Tottenham opinion: Should Spurs sign Hiroko Sakai?

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are looking to bolster their backline by adding Japanese international, Hiroko Sakai. The 29-year-old is an accomplished right-back for Ligue 1 side Marseille.

Sakai has a lot of expereince under his belt, having played 56 times for his national team. He also spent a couple of years in the Bundesliga with Hannover 96. His experience playing in various European Leagues will be a big plus.

Spurs, over the years, have gone for younger players like Davinson Sanchez and Dele Alli but perhaps it’s time they started adding a little experience. Sakai, like most Japanese internationals, is a highly technical footballer which would suit Mauricio Pochettino’s system perfectly.

The Sun has reported that Spurs are ready to offload Kieran Trippier this summer. The England international has had a very poor season after being a hero for England at the FIFA World Cup. Trippier isn’t a natural full-back and is at his best when played as a wing-back.

Mauricio Pochettino will feel a sense of pride and a tinge of frustration after coming so close to winning his very first trophy as a manager. The Argentine inspired his team to the finals of the Champions League, constantly huffing and puffing throughout the competition.

The club had a miraculous road to the finals, doing just enough to make it to knockout stages before upsetting the apple cart by getting the better over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side over two legs and forcing an inspirational comeback against Ajax.

Pochettino will want to sense occasions like this more often and will need to refresh the squad in order to have a second chance at the trophy. He also requires a team that will be a bigger force in smaller cup competitions to get the monkey off his back.

Sakai would be an able replacement for Trippier, if the England international is to move away from Spurs and it would allow young Kyle Walker-Peters some much needed game time for his own development.

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Conclusion

Sakai would be an astute signing and help refresh things at the club after two windows without a signing. Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping he can build something even bigger from here, now that he knows what it takes to get close to the finish line.