Transfer Story:
Tottenham Hotspur have failed to challenge for the Premier League title this season even though they have more or less secured their passage into the Champions League next season too, leaving the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal in their wake. However, they have a number of issues to resolve before they begin their transfer window shopping.
Veteran Danny Rose has hardly featured regularly this season and many of us believe that this is due to his public criticism of the club’s ambition last summer in addition to his injury issues, of course. Ben Davies has more or less permanently replaced Rose in the left-back position. This has led to immense speculation that Rose would look for a move away this summer.
The English international quite understandably deserves much better playing time and hence it would be unsurprising to see him leave North London soon. In case Rose moves away, Pochettino will look forward to replacing him with another England international Ryan Bertrand, as per a report in the Sun. Southampton have endured a horrific season until now and are in the midst of an intense relegation battle.
Ryan Bertrand: Someone who deserves to play in a better team
A part of Chelsea’s Champions League squad in 2012, Bertrand has been in and around the English football circuit for quite a long time now. He then moved to Southampton and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the player has been going through a downward spiral in his playing career. His talent has not been best utilized at Southampton, though Bertrand has maintained his place in the England national team regularly.
Bertrand likes to play a one-two before bursting into the other half and then slightly cuts in to put in some tempting deliveries into the box. Though he commits himself forward, Bertrand does not shy away from his defensive duties. His astute positioning and man-marking skills help him have an edge over his adversary on the flanks. In 29 Premier League appearances this season, he has created 31 goal-scoring chances and three of them have resulted in assists. He records four defensive actions per game and the majority of them come via clearances. Bertrand is a tough man to beat when he is defending inside the box, as he readily puts his body on the line.
Should Spurs make a move?
Bertrand would be a valuable addition to any Premier League side as the left-back possesses vast experience and loads of talent too. It could be argued that his numbers would look far better if he played in a better team and hence this transfer would be ideal for all parties involved. Both Spurs and Bertrand will relish working with each other but as of now, it depends on whether Pochettino can sort out Rose’s disapproving undercurrent in the locker room or whether he decides to focus his energy elsewhere.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
