Tottenham Hotspur are notoriously hesitant when it comes to transfer negotiations, with Daniel Levy often drawing criticism for his frugality getting in the way of a deal.
This occurred all throughout January, as their pursuit of Pedro Porro was drawn out until he eventually signed towards the end of deadline day.
Their interest in the Spaniard was well-documented, so to see them struggle to complete the move must have been hard for fans to watch. Had another club been interested, it might not have ended as well as it did for the north Londoners.
However, this painstaking process often leads to the Lilywhites avoiding high-profile transfer missteps, with a few outstanding examples aside.
Whilst other clubs in their position might have jumped when an asset like Nicolo Zaniolo became available, Levy and Fabio Paratici’s hesitancy actually proved fruitful on this occasion.
It was suggested that they might make a deadline day move for the Italian, for whom Bournemouth saw a €35m (£31m) bid accepted before contract talks broke down, before Spurs seemingly opted against reuniting him with compatriots Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici.
Signing a 23-year-old European talent with a glowing reputation may seem an attractive proposition on paper, but just one goal in Serie A this season tells a different story, his campaign instead standing out for being ostracised by his manager Jose Mourinho and the subject of defamatory banners from some Roma supporters.
Even last term, which was comfortably his best year personally, his return of eight goals and nine assists in all competitions papered over another league campaign with just two goals.
He may be a skilful asset who can be exciting to watch, but without any tangible impact, he has little to offer Spurs. The fact that he ranks in the top 4% for total shots when compared to attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months outlines him as a goal threat, but could also highlight a lack of proficiency.
Nonetheless, his rise through the ranks has been impressive to watch and is deserving of the “insane” description from journalist Siavoush Fallahi in 2018. Another media figure in Zach Lowy was even more glowing with his praise of the Italian, who he dubbed a “lethal playmaker” in 2019.
Zaniolo may well have continued that upwards trajectory had he moved to north London, but for the fee which was being touted and his current lack of goal output, along with a horrendous injury record, he would have represented poor value.
For once, Levy’s parsimony could have paid off for Tottenham.
from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/tjukRH4
via IFTTT