According to Express, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to battle Manchester United in the race to sign Emil Forsberg. Jose Mourinho is believed to be a huge admirer of the RB Leipzig playmaker, notably praising him after the defeat in the UEFA Champions League. Meanwhile, Forsberg’s agent has also raved about Mourinho while the player himself is keen on leaving the Bundesliga, meaning a potential move to north London could be on the cards this summer.
Emil Forsberg’s time at RB Leipzig
Forsberg has been a part of the Leipzig side since 2015 when he joined from Malmo. He notably starred during the club’s first-ever season in the Bundesliga, scoring eight goals while mustering 22 assists. But since then, the playmaker has fallen out of favour, mainly due to fitness problems.
And with increasing competition at RB Leipzig, Forsberg has found it challenging to be a regular first-team member despite being fit this season. He has featured in only 16 Bundesliga matches so far, only ten of which have been starts.
Christopher Nkunku’s performances have been in key in preventing Forsberg from becoming a key member of Julian Nagelsmann’s setup. And with Leipzig signing Dani Olmo in January, a move away from east Germany this summer does make sense.
What can Forsberg add to the table?
Forsberg is quite a versatile attacker. Though he is primarily identified as a playmaker, the Swede can operate anywhere in the final third. He has predominantly featured at left wing for RB Leipzig in the recent past, where his ability to drift inside and influence the play has been critical to the team’s overall chance creation.
It wouldn’t be fair to take Forsberg’s statistics this season into account since he has struggled with a lack of game-time. But, during the successful 2016/17 campaign, the 28-year-old averaged a whopping 3.1 key passes per game. His tally of 2.4 successful dribbles per game was also impressive for a playmaker.
Even this season, Forsberg has managed to deliver 2.1 key passes and two shots per 90 minutes. It indicates his ability to not only create chances but also test the goalkeeper.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
Is Forsberg the right fit for Tottenham?
Tottenham Hotspur are in desperate need of an overhaul in the attacking department next season. But, at the same time, Forsberg shouldn’t be their transfer priority at the moment. The Lilywhites, despite the loss of Christian Eriksen in January, have been lucky with the performances of Giovani Lo Celso. Steven Bergwijn has also shown a lot of promise since joining the club last month while they also have Dele Alli. That means Mourinho has no shortage of creative options at his disposal.
It is the productivity that is lacking, with Lucas Moura, in particular, failing to replace the injured duo of Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane. Therefore, the north London giants, instead of signing Forsberg, should shift their attention towards a new striker in the summer if they are to solve their offensive woes.
