Why Boubakary Soumare could be a great signing for Tottenham
According to a report by La Voix du Nord via Get Football News France (h/t Daily Mirror), Tottenham are targeting Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare.
The 20-year-old is a highly sought-after talent with as many as eight clubs in Europe waiting in line to secure his signature, the report claims.
Soumare, who is valued at around £50million, has so far made 22 appearances overall and has played a key role for the French outfit by helping them to third place in the league table behind second-placed Marseille and leaders PSG.
Meanwhile, Tottenham have looked a completely different side ever since Jose Mourinho was appointed as their manager, replacing former boss Mauricio Pochettino.
After registering four wins from his last five league games, the Portuguese has led them up the table.
With Mourinho at the helm and the team performing to expectations, Tottenham could now once again revive their hopes of a Champions League qualification.
That said, Mourinho and Tottenham’s interest in the young midfielder does not come as a surprise as he could do with strengthening his squad for the upcoming challenges.
Meanwhile, Soumare, who was a part of PSG’s academy setup until 2017, joined Lille in search of more game opportunities and has clicked since arriving at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.
The defensive midfielder has racked up a total of 61 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit to date and also played his part in their second-place finish last season.
It seems to be his breakthrough season, with the youngster already matching his last year’s tally of 22 appearances, thus displaying his worth in the Lille squad.
Tottenham, on the other hand, had made two midfield signings last summer – Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso.
However, both the players have failed to live up to their expectations, with injuries troubling them ever since they made the switch last summer.
This has left Mourinho with no other option but to field Moussa Sissoko and Eric Dier, who is more comfortable as a centre-back. Also, it is a widely known fact that Mourinho prefers defensive midfielders, as they play a major role in his style of play.
At the moment, Mourinho has two defensive midfielders in his squad – one being Victor Wanyama and the other being Oliver Skipp.
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While Wanyama has fallen down the pecking order at Tottenham for quite some time, Skipp is still in his teens and does not have enough experience. Thus, Tottenham’s decision to go for a recognised midfielder like Soumare makes perfect sense.
Verdict
With Tottenham clearly interested in adding more strength to their squad, a move for a young but established midfielder like Soumare seems to be a wise choice.
Also, Soumare suits the mould of player Mourinho’s prefers in the middle and could prove to be a great addition to the Spurs squad if not now, at least in the near future.
