The three options Spurs have on the table if Eriksen leaves

After the adrenaline rush from the end of the season, that saw Tottenham Hotspurs reach their first final ever in Champions League and secure another season playing in the major competition of European football, June has brought some bittersweet news. Firstly, of course, losing the Madrid final to Liverpool (2-0) crushed some hopes from Spurs fans, hopeful to have finally some shiny new silverware in their cabinet – something they haven’t seen for years. Supporters from the North London team know there won’t be much chances in their lifetime to see their team at such a great stage again.

However, if the defeat wasn’t harsh enough, shortly after Christian Eriksen hinted at his possible departure from the club. The Danish said he was seeking for another challenge, maybe expecting an offer to move to Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid has already secured five new players this season and they seem interested in getting a polished gem in their midfield to get the gear back on track – Eriksen and Pogba are the ones more likely to make that move.

Still, there are some good news for Tottenham fans to be looking forward for next months. And no, we are not talking about the announcement of four NFL matchups who will take place in their recently built stadium in October and November. We mean that the upcoming transfer season might be more joyful for Spurs this Summer than it was in 2018.

After two transfer windows without any signings, chairman Daniel Levy has apparently agreed that it is time to get some reinforcements – either with Eriksen leaving or not. There are, right now, three possible options on the table for the midfielder position: one French, one Argentinian and one Portuguese. Let’s dig in.

Tanguy Ndombele

Lyon is used to producing and selling high quality players to Premier League clubs, such as Lacazette, who is currently thriving in Tottenham’s rivals Arsenal. Spurs also have a former Lyon player in their roster, who is no one else than their captain Hugo Lloris. The French club ‘stole’ the keeper from Nice in 2008 and 4 years later he moved to White Hart Lane, being now the captain of his World Cup winning national team.

One of the most wanted Lyon gems of the moment is midfielder Tanguy Ndombele. Spurs have allegedly bided £50M for the French international, who is also a target for Manchester City, Juventus and Real Madrid. Well, for the latter, if they move for Eriksen, then they could ironically help Tottenham to land Ndombele. After losing Moussa Dembele to Chinese Super League, Pochettino is interested in signing Tanguy, who has similar characteristics as a holding midfielder.

Looking at his stats, according to WhoScored, Ndombele has a higher defensive quality than Eriksen. He also averages 1.2 key passes per game, which is higher than the two current Spurs defensive midfielders – Eric Dier and Wanyama. However, the current 22-year-old Lyon starlet plays in a deeper role than Eriksen in midfield and thus he might not offer the exact same qualities as the Danish. If Pochettino is looking for a midfielder with a better attacking prowess, then the two next options would be more interesting.

Giovani Lo Celso

Averaging 16 goals in La Liga from midfield position, Lo Celso seems a more stimulating bet to fill Eriksen’s boots. Signed by Paris Saint Germain in 2016, from Rosario Central, the Argentinian was surprisingly loaned to Betis, in Spain, who later made the move permanent for £19m. Now, PSG are probably scratching their heads, since the 23-year-old had a rampant campaign for the Andalucía team. Nonetheless, the French giants will get 20% on a future deal.

Tottenham sees in Lo Celso a perfect replacement for Christian Eriksen and have submitted a proposal of £60M for the Albiceleste international. Unfortunately for Spurs, they are not alone in this race, since Manchester United and Real Madrid have also showed interest in signing him.

The Argentinian has similar stats to Eriksen, averaging a higher percentage of successful dribbles per game – 1.9, compared to Christian’s 0.6. However, Giovani seems to prefer low passes instead of wide passes and crosses, managing 0.1 crosses per game, while Eriksen plays 1.1 crosses and 2.6 long balls per match. Would he be able to adapt to Pochettino’s system that requires long passes to the forwards and effective crossing in corners and set pieces?

Bruno Fernandes

Probably the most expensive from the list, but maybe one that has both the defensive and offensive qualities that Spurs might be looking for. Bruno can play any role in the midfield and he has scored a total of 32 goals this season in 53 games – an absurd number for a player in his position, even considering he plays in the Portuguese League. The Sporting CP maestro, who earlier this week won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal, is on the radar of both Manchester clubs, but, according to Portuguese newspaper Record, Tottenham has allegedly showed interest too.

Besides having tremendous goal and pass accuracy – with a total of 14 assists the past year – Bruno would probably fit Pochettino’s system better than both players mentioned before. He makes 1.7 crosses and gets 3.9 long balls per game. Of course, he would need time to adapt to a more competitive league, but since Sporting CP plays in a similar tactical system as the current Tottenham team, relying on set pieces and through balls, it would facilitate the process. Plus, Bruno has already played in one of the top 5 leagues, Serie A – for Udinese and Sampdoria, where he scored a total of 16 goals in 4 professional seasons.

Sporting board has set the price tag on £60million, but Manchester United seemed to have raised the bid for 80 already and so Spurs must move quickly to attract the player and move him away from Old Trafford. The prospective of playing Champions League football next season already, instead of Europa League on Thursday evenings, might be a valuable argument on their favor.

Still, the Game of Transfers is a dangerous one and the following months will be dark and full of rumors.