Tottenham Hotspur keen on move for Frankfurt ace Filip Kostic
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes (h/t football.london), Tottenham Hotspur are interested in sealing a move for Frankfurt ace Filip Kostic. The full-back starred in the club’s 1-0 victory over Mainz in the last game of 2021 and would be hoping to feature against Borussia Dortmund on the weekend.
Kostic started his career in his home country with Radnicki 1923 before joining Kragujevac. A couple of years later, he joined Dutch side Groningen. He developed well in the Eredivisie and then moved to the Bundesliga with VfB Stuttgart and later joined Hamburger SV. In 2019, he joined Frankfurt and has been good for them in the past 2 and a half years.
Could he now be on the verge of an exit? And should Tottenham Hotspur eye a deal for him?
Tottenham Hotspur could hinder the progress of Ryan Sessegnon by signing Filip Kostic
Since joining Frankfurt 30 months ago, Kostic has made 148 appearances for the German club and could touch the 150-mark soon. In that period, he has scored 29 goals and produced 57 assists from the left wing-back role. The Bundesliga side is only 2 points away from 3rd place SC Freiburg this season, and the full-back has played a pivotal role in doing so.
Antonio Conte is now apparently urging Tottenham to get a deal over the line for the player in the coming months. The Italian arrived at the N17 in November, after Nuno Espirito Santo could not make things work in North London. The former Inter Milan boss has done a good job so far, by getting Harry Kane back amongst the goals and putting the club in a good position to seal a Top 4 spot.
He has reverted to a back three formation with wing-backs and has found success on both sides of the pitch. Emerson Royal, Matt Doherty, and Japhet Tanganga have done a good job on the right, while Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon have produced fine displays in the past month. The latter, in particular, looks re-energized under the new manager.
The Englishman was suffering for minutes under Nuno and was linked with a move to Fenerbahce, according to Takvim (h/t The Sun). However, things have changed for him under Conte. He is giving Reguilon a real run for his money, and his youthful nature is finally coming good, not to mention his incredible work rate. The Spanish full-back might still retain a starting spot, but the former Fulham ace is keeping him on his toes.
Thus, it might not be a wise move to pursue a deal for Kostic. The Serbian international has done splendidly well for the German club but has no experience in the Premier League and shall turn 30 this year. He could surprise most fans and turn out to be a good signing, but it might hinder the good progress of Sessegnon.
Tottenham Hotspur need to invest in younger talent
Kostic is an able player. In theory, while he may not play as a left-wing back if Conte doesn’t want him to, he can be Son Heung-min’s backup. The South Korean is clearly one of the top two players at N17 and his starting position won’t be in jeopardy anytime soon. But it remains to be seen if Kostic would agree to such a role.
He does only have 18 months on his deal, so a reasonable fee could be negotiated, but that might not be the best use of the transfer budget. Instead, it is time to invest in younger talent. Fabio Paratici did a great job of signing players like Pape Matar Sarr, Bryan Gil, Cristian Romero, and Emerson Royal this season.
All of these individuals are below the age of 25 and have proven their worth at their former clubs. Spurs need to target somebody younger if they do indeed want to provide some cover in the full-back role. In the meantime, Sessegnon and Reguilon are doing just fine in the left-wing back slot.
Read More:
- Transfer News: Everton in competition with Newcastle United for the signing of Al-Hilal star Moussa Marega
- Arsenal eyeing a potential move for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins
- Transfer News: Chelsea plotting a deal for VfL Wolfsburg ace Maxence Lacroix
A dip in form of either player could lead to some reconsideration, but until then, the Italian boss could focus on some other transfer targets.
