Tonny Vilhena (Getty Images)
According to the Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out with Italian giants Roma for the signature of highly-rated Dutch international midfielder Tonny Vilhena.
The 23-year-old box-to-box ace has 15 caps for the Netherlands under his belt and has caught the eye of the north London giants with his consistently impressive performance for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie.
Vilhena made his debut back in 2011 but rose to prominence in the 2012-13 season in the Eredivisie where he accumulated 4 goals from 27 appearances. He has been a first-team regular for the Dutch outfit since then and had the most productive season of his fledgeling career last term in the Eredivisie, amassing 11 goals and 4 assists from 3 appearances.
The 23-year-old has hit the ground running this season as well, scoring 3 goals and providing an assist from 15 appearances. Vilhena has averaged 50.8 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 83.6 in the Eredivisie this term, including 3.3 successful long balls per game. These figures speak volumes of his impressive range of passing as a central midfielder.
The Dutch international has also averaged 1.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions and 2.7 shots per game, illustrating his all-around ability as a box-to-box ace in the middle of the park.
Standing at 5ft. 9 inches, Vilhena is not the tallest player on the pitch but he boasts of a stocky and sinewy frame which can prove to be a handful for the opposition when he makes driving runs forward.
Not only does he have the vision and the awareness to pick out the right pass to set up attacks from his deep position in the midfield but he is also very sharp with his game-reading and reflexes, allowing him to break up the play with crucial tackles and interceptions.
Besides his impressive range of passing which allows him to dictate the tempo of the game in the centre of the park, Vilhena is also known for his tenacity and work rate. He is a fighter who never gives up that is exactly what makes him the player that he is. Furthermore, he can also contribute a lot to the attack with his powerful runs into the final third and is never afraid to put his foot through the ball.
To put things into perspective, Tonny Vilhena would be the ideal long-term successor to Mousa Dembele at Tottenham. Mousa Dembele, 31, is likely to head for the exit door upon the expiry of his contract next summer, creating a massive void for Mauricio Pochettino to fill in the central midfield area.
Victor Wanyama has struggled with injuries throughout the course of his career and the Kenyan is also linked with a move away from the club in January (h/t Sun), further depleting Tottenham’s options at the centre of the park.
Spurs need to freshen up their squad in January and a few new faces will definitely do a world of good to their chances of challenging for the title. That said, they should follow-up their interest in the Dutchman and table a handsome bid in January to land him.
