Transfer News:
Toby Alderweireld has been immense for Tottenham Hotspur ever since moving to England in 2015. However, it seems that the Belgian’s contractual situation has no solution as of now, and hence Mauricio Pochettino’s men are touted to lose one of the best defenders of Europe in such a case. Apparently, they are not budging from their stance on the proposed wages and are set to try to replace Alderweireld with Jose Gimenez of Atletico Madrid.
Jose Gimenez: The quintessential modern defender
Gimenez is a technically adept defender, who is strongly built and possesses the brain to thwart some of the best forwards in Europe. He is quick on his feet and hardly ever loses a sprint with any forward. The Uruguayan can play the ball out from the back and he is equally able in defending sturdily inside the box too. He is never afraid to put his body on the line and can be a tough man to beat in a one-on-one duel.
He does not seem to deter or panic when caught in a dangerous situation; and does seem to have the ability to ward off attacks with his assured presence at the back. In 20 La Liga appearances this season, he has on an average won 58% of his defensive duels. His aerial prowess is highlighted by the fact that Gimenez has been successful in 64% of his headed duels and hence his defensive technique during set pieces should not be doubted.
Gimenez records almost seven defensive actions per game, and that demonstrates his high work ethic, something, which has been instilled in him whilst working under a hard taskmaster like Diego Simeone. He has also scored once and created five goal-scoring chances in these 20 games, and one of those chances resulted in an assist as well.
Should Spurs make the move?
Absolutely; an exciting aspect of this deal would be the fact that Pochettino would be getting an equally talented player in place of Alderweireld; and a younger one too. Jose Gimenez is a 23-year-old and hence has a huge scope for further improvement. Pochettino has proven to be a good coach especially for the youngsters and hence he can further mould the defender’s style of play, to enhance his quality and longevity in the Premier League. Whether or not the Uruguayan agrees to move out of Spain, is something that will be interesting to watch over the summer, though.
