According to Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal with Juventus over the transfer of Paulo Dybala. The Lilywhites are willing to fork out £64.4 million for the Argentine international, although his image rights could be an issue. It is believed that Dybala could be considered as a replacement for Christian Eriksen, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United. But, how will the forward fit into the Spurs team?
Dybala to replace Son Heung-Min?
Dybala could be utilised as a direct swap for Son Heung-Min. This is not necessary because the South Korean international not is leaving the club.
Son has featured alongside Harry Kane in attack several times under Mauricio Pochettino. But, the ex-Bayer Leverkusen star is much more comfortable playing as a wide-attacker when compared to Dybala. That means it won’t be surprising to see Pochettino opting for the Juventus star to form the offensive combination with Kane, in case of a 4-3-1-2.
At the same time, it could force the Argentine mastermind to introduce the role of a wide-attacker to fit in Son into the starting lineup.
A direct replacement for Christian Eriksen?
Dybala is not a like for like replacement for Eriksen. The former Palermo prodigy is a registered secondary striker, who likes to operate in and around the final third. Eriksen, in contrast, is more of a versatile playmaker. The Danish international, aside from his preferred number ten role, can feature as a wide-attacker as well as a central midfielder.
That being said, Dybala’s arrival could be bad news for Dele Alli. The English international has predominantly featured as an attacking midfielder during his time at Spurs. But, the fact that Dybala likes to operate centrally could force the former MK Dons youngster to shift into a wider role. He does, however, have the experience of playing as a left-winger.
Could the 4-4-2 work?
The departure of Eriksen will surely prompt Pochettino into making a definitive change to his formation to accomodate these attackers. And the 4-4-2 setup could be one of many formations the Argentine implements in this new season.
The said formation offers stability in midfield with two central midfielders. Tanguy Ndombele is a guaranteed starter in the double pivot, with the other one likely being Eric Dier. Both the midfielders are different from each other and will add a new dimension to the Spurs midfield.
Further upfront, Alli and Son can feature as wingers, though the former is likely to move in centrally and support the midfielders whenever needed. And finally, in the attack, the offensive combination will be formed by Dybala and Kane. The Argentine ace will have the license to drop deeper and take part in the creative build-up, making Spurs much more compact and efficient.
