Why Tottenham should have signed Eljif Elmas
Back in the summer, according to the Daily Express, Tottenham Hotspur were looking to sign Macedonian sensation, Eljif Elmas, from Fenerbahce. The youngster ended up signing for Napoli, however.
The report stated that Spurs scouted the 19-year-old three times last season and made Fenerbahce aware of their interest yet never ended up signing him.
Spurs had to face stiff competition from Napoli, Fiorentina, Inter, Lazio, Dortmund and Atletico Madrid and the Macedonian ended up joining Napoli.
The 19-year-old is a versatile midfielder, having broken through last season, despite Fenerbahce’s appalling season domestically. He stood out in a failing side and joining Napoli will help him progress.
The 19-year-old’s technique is beyond his years and he is the most comfortable in the middle of the park, where he can stick to distributing the ball around and winning it back. His tall frame would have been perfect for the Premier League and its physicality.
Spurs desperately need some new faces to inspire them to new heights. The team we all identify with is slowly ageing and Mauricio Pochettino needs major upgrades.
Last week, they got a lucky break in the first half against bitter rivals Arsenal but could not sustain it and were lucky to come off with a draw.
Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweirld, Hugo Lloris and Danny Rose are stalwarts in the game now. Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen are no longer potential stars; they are two of the best players in the world in their positions.
They’re no longer a young team and need to add some much-needed youth to freshen things up for the future and Elmas fits the bill perfectly.
Pochettino has a fantastic reputation for developing potential and should continue doing so. Daniel Levy must back him with this signing like Liverpool did with Jurgen Klopp a year before.
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After coming so close to victory, Pochettino will want to make amends as quickly as possible and get his hands on that elusive first trophy but it doesn’t look like he’s getting backed enough.
That said, Spurs should have pushed harder to sign Elmas when they had the chance.