Spurs ramp up bid to sign England international

We’re only in January, and Tottenham Hotspur’s season already depends on the cup competitions.

Ange Postecoglou’s side has been absolutely devastated by injuries this year, and while the Australian can certainly end the campaign with a trophy, that feels very unlikely indeed.

However, while there has not been much for Spurs fans to cheer about, one undeniable positive has been the development of Dejan Kulusevski.

The former Juventus ace has always been an important player for the North Londoners, but he has come on leaps and bounds this year, and based on recent reports, the club are looking to bring in an England international who could help him get even better.

Tottenham target England ace

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham have ‘ramped up their own bid’ to sign LOSC Lille star Angel Gomes.

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The report has revealed that the North Londoners have entered the race to sign the England international and could now beat fellow Premier League side West Ham United to the midfielder’s signature.

The good news is that the Lilywhites should be able to sign the former Manchester United prospect for free due to his £11k-per-week contract expiring in the summer, but the bad news is that he won’t be able to officially join until then either.

It could still be a complicated transfer to get over the line if the Irons step up their pursuit of other teams entering the fray, but given Gomes’ ability, Spurs should be doing all they can to secure this deal as soon as possible, especially as he’d be an ideal teammate for Kulusevski.

Why Gomes would be a dream teammate for Kulusevski

Okay, so if Kulusevski’s long-term role at Spurs is going to be that of one of the more attacking midfielders in the team, then there are a couple of reasons why Gomes would be an excellent teammate for him.

The first is that, as the Englishman is adept at playing in central and attacking midfield himself, he’ll be the player who can adjust his starting role to platform and allow the Swede to further hone his skills in that more offensive role in the middle of the park.

Moreover, due to his ability to play deeper, the “top quality” talent, as dubbed by former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson, is no stranger to defensive duties, as shown by the fact FBref places him in the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers for shots blocked in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League per 90.

However, he’s not just there to do the mopping up.

He is more than capable of dictating play, firing off dangerous passes and taking on opponents, as shown by FBref placing him in the top 1% for pass completion and successful take-on percentage, the top 3% for carries, the top4% for passes into the final third, the top 6% for progressive passes, switches and more, all per 90.

Not only do these statistics suggest that the Edmonton-born star would be able to play intricate passes into Kulusevski when he’s in dangerous positions, but it would also make him a player that opposing defenders would have to mark more proactively, thus naturally opening up more space for his future teammates.

Finally, the 24-year-old has already shown that he has a tough mentality, as he made the bold decision to leave Old Trafford in 2020 and back himself to earn a move from Portugal to a top-five league and now potentially back to the Premier League, all while breaking into the England setup, which is just the sort of player who’d improve the dressing room at Spurs.

Ultimately, signing Gomes this year feels like a total no-brainer for Tottenham, as his skill set and ability would undoubtedly improve the entire team, let alone Kulusevski.

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