As per numerous sources, Lyon midfielder Rachid Ghezzal is being very closely watched by a number of English Premier League clubs after reports came out that the player’s contract extension talks with the club were put on hold.
After Riyad Mahrez’s skyrocketing success previous season with Leicester City, Ghezzal has gained much traction from the English Premier League. According to Talk Sport, the player has given indications that he is open to looking at other club offers if his contract extension talks are delayed, which has made put many clubs on alert like Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Liverpool.
Reports also say that Ghezzal’s agent has alerted clubs regarding a possible departure as early as January, which is just two months away. He has made 11 appearances for Lyon this season scoring once against St Etienne.
Tottenham Hotspur are looking at the moment as the frontrunner to sign the Algerian as Pochettino seems to be an admirer of the 24-year-old. Tottenham have been lacking players in the attacking midfield with only Christian Eriksen and Eric Lamela fitting into the qualifications of an attacking midfielder.
At 182 cm, Ghezzal looks a slightly taller version of Mahrez and considering how big an impact Mahrez had on Leicester City’s league run last season, Ghezzal looks all the more exciting prospect now.
Ghezzal has caught the eye with his dribbling, perfect through passes and is deadly from set pieces as well. Aerial duels have been one of his weak points, though, it is bound to improve when given the taste of Premier League. Another weakness in Ghezzal is his finishing, which has been further deteriorated with him being on the bench. With a manager like Pochettino, who is known to bring the best out of his players, Ghezzal might be making a wise decision if he chooses White Hart lane.
Spurs are on the hunt to sign another quality attacking midfielder and are also being linked with a loan move for Isco of Real Madrid. They were reportedly talks about the Spaniard even before but didn’t pursue due to unknown reasons. Now with Isco getting a regular chance in the Madrid first team under Zidane, leaving the likes of James Rodriguez on the bench, it is highly unlikely that Spurs will get the Spaniard anymore. This makes Ghezzal more of a probability.
If Ghezzal arrives in England, there are a lot of areas he needs to improve. People comparing him to Mahrez might also be a disadvantage for the Algerian.
