Since Tottenham Hotspur reportedly agreed on a deal to sign Georges-Kevin N’Koudou from Marseille more than a fortnight ago, the deal has been moving at a snail’s pace. France Football claims that Tottenham have renewed contact with Lille winger Sofiane Boufal as the N’Koudou deal has stalled remarkably. Boufal was a key target of the Lilywhites throughout the summer but Pochettino finally decided against a move for the Morocco international moving for N’Koudou instead.
N’Koudou deal is still not off but Spurs are now reconsidering their plans. Boufal is a highly rated attacking midfielder and has been often christened as the ‘Next Eden Hazard’. Just like the superstar Belgian international, Boufal also burst onto the scene with Lille and has a likewise style of play and a similar physique. You can easily anticipate the quality of the 22-year-old for the comparisons made with the former PFA Player of the Year.
Boufal was the majority provider for Lille last season, as the club pushed to a mid-table finish. The 22-year-old, in his just one and half season with Lille, has proved that he deserves a move to a bigger stage with a bigger club. The fleet-footed attacking player is capable of playing anywhere across the front-line although he offers his best as the number ten.
Boufal has everything you want from a complete attacking midfielder. Jaw-dropping technique, amazing vision to set up teammates, sensational dribbling abilities- Boufal boasts all these traits. He is either footed and likes to drift inside from wide areas if deployed in the wide areas, just like Eden Hazard does.
Boufal is a brilliant set-piece taker and can score from direct free kicks. Even though Spurs have one of the best set-piece specialists in the game in Christian Eriksen, it won’t hurt to have another maestro of free kicks. Spurs have decent depth and quality for the three attacking midfield positions with the likes of Eriksen, Alli, Lamela, Son, Chadli but with Champions League football this season, they could benefit from adding another quality player like Boufal who can anywhere of the three attacking midfield positions.
Just aged 22, Boufal pretty much fits into the youthful squad of the North London giants providing that extra quality needed to come up with a stronger fight for the title. Signing the Morocco international would be a complete no-brainer from Spurs.
