TURIN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 26: Marten De Roon of Atalanta BC in action during the Serie A match between Torino FC and Atalanta BC at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on September 26, 2020 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
According to 90min (h/t Football.london), Tottenham are interested in bringing Marten de Roon in January. Mourinho is keen to add to his midfield ranks as he wants to gear up for a possible title challenge. Manchester City are said to be the other club interested.
Marten de Roon shot to prominence with Sparta Rotterdam in the Dutch second-tier before making his mark in the Eredivisie with Heerenveen. The defensive midfielder joined Atalanta in 2015 after making more than 100 appearances for Heerenveen across all competitions.
Despite enjoying a successful debut season in Italy, the 29-year-old made the move to newly-promoted Premier League club Middlesbrough in 2016. De Roon featured 33 times in the Premier League for the Teessiders, scoring 4 goals, but couldn’t save them from relegation to the Championship.
De Roon rejoined Atalanta in 2017 following Boro’s relegation and went on to play a key role as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side finished a record 3rd in the 2018-19 Serie A and secured qualification to the Champions League.
The Dutchman was one of the cornerstones of Atalanta’s march to the quarter-final of Europe’s elite club competition last season. A full international for the Netherlands since 2016, De Roon has earned 15 caps for his nation and has featured in both editions of the UEFA Nations League so far.
Tottenham can be regarded as one of the title challengers for this season. They recruited well in the summer and that is providing them with the returns. Most of their summer signings have slotted into the side seamlessly and the team looks much better.
However, with another gruelling second half of the season to deal with, it would be wise to dip into the January transfer market to get one or two players in to bolster the squad. Marten de Roon, to that end, would be a smart addition to Spurs’ midfield ranks. The Dutchman’s English sojourn ended disastrously with Middlesbrough’s relegation back in 2017 but it’s imperative to say that he was one of the standout performers despite his club’s struggles in the top-flight.
He has accumulated more than 380 club career appearances over the course of his top-flight career in the Netherlands, Italy, and England while also establishing himself as a regular starter at the international level in recent years. The defensive midfielder also proved his credentials in the Champions League last season, suggesting that he is ready to embrace a bigger challenge.
De Roon still has a lot to offer despite nearing 30. The imminent availability of Marten de Roon presents an excellent market opportunity for Tottenham to strengthen their defensive midfield ranks.