Tottenham need more goals in their forward line and there could be a cheap Premier League option to take advantage of.
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Thomas Frank’s first job as Tottenham Hotspur manager will be to add a sense of organisation after the chaos theory of Ange Postecoglu’s reign.
The Europa League trophy sits proudly in the club’s trophy room and with it a place in the Champions League despite the sort of season that would see most managers sacked long before the big Aussie eventually collected his P45.
Two new centre-halves have arrived in Luka Vuskovic and Kevin Danso, but it has been the big money arrival of Mohammed Kudus that has caught most attention and hit the headlines. Spurs’ forward line hasn’t been the same since Harry Kane left and a “Moneyball” approach could pay dividends with his goals being replaced from all over the attack.
Tottenham should make bargain swoop for outcast Federico Chiesa
As seen with Kudus and the failed attempt to sign Bryan Mbeumo, good players don’t come cheap and the Morgan Gibbs-White saga is one that Spurs will have to make a decision on. There is though, a bargain backup that Frank could take advantage of with an experience international cast aside by his Premier League club.
Since signing from Juventus for £10m, Federico Chiesa just hasn’t been able to get going at Liverpool and it looks like Arne Slot has made his mind up, as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport:
“Federico Chiesa, however, is not included in the list (of players heading on tour to the Asia), having already had a difficult season in the Premier League, prompting transfer rumours of a possible return to Italy.
“The Italian winger, despite scoring in the second friendly of the summer against Stoke City, is clearly not part of manager Slot's plans. His failure to be called up is therefore another piece of the puzzle that supports the possibility of the Italian striker's return, a move that Napoli had previously been interested in. “
Chiesa’s transfer fee gives Liverpool a lot of leeway in terms of selling the Italy international and it is unlikely that they would be hard to deal with in terms of negotiating a fee. The priority will be to get a player off the wage bill who is set to fall even further down the pecking order after the £82m signing of Hugo Ekitike.
Why has Chiesa been binned by Liverpool?
Chiesa’s issue at Liverpool hasn’t particularly been that Slot didn’t rate him, it’s that an early injury and the inability to get up to full match fitness due to the form of others saw him on the outside looking in, as explained by the Reds’ boss:
“In terms of the quality he has he would deserve more playing time at this football club or the club he is playing for as he has the quality to play for us," Slot said .
"But unfortunately for him he is in competition with Mo Salah when it is about the right wing but I think he can also play as a left-winger, but he has Cody Gakpo and Lucho Diaz.
"I don't think I am wrong if I tell you these three have had a great season and for him starting one or two or maybe three-nil down because the moment he came in he was, by a long time, not as fit as the other payers were and that doesn't help in the beginning.
"The other ones did so well there was not a lot of reason for me to change and then being in the squad becomes difficult.”
Chiesa would bring experience to a young Spurs team as well as the ability to play on either flank or through the middle. With depth and more goals needed, he could be the perfect solution without breaking the bank. Reports back in May indicated Spurs were interested in the player, and the deal now looks there to be done.