Even though the transfer window has closed the news will not cease, and the latest development from Spurs is that Victor Wanyama is a ‘no-go’. Reports claim Southampton are reluctant to do business with their rivals, whose pursuit of the Kenya international before deadline day irked the South Coast club.
Oh well, plenty more fish in the sea. And perhaps Tottenham should be looking at different options anyway. Although a good player, Wanyama’s game is rather limited, which may see the London club struggle to sell him on in a few years’ time. Such an angle may annoy fans, yet the White Hart Lane club are very much in the ‘moneyball’ realm, with finding stars and helping them improve before selling them on a niche they have carved out – just look at Luka Modric and Gareth Bale.
With those examples in mind, here are FIVE emerging defensive midfielders Spurs could make a move for…
Julien De Sart
Belgium now have a reputation for producing technically impressive and physically imposing players, and Standard Liege’s De Sart looks to be the latest to roll off the conveyer belt. Standing at 6ft. 2”, the 20-year-old certainly has the frame to compete in the demanding Premier League, while his neat and controlled passing has been enough to earn the youngster a first-team berth with his current side as well as a spot in the Belgian U-21 set-up.
By no means a flashy midfielder inclined to bomb forward, De Sart prefers to dictate the tempo from a deeper role and keep things ticking over, which could be of use at Spurs with star names such as Christian Eriksen willing to do their work in the final third.
Sergi Samper
Despite Barcelona’s transfer ban and the promotion of a few youth products to the senior side, Samper remains in the Catalans’ B team, which is sure to have come as a great blow for the 20-year-old given that his current set-up have been demoted to the third tier of Spanish football. Already lauded as the ‘new Cesc Fabregas’ while also being compared to Sergio Busquets, Samper is just the sort of midfielder you would expect to be breaking through at Barca, with his mix of controlled passing and composure impressive. However he needs game time to progress.
Arsenal are already thought to be looking at the playmaker, but should he be eyeing guaranteed senior action, perhaps, Spurs could be a more appealing project for the pass-master – especially as Javier Mascherano and Busquets block his path into the Nou Camp midfield.
Adrien Rabiot
Struggling to make the breakthrough at Paris Saint-Germain, Rabiot is a player Spurs are already believed to be fully aware of. The curly-haired playmaker has been lauded for his composure and range of passing from a deep midfield position, yet at the Parc des Princes patience is in short supply, with experienced options all vying for a starting berth. Rabiot has progressed into the starting set-up, but it’s hard to see him getting the game time he needs to fulfil his potential in the dark blue shirt.
Should he make the move across the Channel and head to North London, it’s likely that Tottenham would put more faith in the France U-21 international, who clearly has the talent to progress and force his way into the Les Bleus set-up.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
A somewhat ambitious target, but if Spurs are able to convince him to swap Munich for London, they could have a midfielder with the potential to be one of the best around. The seven-cap Denmark international is currently on loan at Schalke after spending the latter stages of last season surprise Bundesliga package Augsburg, and unless he really kicks on his path into the Bayern first-team looks to be cluttered.
This is where Spurs could come in. The Lilywhites have already been linked with the 20-year-old and perhaps the offer of guaranteed playing time in the Premier League with the promise of being in the ‘shop window’ could sway him. There have even been early comparisons drawn between Hojbjerg and Bastian Schweinstegier, which certainly suggests he has a big future ahead of him.
Corentin Tolisso
While the likes of Clinton N’Jie, Nabil Fekir, Maxime Gonalons and Alexandre Lacazette were earning rave reviews for an impressive Lyon side last term, Tolisso’s rise was intriguing. The now 21-year-old is primarily a right-back, but Stade Gerland chief Hubert Fournier chose to push the defender into a holding midfield role, with positive results. Naturally, his game is based more on screening than getting forward, which is a real positive as his instincts from plying his trade at full-back allow him to cut out opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side with accurate, yet combative, challenges.
Time is on the France U-21 international’s side and at Spurs he could show his anchoring skills while also providing cover at right-back.
