Nicolas Tagliafico in action for Argentina. (Getty Images)
According to the Metro, Spurs are keen in signing Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico in the summer after scouting the Argentine international heavily this season.
The same report claims that Arsenal manager Unai Emery has also lined up Tagliafico as a replacement for Nacho Monreal.
Tagliafico, who is rated at £15million by Ajax, has enjoyed a fruitful season with the Dutch giants, accumulating 5 goals and 5 assists from 34 appearances in all competitions.
He only made his move to Ajax from Argentina club Independiente last summer but has managed to carve out a name for himself in Europe, attracting interest from Premier League giants Arsenal and Spurs.
While Arsenal’s interest in Tagliafico is bound to please the fans, Tottenham’s links with the 26-year-old might evoke a different reaction from the fans on the other side of north London.
The Gunners have struggled for stability at the back and Tagliafico would certainly be a good solution but the same thing doesn’t apply for Spurs.
It is quite inexplicable why Spurs would spend £15 million on another top-quality left-back when they already have the services of Danny Rose and Ben Davies at their disposal. Both are established defenders at the highest level and the manager has managed to rotate his squad effectively to give them sufficient playtime.
Tagliafico, who featured for Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has shown strong signs of excellence in the Netherlands. A modern offensive-minded full-back who is good on the tackle and reliable defensively, the 26-year-old also equally capable of contributing further up the pitch with his well-rounded passing and crossing abilities.
Known for his positional awareness and anticipation skills as a defender, Tagliafico has a knack of chipping in with valuable goals and assists as well, making him a valuable asset to any team.
However, the question is – Why would Spurs need his services? Ben Davies, 25, and Danny Rose, 28, are currently two of the best left-backs in the Premier League and they are still at their peak.
They haven’t had a flurry of goals and assists this season but it would be harsh to say that they have been below-par. And even if they have not hit top gear, does would Tagliafico be an upgrade on Rose and Davies?
Well, with all due respect to Tagliafico’s abilities, it is pretty easy to say that Spurs can only accommodate him in their first team plans by offloading either Davies or Rose, which apparently would not make much sense.
Both Rose and Davies, who have been at the club for ages and have made more than 150 appearances, are perfectly suited to Pochettino’s style of play and it is difficult to see why they should bring in Tagliafico to replace them.
Having failed to bring in any new players for over a year now, Spurs should be desperate to do some business in the summer and reshuffle their squad. While left-back and right-back are two areas which have enough cover, Pochettino should look to sign a back-up striker and a new central midfielder to bolster his squad.
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Spurs need strengthening but they would be better off investing in other areas of the squad.