Two primary yardsticks which the Tottenham Hotspur board sets for their manager to match up to are to finish within the top four of the league table and to leapfrog their arch-rivals, Arsenal. While the former has been easily attained under the excellent tutelage of Mauricio Pochettino, the latter is still an unachieved dream in the recent memory which encompasses two decades or so.
Make no mistake, Spurs are a team on the rise and having collected 56 points from their 27 league outings, they have a lead of 6 points over Arsene Wenger’s troops and are in a decent position to conclude the season in a position above them.
Moreover, it is likely that the white half of North London are going to participate in the lucrative European nights once again next term and would thus target quality signings to addto their ranks.
One of the recent reports suggests that Pochettino has put Crystal Palace’s attacking midfielder, Wilfried Zaha, on his radar as a prospective summer transfer window signing. The 24-year-old has battled the shadows of criticism and his off-form woes as he managed to find the back of the net on 5 occasions, apart from registering 6 assists to regain his stature once again.
Zaha has been instrumental in bailing Crystal Palace out of the dropout zone of late and no wonder he is apparently getting a lot of attention from the Premier League heavyweight in the shape of Spurs.
An out-and-out winger who can ply his trade on either wing and can be equally efficient while playing as a secondary striker, he provides width and creativity down the flank meticulously. Technically strong, agile and adventurous, the Ivory Coast international is a stupendous medium of the attacking endeavours of his side and his blistering pace is definitely one of his strongest characteristics.
He troubles the opponents’ full-backs more often than not and has an exceptional positional awareness that makes him a perfect utility player for any top quality side.
Although he needs to contribute much more defensively, we expect him to brush himself up under the guidance of Pochettino who has shown during his tenure at Southampton and Spurs that he can really derive the best out of youngsters.
Yes, he might have been overhyped in the past but that doesn’t take away the fact that he has moulded himself as a fantastic attacker for the Eagles this season and thus, Spurs can really strike gold if they manage to get this deal over the line.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored.
