Why Ross Barkley Is Not The Man To Replace Mousa Dembele In The Tottenham Team
Mauricio Pochettino is dangerously calm for a manager who is in charge of a club from England, playing in the Champions League this season. They do have one of the most exciting squads in Europe at the moment but they will need lot more quality and experience in the squad if they are to lift any silverware in the next few years.
The manager is looking to improve particular areas of the squad and is linked with a number of decent stars for a move this summer and one player who has constantly been linked with a move to the London outfit is Everton star, Ross Barkley.
The English international, who had a decent time at the Goodison Park last season, has rejected an extension on his current contract, that runs down at the end of the season. Everton are holding out for a fee of £50m and though Spurs were initially reluctant to meet the valuation, they are now looking to lure him to the club, amid interests from Chelsea as well.
Pochettino is reportedly looking to make the Everton star his next midfielder at the club, and wants to eventually replace Belgian star Mousa Dembele in the first team with the Liverpool born midfielder. Does this make any sense?
Known for his aggression and instinct in front of goal, Barkley is a midfielder who is more comfortable in an attacking role. With excellent vision and passing technique to add to his dribbling prowess, Barkley is also strong in possession of the ball and is a player who is tailor-made for the English game.
However, he should be used in a more advanced role to get the best out of him, unlike where Pochettino wants to use him. Everton know that Barkley is a potential star in England but are not ready to offer insane wages on his new deal, as they are aware of his frailties.
Not known for his defensive discipline at all, Barkley is not a player who will track back regularly. He completes just 42% of his tackles and is prone to giving away cheap free-kicks regularly. If he is played as a part of the midfield duo under Pochettino, he could quickly turn into a liability.
Dembele has been one of the best players for Spurs in the last two seasons. His ability to dribble past opponents with ease and spread the play to maintain pressure on the opposition is something he does the best in the Premier League and it will not be easy for Pochettino to find a like-to-like replacement this summer.
But he will have to spend on a player who is known for playing such a role, rather than trying to push a struggling midfielder into the mix, that too under the pressure of European football. Barkley is a decent acquisition for Spurs, but he is not the man who can replace Mousa Dembele this summer; not even in the future.