Tottenham Hotspur have often seemed toothless against sides that barricade themselves deep in their own half. The North London outfit often struggle to score against a team which defends in numbers and ‘parks the bus’. This has been quite apparent in games against Burnley and Swansea this season and even against Chelsea to some extent. Despite having loads of possession, Tottenham seemed to lack ideas and often seemed too blunt to get past the opposition’s defence.
They brought three defenders, a goalkeeper and a forward in the summer. Much to the fans’ dismay, they failed to add to the attacking firepower. They failed to remedy something that begged their immediate attention, the need for a versatile attacking midfielder.
Tottenham need someone who can take on defenders and unsettle defences with pace and trickery. Spurs always seem to lack options when they need a change of pace, someone who could help them change gears when needed. There is no one at Spurs who can stretch defences wide with his speed and dribbling alone.
To solve this, one name that has recently come up is that of Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic. Pulisic is primarily a central attacking midfield but can be deployed on either wing if need be. The 19-year-old has the ability to take on the defenders and get past them with his pace and dribbling. Low centre of gravity enables him to manoeuvre his way through traffic.
He successfully completed 49 take-ons which is quite impressive for a youngster of his age in the season 2016/17. Pulisic has the ability to find pockets of space and to exploit it with his pace. His off-the-ball movement is also one of his important aspects and can drag along a defender or two for his teammates to take advantage. When playing on the wings, he tracks back really well and contributes defensively as well.
Someone as talented and versatile could turn out to an indispensable player for Tottenham. He also perfectly fits the bill for them and would undoubtedly be an excellent addition to the club.
Numerous teams have failed because of lack of depth and perhaps when it comes to competing at the top level, you need to have some top players who can be rotated. Pulisic’s addition would surely give them the luxury of flexibility and depth. However, he probably won’t be available on the cheap as his current contract runs out in the summer of 2020.
Tottenham will need to move quickly in the market with several top clubs circling in. The likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool etc have all been linked with a move for the youngster. It would be a big breakthrough for Spurs in the transfer market if they manage to acquire his services. But can Pochettino get it done?
