According to latest reports, Premier League title hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the chase for La Liga’s young sensation Rafael Mir. The youngster has been pretty impressive in the little chances he has seen in Valencia’s first team and the North London club are reportedly lining up a move for the 19-year-old in the upcoming transfer window.
Despite not having the best of transfer windows last summer, which saw manager Mauricio Pochettino bringing in the likes of Victor Janssen and Moussa Sissoko who failed terribly, Tottenham has been brilliant in their domestic league campaign, to say the least. The Lilywhites crashed out from the FA Cup in the semi-final stage but are four points adrift of league leaders Chelsea with five games to go before the season ends.
Except for the aggressive Victor Wanyama, who arrived from Southampton last summer, Pochettino has been hugely disappointed by his new recruits. Especially the role on the right flank, which if not for the prolific Heung Min-Son, would have been hugely non-productive for Spurs. The South Korean international has linked up outstandingly with Christian Eriksen from the flanks, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists.
However, the Argentine manager doesn’t want to rely solely on the 24-year-old next season as Spurs aim for a better result in the UEFA Champions League after this year’s disappointing end, and Rafa Mir could be a real level up for them.
The Valencia youth product has been touted by many to be the next big thing in Spain who broke into the Valencia team only last season and has earned a reputation of being a powerful winger who can play equally well on either flank. Spurs have identified his talent very early and are willing to pay the £7m release clause before his price gets a mammoth hike.
Apparently, two more La Liga appearances for Valencia and the winger’s price tag will leapfrog to a whopping £25m. It is normal that Spurs wouldn’t want to cash in such a huge amount for a talent who is largely unproven at the top level. Mir has played 31 times this season for Valencia’s third tier underage side, scoring nine goals so far. He has seen more action in the Copa del Rey.
Valencia’s first team has had a poor campaign this year with the club currently in the 12th position; and with players like Nani and Munir El Haddadi on their wings, a chance of Mir this season is unlikely. He is expected to be sent out on loan next season and Spurs will look to strike a deal that time.
