Tottenham are reportedly preparing to make a formal offer to sign highly-rated Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra when the transfer window reopens in January.
Ange Postecoglou remains on the hunt for new players for his engine room, having struggled to find the right midfield balance through four Premier League outings so far this season.
Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall did arrive during the summer, offsetting the loss of the likes of Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (loan), Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele.
With Hojbjerg on loan at Marseille, Yves Bissouma is the only true defensive midfielder available to Postecoglou, although both Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur can fill that role if needed.
To that end, it’s no great surprise to see Tottenham being tipped to make a January move to add more depth to that position, and that’s where Guerra comes in.
Fichajes states that the north London are prepping an offer for the 21-year-old, although it remains to be seen whether they are ready to pay the asking price for him.
Valencia are holding out for a fee of around £29million (€35m, €39m) for the young midfielder but Spurs are pushing to land the player for a more reasonable price tag. Indeed, the report adds that the north London outfit are wary of paying that much for a player who is still relatively inexperienced.
Guerra would add Tottenham midfield depth
The Spain Under-21 international has made just over 50 appearances for Valencia’s first team, scoring five goals in that time.
Guerra is described as a player with great tackling skills who is capable of playing multiple positions across midfield and, standing at 6ft 2in, has the physical capabilities of coping with the demands of English football.
Indeed, TT took an in-depth look at Guerra’s strengths and weaknesses when it first emerged that he was on the radars of a number of top clubs.
Manchester United were previously credited with a major interest in the player, although that has since cooled off after the deal for Manuel Ugarte was struck.
Real reeling in Romero as Rabiot’s mum scuppers move
In other Tottenham news, further reports have talked up Real Madrid moving for centre-back Cristian Romero, and what will determine whether the Argentine stays or goes has been revealed.
Los Blancos are seeking a ‘blockbuster’ signing at centre-back next summer and the two players rising to the top of their shortlist are William Saliba at Arsenal and Romero.
Per the latest from Football Insider, Real Madrid are ‘watching Romero closely’ and whether the centre-back will stick or twist will reportedly hinge on the level of ambition Tottenham show.
Meanwhile, it’s emerged that the mother and agent of Adrien Rabiot has been harshly criticised for ‘incompetence’ amid fresh claims she failed to secure the France midfielder a move to Tottenham or Manchester United shortly before his switch to Marseille.
Rabiot was unable to agree terms over a move to the Premier League – which TEAMtalk had previously confirmed was very much the player’s preference – instead joining Marseille on a two-year deal.
Now French agent Bruno Satin has hit out at the failure to secure Rabiot a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs, pointing the finger of blame firmly at his mother and agent, Veronique.
IN FOCUS – Guerra v Bissouma stats
TT has taken a look at a comparison between how Guerra and Bissouma fared last season and it makes for some interesting reading.
The more experienced Bissouma clearly has the edge in most areas but one thing that stands out is the passing accuracy, with stakes up against the comments about Guerra being a much better player in possession than the Mali international.
And, with Postecoglou wanting his deep-lying midfielder to get heavily involved in playing out from the back, Guerra could end up being a better long-term fit in north London going forward.