According to Turkish outlet Hurriyet, Tottenham Hotspur are in contention to sign Ugurcan Cakir. The Lilywhites had reportedly submitted a €25 million bid for the Trabzonspor goalkeeper, and they are the only ones with a concrete interest. However, Spurs could potentially face competition from the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and even Real Madrid in the pursuit of Cakir.
Tottenham’s goalkeeper conundrum
It has been an eventful year for Tottenham Hotspur, as far as the goalkeeping department is concerned. Hugo Lloris, one of the most senior players in the current setup and the first-choice ‘keeper, suffered an elbow injury in early October. As a result, he was sidelined for almost four months.
Lloris’ absence saw second choice ‘keeper Paulo Gazzaniga enjoy a more prominent role in the first-team. The Argentine was genuinely average, keeping only two clean sheets in 17 Premier League matches. While he certainly wasn’t bad, he lacked a tad bit of consistency.
Meanwhile, for Lloris, it has been a tough season, even though his tally of 4 saves per game is among the highest in the English top-flight so far. And with the Frenchman slowly nearing the final phase of his career, it remains to be seen whether or not he can retain his place in between the Tottenham goal in the coming future.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
The curious case of Ugurcan Cakir at Tottenham
Ugurcan Cakir’s potential move to Spurs could make sense for several reasons. The Trabzonspor ace has enjoyed a massive rise in stock ever since his breakout last season. His tall 1.91m frame coupled with his ability to clear his lines quickly makes him a modern ‘keeper, but more importantly, he still has incredible reflexes.
Also, Cakir is quite effective when it comes to keeping out efforts from long-range. He has made 65 saves in the Turkish Super Lig this season, 26 of which have come from outside the box – fifth highest in the league.
Therefore, the Turkish international could potentially become an upgrade over Gazzaniga. Also with Lloris’ seemingly declining form in recent years, Cakir could eventually replace the Frenchman, becoming Tottenham’s number one goalkeeper.
A lot of Premier League clubs have splashed big money on goalkeepers in recent years. Spurs, in that regard, could act smart and secure the services of Cakir in the summer, for a considerably cheaper fee when compared to that of Alisson and Kepa. This is why Jose Mourinho should look to make this Turk a priority in the upcoming summer transfer window.
