Sporting Lisbon midfielder Adrien Silva could be on his way to White Hart Lane this Summer as Mauricio Pochettino looks to expand his squad ahead of Spurs’ return to Champions League football.
The French born Portuguese midfielder was a part of his national team’s successful Euro 2016 campaign and is also of huge importance to Sporting Lisbon. At the age of 27, Pochettino may feel that Silva will bring some added experience to his Tottenham team, a lack of which seemed to cost them the title last season, whilst he also possesses Champions League know-how and that will be a big bonus to the squad.
He operates primarily in central midfield but can also play behind the striker and so on the face of it at least he seems like a Pochettino player.
There will be doubts over his credentials though and the most glaring of these has to be that he’s never played in one of Europe’s biggest leagues, is he going to be able to cut it should any deal go through?
Furthermore, he’s never spent a long time away from Portugal. He spent a year at Bordeaux when his career started and the only other time away from the country was a short time on loan in Israel. There will inevitably be question marks over whether he can settle in. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be a success of course, but these detractions may play on Pochettino’s mind meaning he might want to consider someone else.
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So it’s in that spirit that we’re bringing you these SEVEN players Mauricio Pochettino might want to consider as Adrien Silva alternatives…
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Moussa Sissoko
It’ll be a real shock if Sissoko is still at Newcastle United at the end of this transfer window. The Frenchman feels he can play at a higher level and given his performances at the European Championships there’s no doubt that when he wants to, he can play. Spurs should be an attractive proposition for Sissoko with their Champions League campaign and he would fit in the way Pochettino sets his teams up too.
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Blaise Matuidi
Pochettino likes to play two more defensively minded midfielders and so it would make sense to bring Matuidi in. The French international has bags of experience at the top level and would certainly bolster Spurs’ squad in that central area. A sticking point may be the potential fee to prise him from PSG but Spurs can’t risk to be left behind and have to take advantage of being in Europe’s premier competition, with all the financial benefit that gives them.
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Isco
Spurs could be the team that allow Isco to rejuvenate his career. The former Malaga man moved to Real Madrid with the expectation he’d be their and the Spanish national team’s next chief midfielder. This has not come to pass though and with the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in the Spanish team’s midfield, he’ll struggle for minutes and Spurs could be the team to benefit from this.
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Axel Witsel
The Belgian midfielder kept Spurs man Mousa Dembele out of their national team’s side at Euro 2016 so he must have something about him. The Zenit man would have the physicality needed for the Premier League and would also increase Spurs’ competition for places ensuring they don’t rest on their laurels after what was a largely successful season last time out.
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Youri Tielemans
The Anderlecht man is young but that shouldn’t put Pochettino off. He’s more than likely going to eclipse Adrien Silva’s ability and the Spurs boss might think that it’ll be easier to work with him and turn him into the player he wants than the Portuguese. Tielemans will move to one of the biggest clubs in Europe sooner rather than later and Tottenham should try and make sure it’s them.
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Kevin Strootman
Tottenham need to show they are serious about not just competing in the Champions League but being a force whilst ensuring last season wasn’t just a one off and signing someone like Strootman would allow for this. The Roma midfielder controls the tempo of the game from his deep lying position, something Spurs currently don’t have in that area and this means he’d offer them another way of playing.
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Mahmoud Dahoud
The promising Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder has been linked with Liverpool rather persistently this Summer but no deal seems to be in the offing. Dahoud may even stay with his current club but if Spurs come calling with the added bonus of European football over their Premier League rivals it could just prove too good to turn down for the German.
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