What a transfer window this is turning out to be for Tottenham Hotspur, eh?
After the arrivals for Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson on a free transfer, Spurs moved swiftly to secure the services of Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton.
That said, they are planning to spend a bit more and could do so on two incredibly exciting midfield additions.
The north Londoners have rarely dined at the top table when it comes to their recruitment but they are looking to make big changes after finishing 17 across consecutive seasons.
A huge investment is prepared to be made with Sandro Tonali now their dream target for the summer. West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes is another leading option.
Spurs could sign Tonali and Fernandes alternative
It’s been manic at Spurs this week with the transfer rumour mill really starting to take shape.
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A near relegation to the Championship has seemingly struck this great club into life again. The penny, so it would seem, has finally dropped. In a bit to get back up the table and compete with the division’s big sides, they need to spend and they need to spend ASAP.
They also need Premier League proven and in the form of Tonali and Fernandes they would find just that.
The latest on those moves is that while they would have to pay a premium for both, negotiations are positive.
Tonali has reportedly already agreed personal terms and is very much open to joining Roberto De Zerbi. They both hail from Brescia in Italy so there is already a connection there. Spurs have lodged their first bid, a £75m offer that was rejected.
As for Fernandes, while formal club-to-club negotiations have not opened yet, there is a belief that according to reports, he is closing in on agreeing his own personal terms with Tottenham.
However, perhaps there’s a signing they could make that would be even better.
According to one prominent Spurs insider who has kept supporters right up to date with the Van Hecke saga, in particular, they have now added two more midfielders to their list of potential recruits.
Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton features, as does Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga.
How Camavinga compares to Fernandes and Tonali
Premier League proven players should be the order of the day for Spurs but if Camavinga is genuinely on the market, they should be all over that one.
That is not to say that Fernandes and Tonali would be bad signings. At the age of 25, the latter is a complete footballer and he is approaching his prime. He has been phenomenal for Newcastle for a number of years now.
Fernandes is on the younger side. Aged just 21, he has showcased himself to be one of the best young midfielders on the continent.
Indeed, when analysing the West Ham star compared to U21 midfielders in Europe’s top seven leagues, he sat second for progressive passes completed while he ranked first for defensive duels won, interceptions and possession won.
That said, Camavinga is cut from a similar cloth and he’s been doing it since a very early age. Now 23, he is already “one of the best 6s in world football” in the words of football writer Harvey Diamonds.
Why? Well, like Tonali and Fernandes, he is an all-action midfielder capable of contributing in multiple phases of play. Here are what the stats tell us.
|
Camavinga vs Tonali & Fernandes (25/26 league stats) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Camavinga |
Tonali |
Fernandes |
|
Shots |
0.6 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
|
Goals |
0.1 |
0 |
0.1 |
|
Assists |
0 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
|
Chances created |
0.9 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
92% |
84% |
87% |
|
Through balls |
0.5 |
0.2 |
0.5 |
|
Tackles made |
3.8 |
1.3 |
3.1 |
|
Take-ons completed |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
|
Fouls won |
1.9 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
|
Aerial duels won |
0.7 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
|
Ground duels won |
6.4 |
3.4 |
5.4 |
|
Duels won |
7.1 |
3.8 |
6.0 |
If De Zerbi is looking for someone to sit at the base of the midfield then they do not really come much better than Camavinga.
When it comes to being a defensive midfielder, the Real Madrid man is elite. He’s more accurate with his passing while he is simply phenomenal when it comes to defending and winning duels.
In that regard, the Frenchman is streets ahead of Tonali and Fernandes.
He’s press resistant, drawing more fouls, while technically and physically, Camavinga is genuinely world-class. He’s very pleasing to watch the eye but he has also demonstrate a physical side that feels tailor-made for the Premier League.
Of course, we have talked up how important a factor it is that a player has experience of the English top-flight already but in the French midfielder, they’d be signing someone who has been playing in one of the most pressurised club environments in the world. It doesn’t come much more demanding than being at Madrid.
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