Tottenham Hotspur will be livid as they will end yet another season without a trophy. Mauricio Pochettino might be tempted to spend big this summer to try and add more quality to his side but he is no mood to rush things and spend for the sake of it and is still looking at players, who, though are not superstars, fit in his system well.
One such player linked with a move to Spurs is Werder Bremen star, Thomas Delaney.
Bremen Accept Defeat In Keeping Delaney
Speaking to the German media recently, manager Frank Baumann revealed that Delaney is happy with his situation in Germany but felt that an attractive offer might be enough for clubs to lure him away from Bremen this summer. It is understood that Brighton have had a bid of £10m rejected recently and that the Bundesliga outfit is holding on to a price tag of £16.8m.
Tottenham Hotspur, who were linked with Delaney in the past, are one of the many teams from England that are interested in the 26-year old. So is this a wise investment for Pochettino?
Who Is Delaney?
Born and brought up in Frederiksberg, Denmark, Delaney started his youth career with Copenhagen, where he spent a decade, making 244 league appearances in Denmark. He broke into the Danish national side in 2013 and has already made 21 appearances and is an established star in Europe.
He joined Bremen just this summer and though has managed three goals and two assists in 30 league starts in a midfield role, has not been able to take them to a finish in the top half of the table. He has been regularly used as a part of a five-man midfield, in a floating role and his versatility to add numbers to attack and to the defence is what makes him all the more effective.
A strong and dominating midfielder, who loves to have the ball at his feet, Delaney is a hard-working player, who can not only push forward in attack when needed but is adept at sitting back and absorbing pressure, just in front of the backline.
He likes to keep his simple and is effective in build-up play but his marauding presence in the midfield give his side an upper hand in the battles in the middle of the field. At 26, he can still improve as a player and will surely do, if he plays under Pochettino.
Right Man For Spurs?
Pochettino uses a two-man midfield to decent effect regularly at Spurs. While Mousa Dembele adds creativity to the midfield, Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama are options to add stability to the side. Delany is a slight upgrade on two of those names and his ability to add to attack will make him a decent option for Spurs.
However, he does not solve impending problems at the club and will only fight for a first-team place. But Spurs need players who can walk into the first team and have an immediate impact and Delaney just does not fit the bill at the moment.
At £16.8m, he is also a tad expensive, even in this market and is a player Spurs can afford to not sign.