Tottenham Hotspur managed to put in a mesmerising performance at the game against West Ham past weekend as a quick, late brace from Harry Kane gave the Spurs all three points, lifting them to the 5th place in the points table after 11 games. But Mauricio Pochettino will know that he is a bit weak in attack and will look to add a few players to the squad in January. One player who is extensively linked with a move to the Lane is Malaga attacker Sandro Ramirez. Spurs were interested in his signature at the start of the year when he moved to Malaga from Barcelona and are set to reignite their interest after the 21-year old has made a decent start to the new campaign. With Vincent Janssen yet to settle into the squad, Pochettino is ready to spend on the Spaniard in January and here is a peek at his scout report:
Born in Las Palmas in 1995, Ramirez, started his football career with Barrio Atlantico and UD Las Palmas before moving on to the Barcelona academy at the age of 14. He played for the Barcelona B side for more than 2 years scoring 15 goals in 61 appearances before being promoted into the senior side back in 2014. He played alongside Lionel Messi and showed some serious talent but was not able to find any consistency in front of goal and was shipped off to Spanish outfit Malaga in January this year. Though he made a slow start at his new club, he has 5 goals in 10 starts this season in La Liga and is once again a transfer target for Pochettino.
Strengths:
Though just 21, Ramirez is one of the most instinctive finishers in La Liga at the moment. Starting his career as a striker, the Spaniard has been used as an attacking winger but that has not stopped him from carrying his own goal threat. A right-footer, Ramirez liked to cut in from the flank and set up a sight on goal but is also adept at creating chances for his side from a wide position. His accuracy in passing and shooting along with his dribbling ability will make him a decent option for a Premier League side as well. Known for his commitment and killer instinct in front of goal, the 21-year old is expected to be a top class striker in years to come and at his age, he is already showing why. He has pace, strength and ability with the ball making him a dangerous player and if he can get some regular game time under his belt, he can turn out to be one of the best players in Europe.
Weaknesses:
The biggest problem with the 21-year old is his natural position. Though a striker early in his career, Ramirez has had to be shifted to the wing to accommodate a more potent threat in front of goal and it is now hard to understand his natural position. He has been effective as a winger but that will bring responsibilities that he may not yet be ready for. As a striker, he is hardly expected to defend but when playing as a winger, he will have to add that facet to his game, which if absent, can affect his team.
Players of Ramirez’ calibre usually do not find it hard to adjust to new leagues and he might be a bright option for Spurs this summer but at his age, the 21-year old will need all the game time he can get to improve consistently which Pochettino cannot offer. He is currently the first choice in attack at Malaga and is sure to improve as a player so the Spurs are well advised to wait until the end of the season to gamble on him.