The transfer window is still a few months away, yet the media has already begun linking players with clubs, which is hardly a surprise. The Premier League clubs spend exorbitant money for players and the inflation usually reigns supreme in the transfer season. The coming transfer window isn’t going to be any different. Tottenham Hotspur, like others, will be eyeing some additions to strengthen their squad so that they can have a better run in next season’s Champions League, which is looking more and more likely after their recent performances in the Premier League.
Pochettino has a young and dynamic squad but didn’t have the experience to rub shoulders with the likes of Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen who are regulars in the elite competition. They were even outdone by Gent in the Europa League. So, it’s easy enough to identify the type of players they should be targeting in the summer – those with enough experience to hit the ground running and perform on the Champions League nights.
Despite that, they have been linked with players who are barely good enough for the Premier League. One of those is Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.
Although Zaha has gotten his career back on track after a failed spell at Manchester United, he is still far from being a finished product. Spurs took a similar route in the summer when they signed Georges-Kévin N’Koudou from the French League. The attacker hasn’t managed a sustained run in the team and it seems he’ll have to go on loan to get some play time and continue his development which has stalled at White Hart Lane. So, will Zaha fare any better? Unlikely.
Zaha has earned a reputation of being a fleet-footed player. Using his burst of pace and trickery, he can blaze past players in the opposition half. However, he often lets himself down when it comes to the final delivery. This season, Zaha has improved his assists tally to eight, which is the best he’s managed in the top flight.
It still doesn’t take away the fact that he often fizzles out in games and struggles against teams who play a compact game. The hallmark of a good winger is to adapt his style according to opposition defenders, something Zaha has never managed to do so far in his career.
Reports indicate Spurs will have to cough up £25m for the winger which seems way too steep for a player who has barely had a few good games this season. Besides, he isn’t someone with good Champions League experience.
There are premium players out there in the market who can do a better job than Zaha for £25m. Spurs have been lucky their first team XI has performed admirably. The likes of Vincent Janssen, Georges-Kévin N’Koudou and Moussa Sissoko are prime examples of how the North Londoners overspent on players. With a stadium in sight, Spurs need to get their act right in the transfer market and go for proven players instead of those who provide one or two flashy moments in a game.
