According to Football.London’s Alasdair Gold, Tottenham Hotspur don’t see Vedat Muriqi as a viable target. The Fenerbahce striker has been linked with a move to north London this season, as a potential back-up for Harry Kane. However, Gold claims that the Tottenham hierarchy does not consider him to be an ideal transfer target at the moment.
Analysing Vedat Muriqi’s influence at Fenerbahce
Muriqi has been at Fenerbahce since last summer when he joined the club in a €3.5 million move from Rizespor. He was brought in as a replacement for former Tottenham star Roberto Soldado.
With 26 matches having already been played, Muriqi has lived up to the expectations, scoring 13 goals while providing five assists. He has been involved in almost 40% of the goals Fenerbahce have scored in the Turkish Super League this term.
It seems that the Kosovan forward is enjoying the support from the likes of Max Kruse and Garry Rodrigues. He has been primarily utilised as a centre-forward, with five of his 13 goals coming from inside the six-yard box. So essentially, Muriqi has made good use of his physical and aerial prowess in the number nine role, providing his team with a definite target man going forward.
As a matter of fact, the 26-year-old has won 5 aerial duels per game – more than anyone else in the league this term. Also, his astonishing tally of 3.6 shots on goal per game is only bettered by Papiss Demba Cisse. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Kosovan is one of the best strikers in the Turkish top flight at the moment.
Tottenham Hotspur don’t see Vedat Muriqi as a viable target: A huge mistake by the board?
Tottenham Hotspur could potentially rue passing on the opportunity to sign Muriqi. The Lilywhites have already received a lot of flak from fans for their lack of depth in the number nine slot, with Harry Kane being the only reliable option. They have evidently struggled without the services of the Engish international, and that’s where Muriqi could come into the fray.
As mentioned earlier, the Fenerbahce star is a physically built forward, who has proven himself to be an excellent source of goals. It could not only provide Jose Mourinho with a back-up for Kane but also allow the Portuguese mastermind to employ a more simplistic style of play, with Muriqi being deployed as a target man.
The 26-year-old’s physical and aerial prowess should make him an ideal target man for the technically gifted attackers like Son Heung-Min, Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso. And the fact that Muriqi is yet to play in any of the top five leagues could also mean that he will be available for a significantly lower price, thus making him an excellent investment for the Lilywhites.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
