Fortunes change at the kick of a ball in the game of football. Beskitas midfielder Tolgay Arslan was included in a player plus cash deal in the summer window. Besiktas were chasing the signature of Netherlands winger Jeremain Lens from Sunderland. They wanted to involve Tolgay as an additional weight in the Dutchman’s deal but Sunderland who were relegated at the end of last season did not agree.
Lens ended up at Besiktas on a loan deal and Tolgay stayed at Besiktas. Sunderland’s fortune has gone from bad to worse this season and the English club who were relegated last season, now find themselves at the rock bottom of the Championships with just one win in their 16 matches.
On the other hand, the 27-year old Tolgay, who was rejected by Sunderland in the summer, has enjoyed a bright start to the 2017-18 season. The midfielder can play from box to box and has proved to be an important cog in the middle of the park for the Turkish side.
Tolgay has displayed good footballing prowess at not only tackling and winning balls but also passing and initiating attacks. His impressive form this season has seen his transfer value shoot up and now the player is reportedly being tracked by Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite having Mousa Dembele, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Moussa Sissoko, Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama, Harry Winks as midfielders, it is reported that Tottenham are keen to make a new addition. Dembele is north of 30 and Dier has completely shifted to a centre back. Moreover, Alli and Eriksen are better suited as attacking players just like Sissoko. This means that the club is left with Wanyama and Winks as regular choices.
This would mean that despite having such an abundance of talent and the ability to boast of having one of the best collection of players in the middle of the park, Spurs will need reinforcements soon. Pochettino seems to have identified the impending problem like any good manager and is planning to sort out the situation before it becomes a commonly known problem.
The midfielder would be a good buy for Spurs as he would be well suited to Tottenham’s fast pace game and provide a good backup option for Wanyama and Winks. Tottenham are likely to bid in the region of around £9m for the player.
Although it is reported given that Tolgay has been impressive this season, Besiktas will hold out for a fee of around £10.5m, a slight increase on Tottenham’s evaluation and a fee that should not bother Spurs much if they do end up going after the player.
