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Eriksen vs £13.5m Tottenham Target: Is The Argentine Star A Good Investment For Pochettino

Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen vs Manuel Lanzini: Why The Argentine Is Not A Good Investment For Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur did not spend too much on their squad in the summer transfer window and that has seen them struggle to keep their position at the top end of the points table. They are currently struggling to get into the top-4 and Pochettino is now desperate to add some attacking quality to a side that is struggling for consistency.

There are a number of star players constantly linked with a move to the club in the last few weeks and one name now doing the rounds is West Ham United playmaker Manuel Lanzini.

The Argentine international has been one of the best players for the Hammers since 2015 when he first moved to London on loan. He has gone on to make 48 PL appearances for the club and has been consistent in most games.

Pochettino will be happy with the return of Erik Lamela back from an injury but it is evident that they need a player who can add something extra in the attack, to help them dismiss the smaller teams in the league. So, is the £13.5m rated Lanzini a good option? Here is a statistical comparison of the Argentine with Christian Eriksen who plays a similar role for Tottenham Hotspur.

With 4 assists and 5 goals to his name, the Danish international has been more productive in front of goal than Lanzini, who has managed 4 assists but just one goal this season.

Manuel Lanzini

Lanzini is an excellent dribbler, who is hard to catch and has 2.3 successful dribbles per game and has been unsuccessful just 1.3 times a game. Eriksen, who also has some skill, attempts only 1.3 dribbles per game but has been successful 0.8 times.

The West Ham man is a bit more protective of the ball, compared to Eriksen, as he has been dispossessed just 1.4 times a game. Eriksen has been dispossessed 1.9 times in a game, which is a bit too high. However, the Dane averages 2.2 key passes per game compared to just 1.8 per game by Lanzini.

Defensively, Eriksen averages 1.3 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 0.6 clearances per game this season. Lanzini has just 0.6 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 0.3 interceptions per game. So it is understandable why Lanzini’s work rate is questioned.

There is no doubting his ability to win games but if he is the man who Spurs need is something that needs to be discussed. He does not add any diversity to the attack and Pochettino is better off adding a winger to his attack, to add some width and a different dimension to their play in the final third.