According to Guardian, Tottenham Hotspur are increasingly confident of the potential capture of Gedson Fernandes. The Lilywhites are keen to sign the SL Benfica midfielder on an 18-month loan deal and believe that they can finalise the transfer by next week, thus beating West Ham United, who were also interested in his services. And in this article, we will discuss why Gedson could be an ideal signing for Spurs.
Tottenham’s problems in midfield
Tottenham Hotspur have struggled a lot in the midfield department ever since the departure of Moussa Dembele, which was coincided with the decline of Eric Dier. The Belgian left a considerable void in the middle third, which even forced Mauricio Pochettino to employ Christian Eriksen in a more defensive role.
Although Harry Winks has emerged as a viable first-team option, of late, Jose Mourinho clearly doesn’t favour the Englishman. He has been forced to utilise the young midfielder due to the injury of Tanguy Ndombele as well as the lack of depth in the holding midfield role.
Dier is always an option. But, the ex-Sporting CP often looks clumsy with his passing and struggles in dealing with a pacy opposition. As for Oliver Skipp, he is yet to be appropriately utilised by Mourinho. Hence, Tottenham are in desperate need of a new midfielder in January. And that’s where Gedson could ideally fit in.
The perfect player for Mourinho
The fact that both Mourinho and Fernandes are Portuguese will surely be a huge advantage for the player, who will be tasked to integrate to the fast-paced nature of English football. But more importantly, it is the style of play of this young midfielder that makes him a tailor-made fit for Mourinho’s tactical scheme.
Fernandes is advertised as a box to box midfielder, who can hurry and hassle the opposition and win the ball back for his team. This tunes in well with Mourinho’s defence-oriented tactics at Tottenham. The young Portuguese is also capable of tracking back and operating in a deeper role, thus acting as an auxiliary number six – providing Tottenham with more tactical flexibility in midfield.
Moreover, Gedson can drive the ball forward and act as a ball-carrier, making him an upgrade over Moussa Sissoko as well as Harry Winks, who often looks clueless against a high press.
One for the future
Another key reason why Tottenham should seal a deal for Gedson as soon as possible is the fact that he can provide the prospect for the future. At the age of just 21, the Portuguese sensation has time on his side and could become the face of the Spurs midfield for years to come.
So if Tottenham manage to include an option to buy clause in Gedson’s supposed loan deal, it could only bode well for the club in the long run. However, they must also nurture him well and make sure he doesn’t find it difficult to get used to the more intense nature of the Premier League.
