According to a recent report by Calciomercato.it, Tottenham Hotspur were offered a chance to sign Rodrigo de Paul from Udinese. However, the same report goes on to claim that Spurs have rejected the opportunity to secure his services as they were ‘looking for players with other characteristics’.
Calciomercato.it has also revealed that Udinese are looking to sell him for a fee in the region of €25m during this January transfer window with Inter Milan currently leading the chase to sign him.
De Paul has lit up the Italian top-flight with some scintillating performances for the Serie A outfit during the course of this season. The Argentine winger has featured in 21 matches, finding the back of the net six times while also providing three assists across multiple competitions.
Since his arrival from Valencia in the summer of 2016, the Sarandi born talent has showcased his worth for Udinese with quite a few match-winning displays to his name at the Friuli Stadium – Dacia Arena. The 24-year-old has also earned four international caps for the Argentine national side and is expected to have a promising international career for the South American giants.
The Serie A prospect is yet to find the consistency required to play for an elite club like Tottenham which might be a reason why Spurs have decided to opt against a move to bring him to North London. His goal-scoring record has been quite impressive this season, but he has still got a long way to go before he can stand the test of Premier League football.
Mauricio Pochettino needs a more productive goal-getter on the flanks which de Paul might not be able to offer at this moment. Hence, it feels like the correct decision by the Spurs manager to decline a chance to sign him as there are better options available on the transfer market.
Tottenham currently have some promising wide men in their ranks such as Heung-min Son, Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and Moussa Sissoko. However, they still need some more firepower from the wide areas so Pochettino should consider bringing in a fresh face in midfield before Thursday’s transfer deadline.