Tottenham Hotspur fans have been really anxious in the interlull, with numerous reports emerging of their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, being a potential target of La Liga giants Barcelona. Though the Argentine has a long contract at White Hart Lane, an offer to manage Barcelona could prove irresistible for anyone unless you are Arsene Wenger.
To everyone’s surprise, the Lilywhites are quite aware of the interest and even of the fact that their manager is close friends with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
When Pochettino was last asked about the vacant situation at Barcelona’s helm, he had stated, “I understand the football business very well but I can only say I am happy here…”
Not a statement Spurs fan would like to hear. Anyway, if Barcelona did approach Pochettino, the 45-year-old is expected to take the offer. And given the overhaul Barcelona is in dire need of right now, here are the 3 players who could follow him.
Dele Alli- Easily the most exciting player Spurs have at the moment. The 20-year-old has shown exactly why he is not just a one season wonder. He has netted 18 times so far and provided 4 assists in all competition for Tottenham. He can play equally well in the central midfield as well as in the attacking third. And with Lionel Messi adapting more to a central role with age, Alli could be a perfect fit on the flanks. He is fast, he can dribble and he possesses some outlandish finishing skills. A Barcelona move at 20, and who knows he could be the next big thing in world football.
Eric Dier- Another Tottenham player, who has shown his impact on the pitch in the past two seasons, the 23-year-old defensive midfielder has attracted eyeballs for his versatility at the back. Primarily a defensive midfielder, Dier is equally good as a centre-back. Barcelona are seeking replacements for Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano. While Busquets is reaching the fag end of his career, Mascherano has a possibility of moving away from Nou Camp soon. Given Dier’s mesmerising discipline at the back and dribbling skills, he could be a perfect fit at Barca.
Hugo Lloris- Barcelona don’t have the safest pair of hands in the bar if compared to the elite teams they play against in the UCL. Ter Stegen has little competition in the squad and his displays show that. The German has conceded 32 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions, which includes the humiliation at PSG. Barcelona could really use someone like Lloris to increase the competition in goal.
