Scouting For Pochettino – Three La Masia Graduates Tottenham Hotspur Should Look To Sign This Month

Over the years, Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy has become world-renowned for the plethora of exciting talents it has produced. From Andres Iniesta to Lionel Messi, from Carles Puyol to Xavi, there have been so many big stars that have come out of the famed school and have gone on to become huge names in the world of football.

So much so that, many clubs across Europe, have over the years tried to emulate a structure and the philosophy that has been followed at the Catalan side’s academy. And English club Tottenham Hotspur also belong to this category. The Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino, earlier this season went on record stating his admiration for the way the La Masia operates and also said that he was intending to establish a similar culture at the White Hart Lane.

Keeping that in mind, we take a look at three former La Masia graduates who Tottenham could look to sign in the transfer window to further their title bid this season:

Munir El Haddadi

The 21-year old is one of the finest young prospects to have come out of the La Masia in recent times. Munir burst onto the scene last season with some eye-catching displays for Barca, but ended up moving to Valencia in the summer of 2016, following the arrival of Paco Alcacer.

Having joined the Los Che, Munir has found it hard to establish himself as a regular first-team player but has shown glimpses of his immense potential each time he has been called upon. The Spaniard has made 16 appearances for Valencia this term, across all competitions, only half of which have been starts, and has scored four goals and also has one assist to his name.

A striker by trade, Munir has also shown adaptability on the flanks and has shown all signs of becoming a superstar in the future. Intelligent, fast and technically sound, he could be a fine addition to the youthful talent at Tottenham.

Sandro Ramirez

Another recent graduate of the La Masia, Sandro moved to Malaga in the summer of 2016 on a free transfer, after seeing opportunities coming at a premium at the Camp Nou over the last season.

And the 21-year old has been in explosive form for Malaga this season, scoring 9 goals and further setting up two more goals from 18 appearances and is the club’s leading goalscorer. The attacker, who can play anywhere across the front three, faces a brief spell on sidelines having suffered a hamstring injury recently but has shown his class and abilities until now.

A threat from set-pieces given his strong heading abilities, Sandro also possesses a great turn of pace and can open up defences with his keen eye for a pass. The 21-year old has been of interest to Tottenham in the past and could very well move to the Lane in the future.

Adama Traore

Traore left the Camp Nou two years ago, in the summer of 2015, moving to English club Aston Villa. However, injuries meant the explosive winger struggled to have the desired impact that had seen him regarded as one of the best graduates from the La Masia in recent times.

Following Villa’s relegation, Traore joined up with newly promoted Middlesbrough this season and has shown indications of his bags of potential, that has seen him linked with Premier League leaders Chelsea in recent weeks. The 21-year old has featured 17 times for the Riverside outfit this term, but has failed to register a single goal or assist, but has hugely impressed with his pace and trickery down the right flank.

Quick, direct and with a bag of tricks, Traore is a brute old-fashioned winger who also possesses extreme physical strength and loves to take on defenders and is one of the fastest players around. With Tottenham lacking a natural wide player, Traore could prove to be a shrewd addition to their roster.