According to The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are mulling over a move for Norwich City starlet Max Aarons. The 18-year-old defender has caught the eye with his confident performances in the Championship, with the Lilywhites considering a £15 million move in January.
But, what can he bring to the table? Here is a SWOT report of this talented teenager targeted by Spurs.
Strengths
Aarons is predominantly an attack-minded fullback, who can foray down the opposition’s defensive lines with his frightening pace. His ability to get in behind the defence has served Daniel Farke well this season as the former Dortmund youth coach often likes his team to play traditional football.
The 18-year-old’s strength is not only limited to pace, however, as he is blessed with a tremendous sense of positioning and anticipation, allowing him to make crucial interceptions and to prevent the opposition from getting in behind.
His speed also enables him to cover a lot of ground in a short span of time, meaning he can easily recover himself if he gets caught out of possession – which is a boon for any coach in the world.
Aarons likes to play short passes and has attained a respectable passing accuracy of 80% whilst averaging over one interception, tackle and clearance per game – indicating his all-round qualities on the flanks.
Weaknesses
While Aarons may be gifted with exceptional technical quality, the 18-year-old lags behind when it comes to physical prowess.
His slender figure is a huge disadvantage in terms of dealing with physical or aerial duels while the defender also lacks the end product in the final third, with most of his crosses not finding its intended target.
Opportunities
Tottenham Hotspur should definitely sign this young defensive prodigy, who is blessed with immense potential. Although Aarons may not be considered as an important player in the first-team at the moment, he will offer Mauricio Pochettino with an extra option in the fullback department, which is always a blessing in a long season with the club looking like title contenders this time around.
And considering Pochettino’s ability to refine young, talented footballers into world-class individuals in a quick span of time, Aarons will be an ideal fit for the Lilywhites.
Threats
Even though the Norwich defender has been one of the rising stars in the Championship this season, he understandably still lacks the experience of playing in top-flight football and at the tender age of 18, it will always be difficult for him to make that huge transition if thrown in at the deep end.
Therefore, it would be wiser for Aarons to remain at his current club for now and enhance his abilities as well as gain some experience before taking the next step in his career.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
