Tottenham Hotspur are sandwiched between Arsenal and Manchester United in the 5th spot in the table and are separated from the Gunners by just 1 point. It is an enviable position to be in and the fact that they have continued on their success of last season, speaks volumes about Pochettino’s credentials as the manager. Many people had accepted that it was a poor season for the traditional big clubs with Liverpool and Chelsea out of the picture and the Manchester clubs fighting over the 4th spot. Hence, Tottenham’s achievements had the risk of being branded as a one-off, especially with Leicester City, the Champions, facing such a contrasting season this time around.
But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Lilywhites. The summer transfer window wasn’t one which you could call a runaway success. Victor Wanyama was signed early and it largely went under the radar. A transfer saga involving N’Koudou ended successfully but he has failed to make any sort of a mark till now. Janssen has been a disappointment while Sissoko’s £30m transfer fee was shockingly inflated.
Too many ifs and buts for Pochettino to be completely pleased about and to add to the misery, they were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage itself. But things have been fairly comfortable in the League. They were the only unbeaten team for a very long time and now they have players like Alli and Kane coming back to form.
Tottenham Hotspur have, for the longest time, being accused of failing to make the next grade, the step up to the next level which would see them challenge for the top honours in the League and gradually in Europe. They have always boasted of a talented squad but have over the years failed to develop it into something bigger.
But in Pochettino they seem to have found a manager they can trust to take the club a notch higher and for that to happen he needs to add quality depth to his sides, as the first and foremost, step.
Hence, the report linking Steven N’Zonzi to Tottenham Hotspur does not seem as the most illogical as it might have seemed at first glance.
It is a somewhat unconventional choice for a club like Spurs with the player being largely ignored last summer after he left Stoke City and then moved to Sevilla for a paltry fee of £7m. He is a defensive minded midfield player and has grown in stature lately.
He has surprisingly nuanced technical ability despite primarily being a defensive midfielder. He is a tackle-first, front-footed shielding midfielder, preferring to attack the ball than wait for the game to play out in front of him.
He has already proved himself at Stoke City and was awarded the club’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season prizes at the end of 2014/15—a just reward for a player so integral to Stoke’s best-ever Premier League campaign.
The Frenchman racked up a total of 195 top-flight appearances during his time at Blackburn and Stoke so would need no time to adapt to the division.
He is a part of the high-flying Sevilla team and is considered as one of the best in his position now.
