The thing about Tottenham Hotspur transfer rumors right now is that they’re pretty much stuck in limbo. Oh sure we’re seeing plenty of rumors pop up. Some of them are fun and we’re writing about them on this Website Dot Com. But the reality is that until Fabio Paratici officially starts work in July, we’re still more or less stuck in Johan Lange’s Black Box of Nothingness while they work out which transfer targets they really want to focus on and Don Fabio loads his scattergun.
So it’s probably safe to assume that most of the transfer rumors in the news these days are either a) fake or b) agent-driven, possibly with Spurs just calling people and saying “would you? ok, ttyl then.”
That said, this blog needs content, so let’s write about something fun. According to French daily L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), Tottenham are one of two Premier League clubs that are interested in Monaco’s France U21 winger/AM Maghnes Akliouche. And that, gentle readers, kind of rocks.
Akliouche is 23 and has the look of one of those young players that’s about ready to explode if he lands somewhere good and can get a lot of minutes. So in that sense he makes a lot of sense for Tottenham. The kid’s got some SKILLS: he’s technically sharp, tactically progressive, and creative as hell. Last season he had 5g+10a (0.59 xG+xA/90) in Ligue 1 playing mostly as a right winger but also as a central attacking midfielder. That makes him sort of a hybrid 10 — he can dribble, he can pass, and he can take on defenders. The one small knock on him is that he’s underperforming his xG, but he’s still only 23, that can come in the right system, and his primary role is to set up others anyway.
I love this kid. You should love him too. Here’s a fun highlight video with bad music. Volume down for safety, y’all!
L’Equipe is saying that Akliouche will leave Monaco this summer for “the right price.” That price, apparently, is €60m (£51m), and that’s a lot of money for a guy coming off of one good season in France. That said, I honestly think this is a player who is going to make The Leap™ at wherever his next club is, and for that price you’re still buying low.
His hybrid skills and positioning makes me wonder where exactly he might fit in Thomas Frank’s tactics, but I can see him both as an inside forward on the right wing, or pushing Dejan Kulusevski at the 10 in certain formations.
L’Equipe says that the other Premier League club interested in Akliouche is Nottingham Forest, and if Forest ends up signing him I’m going to be very sad. That said, I suspect other clubs will come in for him at some point. The suggestion is that Akliouche’s move might not happen until later in the window, which could suit Spurs just fine.
Spurs need passing and dribbling in their midfield. Magnhes Akliouche would provide both, and has an impossibly high ceiling. This won’t happen, but if it’s me and I’m Johan Lange (I am not Johan Lange) I am on the phone with Monaco today to get the deal done as soon as possible. This kid rules.