Oliver Skipp tackles Todd Cantwell of Norwich City.
Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal reacts during a Europa League fixture. (imago Images)
According to a report by Spanish outlet Sport (h/t Express), Tottenham Hotspur are competing with Wolverhampton Wanderers for Aaron Ramsey. The former Arsenal midfielder ‘is edging closer’ to an exit after just two seasons in the Serie A. However, Juve could let Ramsey go only when they’ve signed a replacement.
And Miralem Pjanic, now at Barcelona, is identified as a possible option for the Turin-based side. Ramsey came through the youth ranks of Cardiff City and was signed by the Gunners in the summer of 2008. After 11 years at the club, he left for the Old Lady in 2019. But should Nuno Espirito Santo be the one to welcome him back to the Premier League?
Tottenham are surprisingly well stacked in the centre of the field. They have enough players vying for first-team starts in midfield, with ample depth on the bench. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Moussa Sissoko, Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso, and Dele Alli offer enough options to Nuno Espirito Santo this season.
Hojbjerg in particular was impressive under Jose Mourinho last season and carried that form to the 2020 UEFA Euro for Denmark. The 25-year-old former Southampton star would certainly warrant a starting role, with Nuno endowed with enough talent to choose his partner in midfield. Lo Celso, Alli, and even Lucas Moura could be the playmakers for him if he wants a number 10 in his team.
On top of that, football.london mentions that the club plans to keep Oliver Skipp for this season as well. The 20-year-old was at Norwich City last season where he helped them win promotion to the first division by way of winning the Championship. And this could be the season where he starts to establish himself as an important squad player for the Lilywhites.
If Spurs get in Ramsey, it could impact the game-time that the likes of Skipp might enjoy. Moreover, if Nuno is looking to experiment in midfield, he can always hand more starts to Alli. The Welshman’s inclusion, while not a bad prospect, would certainly impact the minutes that Spurs’ current batch of midfielders will get.
Moreover, Ramsey turns 31 this year and would not exactly be a long-term asset for Spurs if Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici manage to bring him in. The ex-Gunner is also on a big wage packet in Italy. The Daily Mail report that his £400,000-a-week salary has in fact played a part in making the Serie A behemoths desperate to get rid of him this summer.
Even if Ramsey does take a wage cut at Spurs, of which there are no indications yet, it would still be a considerable figure to jot down in their financial books. Apart from the obvious financial implications from any potential deal for Ramsey, Spurs should also be wary of the midfielder’s injury record in Italy as well as during his time in London.
He has suffered from an array of injuries consistently in the past several years. Thus, bringing in an injury-prone midfielder who could slowly be approaching the twilight of his career is not the wisest decision that Spurs could make. Instead, they should focus their funds on signing a new defender or even a striker to compete with Harry Kane.
