SEVILLE, SPAIN - MAY 05: Steven N'Zonzi of Sevilla FC celebrates after defeating Shakhtar Donetsk during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final second leg match between Sevilla and Shakhtar Donetsk at Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan on May 05, 2016 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Tottenham targeting ideal Champions League signing
Steven N’Zonzi would be a perfect signing for Tottenham
Mauricio Pochettino knows that he already has plenty of talented midfielders who can handle the rigors of Premier League football in his squad. The Argentine gaffer also knows that the right midfield signing is necessary to properly prepare his midfield for the challenge of Champions League football.
That’s precisely why Spurs are interested in bringing Steven N’Zonzi back to the Premier League. Reports from Spain claim that the Premier League club aren’t concerned by his £40 million release clause. The real challenge for Tottenham is that they’ll need to defeat the likes of Barcelona and Juventus to win N’Zonzi’s services.
The physical Frenchman was excellent for Sevilla during their Champions League run last year. He posted an impressive Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.48 in his eight UCL starts. That sort of performance could be the difference between falling into the Europa League and advancing to the Knockout Stages for Spurs next year.
I must admit, I’m a little skeptical of these reports. N’Zonzi certainly doesn’t fit the typical mold of a Pochettino transfer target. At 28 years of age he’s already firmly in the prime of his career. Tottenham would be purchasing N’Zonzi for the player he is today. They likely wouldn’t be able to sell him for a profit in the future.
I can almost hear Harry Winks super fans complaining about this potential move. While I love what Winks can mean for the club in the future, he isn’t nearly the player that N’Zonzi is at the current point in time. Starting Winks in a key Champions League match would be a giant risk. Deploying N’Zonzi in the same situation would be a much safer bet.
Adding N’Zonzi to the squad would also allow Pochettino to rotate his midfield all season long. Imagine the comfort of leaving Victor Wanyama or Mousa Dembele on the bench in a big match in favor of N’Zonzi. It would represent an embarrassment of riches for Pochettino on a weekly basis.
Signing Steven N’Zonzi would be just the sort of signing Tottenham need to announce their intentions to be Champions League contenders next season. It’s time for Daniel Levy to a splash the cash in support of Mauricio Pochettino. Adding a world-class midfielder would be an excellent way to advance the manager’s agenda in North London.
