries, making it difficult for Pochettino to stick to one stable line-up.
Due to injuries, Pochettino has to constantly chop and change his team, which has led to the Spurs squad being stretched so early into the 2018/19 campaign. As things stand, Tottenham clearly need to improve their squad depth significantly to mount a serious challenge for the title. And central midfield is the area that needs heavy investment in the winter transfer window.
Mousa Dembele is out of contract at the end of the season and Victor Wanyama has constantly battled with injuries. That has left Pochettino to use academy graduate Harry Winks extensively this season and truth be told, the England international has done extremely well.
But with Eric Dier also struggling with injuries, Winks has not found a midfield partner with which he can build an understanding.
To put things into perspective, AS Monaco’s Aleksandr Golovin might be the ideal player to solve Spurs’ midfield conundrum.
Aleksandr Golovin was impressive in Russia’s successful World Cup campaign, which saw the hosts reach the quarterfinals earlier this summer. Prior to the World Cup, he had a solid campaign with CSKA Moscow. But since moving to AS Monaco in the summer, the Russian’s career has stagnated as he has failed to establish himself in the starting XI.
Though Aleksandr Golovin has struggled to make an impact in the Ligue 1, his quality is undeniable and Spurs should look to bring him to north London in January.
An excellent passer of the ball, Golovin has the ability to dribble past players before sliding a through ball to a teammate. He generally operates as an attacking midfielder but he is also capable of playing on either of flank, in central midfield or as a deep-lying playmaker.
The Russian has the ability to cover a lot of ground and tends to break up the play with good standing tackles and interceptions.
Blessed with a fantastic technique and engine, Golovin is a tenacious player who has the vision and the guile to carve open defences. The 22-year-old is also a good reader of the game and also excels at holding on to the ball, allowing his teammates to make penetrating runs. In short, he has all the qualities to flourish under Pochettino at Tottenham.
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That said, Spurs should definitely table a bid to land Golovin in January as he has all the attributes to be an ideal replacement for the ageing Mousa Dembele.