Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is preparing for the UEFA Champions League and will be looking to do better than their performance in the Premier League last time around but one thing has been a problem and that is the lack of signings for the London club.
While Spurs have signed Vincent Janssen, who should provide them a lot of quality up front, they still are a little lacking in midfield and one player who has been linked with a move to White Hart Lane is Yunus Malli.
The Turkish footballer plays for Mainz in the Bundesliga and could well be the next signing for Tottenham as they look to ensure they have enough players to deal with the extra games next season.
Malli is 24-years old but not many would know about him or what his play is all about.
A German who chose Turkey
Malli started his professional career for the Borussia Monchengladbach junior sides but signed with Mainz in 2011 and has been a part of the side ever since. The 24-year-old though chose to play for Turkey despite representing the German youth teams till the U21 category.
Malli does play in an attacking role and mostly stars in the attacking midfielder’s position though he has played as a central striker as well. Yunus did score 11 times in the Bundesliga last season for Mainz and even provided four assists for the side.
He is known for his excellent link-up play with the other attackers and is known for his passing and incredible through balls thus providing the forwards with ample chances to finish. The 24-year-old doesn’t have the greatest pass completion rate because he is always trying to find that killer ball and give his team the perfect chance to score.
The Turkish attacker didn’t really star in their Euro 2016 campaign but Malli can certainly do a great job for Tottenham if he is used properly. There are a few problems with the playing style of the midfielder, he is not known for his defensive contribution and that is something that Mauricio Pochettino would have to work on extensively if the Turk is to fit into Tottenham perfectly.
Also, the fact that he isn’t the best when battling the air could be a major concern if he does move to the Premier League, which is known to be a more robust and tough league compared to the Bundesliga.
Malli though is great at reacting to counter-attacks and is known to be a willing runner to help the side out in attack and that could be a perfect match for him as Tottenham also play with quick counter-attacks to catch out their opponents.
The Premier League side might not have to break the bank to sign the Turkish midfielder but he could be a great option to have off the bench or be a squad rotation player when Pochettino does try to rest a few players.
Malli might not be the greatest option for Tottenham but smart deals such as this could be the way forward for Tottenham and Pochettino has shown that some of his signings, even the lesser known ones, do work over time.