According to A Bola, as cited by Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Pizzi. The Lilywhites have been in contact with SL Benfica over their star attacker. Although the club have not made any official bid yet, Pizzi is expected to cost around €20 million, with Jose Mourinho expected to undergo a squad overhaul this summer.
Pizzi: One of the best players in Portugal
Pizzi has enjoyed a quick rise to prominence over the course of the past couple of seasons. In 68 league matches, the winger has been involved in a whopping 64 goals. His contributions in front of goal have helped SL Benfica retain their dominance over Portuguese football, although the club did miss out on the league title this past season.
Nevertheless, Pizzi still ended the campaign as the league’s highest scorer. He impressed the onlookers with his productivity and sharp link-up play. The 30-year-old has also consistently drifted into a central area, providing more firepower in the final third.
Pizzi’s consistency has even helped him become a regular fixture in the Portuguese national team. However, he is rather unfortunate as it is Bernardo Silva who is blocking him a direct entry into the starting eleven.
How does he fit in?
At Tottenham, Pizzi is likely to fit in at right-wing. It means the 30-year-old will have to compete with Lucas Moura for a place in the starting lineup. It could be helpful for both the players, although given Pizzi’s form, he is likely to be the preferred option.
Alternatively, Mourinho can also deploy the SL Benfica star in a more central role. The attacker can feature in the number ten slot, though that is unlikely given the fact that Spurs already boast the services of players like Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli.
It could, however, drastically minimise the overall game-time of Erik Lamela. In fact, it won’t be surprising to see the Argentine departing the club in the summer.
What does it mean for Lucas Moura?
The potential arrival of Pizzi will, no doubt, be detrimental for Lucas Moura. The Brazilian enjoyed a lot of game-time under Mourinho this past season. But, he hasn’t quite been able to provide the consistency that is needed.
Although Moura is unlikely to leave the club, Pizzi’s presence in the team could potentially make him a benchwarmer and only a back-up for wingers like Son Heung-Min.
Even Steven Bergwijn could enjoy a prominent role in the first-team so it will be interesting to see whether or not Spurs sell Lucas Moura this summer if they do manage to secure the services of Pizzi in the first place.
