According to reports from The Daily Star, manager Mauricio Pochettino wants the final say on all things transfers at Tottenham in the coming summer window and quite frankly, I can hardly blame him.
Managers live and die by their signings but the Argentine appears to have had little input – if any – on Spurs’ acquisitions since taking the White Hart Lane hot seat at the beginning of the season.
He’s still working with a squad inherited from predecessors Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood, resultantly turning to Spurs’ youth system to try and implement the high-octane philosophy that earned him critical acclaim at Southampton.
But with the summer now just around the corner, Pochettino finally has the chance to imprint his own image on the Lilywhites squad.
And just in case he’s short on ideas on how to do so, Football Fancast have outlined FIVE signings that would help implement his philosophy in north London.
MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN
Mauricio Pochettino needs an on-pitch general and Southampton star Morgan Schneiderlin is the perfect candidate for the job.
He flourished during the Argentine’s 18 months as St. Mary’s boss and is now one of the Premier League’s most formidable enforcers, this season averaging the third-most tackles per match, 3.7, of any player in the division.
Pochettino likes his deep-sitting midfielders; we saw Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama double screening at Southampton, and Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason are now performing a similar kind of service for Spurs – so signing the 25 year-old seems the next logical step in bringing the Tottenham gaffer’s philosophy to fruition.
The tabloids already view the France international as a likely Tottenham target, but Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been linked by The Guardian – who also claim he’s valued by Southampton at around £27million.
JAMES MCCARTHY
Another midfielder worth Spurs’ strong consideration is Everton dynamo James McCarthy.
Mauricio Pochettino has shown preference to the energy and enthusiasm of youth in his engine room over the somewhat more lackadaisical styles of Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Mousa Dembele this season, and although McCarthy’s no budding youngster he certainly shares Bentaleb and Mason’s capacity to get up and down the pitch without leaving gaping holes.
Although the Toffees have struggled this season, the 24 year-old’s relentless injury, covering every blade of grass twice, continues to stand out. He’s also dependable on the ball – a playmaker for Wigan Athletic under Roberto Martinez in their previous life together – this season boasting a pass completion rate of 86%.
The Ireland international would be a fantastic Lilywhites addition. But Everton will be reluctant to sell to a club they’ve often rivalled for a Europa League spot over the last decade, whilst long-term interest from Arsenal and Man United – as claimed by The Daily Mail – could prove problematic.
CHRISTIAN BENTEKE
There’s nothing Pochettino likes more than a big and burley centre-forward. At Southampton, he had Rickie Lambert and Dani Osvaldo leading the line, and he originally opted for the lanky stylings of Emmanuel Adebayor when first arriving at White Hart Lane.
Of course, he now has Harry Kane providing a similar kind of service. But Tottenham need to sign some back-up for England’s latest hero this summer and Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke is another striker of that old-fashioned No.9 mould.
Measuring in at 6 foot 3, blessed with an imperious leap and broad shoulders, the 23 year-old is quickly emerging as one of the Premier League’s leading target men, boasting a potent return of 48 goals in 97 appearances for the Birmingham outfit – including a prolific run of ten goals since Tim Sherwood took the Villains hotseat in February.
The former Spurs gaffer has admitted the Belgium international could force a move away this summer – as reported by The Daily Mail – but the tabloids claim Villa won’t sell for anything less than £30million.
ANDRE PIERRE-GIGNAC
A cheaper alternative to Benteke and therefore perhaps better suited to the role of Harry Kane’s understudy, Andre Pierre-Gignac isn’t the most talented of strikers but he’s set to leave Marseille on a free contract this summer.
And despite my fears over his quality, the 29 year-old has been in fantastic form over the last few seasons, netting 60 times in his last 118 appearances for the Stade Velodrome outfit.
Once heckled with chants of ‘Un Big Mac pour Gignac’, there’s no doubting the France international’s strength and power – even if some of it’s more flab than muscle.
As aforementioned, Gignac is set to leave L’OM under the bosman ruling this summer. The Premier League seems like as suitable a destination as any – but talkSPORT claim he’s already agreed a move to Dynamo Moscow.
ANDRE AYEW
Another Andre-based, bosman-based, Marseille-based suggestion.
The physical styles of winger-forward Jay Rodriguez became a defining feature of Southampton’s attacking play under Mauricio Pochettino, and although Nacer Chadli has performed well in a similar capacity this season, a summer upgrade certainly wouldn’t go amiss.
Enter Andre Ayew, who boasts a potent return of 57 goals in 187 appearances for Marseille – including seven strikes in Ligue 1 this season. He’s made considerable goalscoring strides on the international scene too in recent months, earning the Goal King (top scorer) award at the 2015 African Cup of Nations.
Blessed with dynamic power and strength and surprisingly good in the air for a 5 foot 9 forward, the Ghana international seems like an ideal fit for the Premier League, whilst his versatility, featuring in no less than six different positions for L’OM this season, would boost the depth of Tottenham’s squad enormously.
As previously stated, the 25 year-old is set to leave Stade Velodrome on a free transfer this summer – but Swansea City have already offered him a contract, so Spurs will have to act quickly.
