According to a recent report by Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur are set to miss out on AS Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo as they are currently focusing on bringing Giovani Lo Celso to North London this summer. The same source has stated that Spurs are unlikely to orchestrate a move for Zaniolo if they can successfully sign Lo Celso during this summer transfer window.
Does Tottenham Need Another Midfielder?
Mauricio Pochettino has already managed to clinch two summer signings thus far following the arrivals of Tanguy Ndombele from Olympique Lyonnais and Jack Clarke from Leeds United.
The Premier League giants have currently got a plethora of midfield talents in their squad. Pochettino has the likes of Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp, Ndombele, Eric Dier and Moussa Sissoko to call upon when he is looking to deploy a box to box midfielder in his first-team.
Hence, if Spurs can win the race to recruit Lo Celso, then they won’t have any need to sign Zaniolo in this off-season. A lot will also ride on Christian Eriksen and whether he ends up leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.
Zaniolo Vs Lo Celso: Who Has The Edge?
Zaniolo has scored four goals and provided two assists in 27 matches for AS Roma in the Italian top-flight so far. Comparatively, Lo Celso has been much-more productive after he found the back of the net 16 times while grabbing six assists in 46 matches for Real Betis across all competitions.
However, the Italian has age on his side as he is just 19 years old while Lo Celso is currently 23 and playing at his prime. Tottenham would have had to splash the cash on a prospect for the future if they chose Zaniolo. In contrast, they would be getting a proven prospect in Lo Celso if they can sign him this summer.
Final Verdict: Did Spurs Make The Right Call?
It seems like the North London giants have made the correct call by not making Zaniolo their number 1 option. However, if the Italian goes on to make a real impression for Roma next season, then Pochettino might regret his decision to not continue his pursuit for Zaniolo this summer.
