Tottenham Linked with Yet Another Serie A Midfielder

Tottenham’s rumored attempt to intercept West Ham target Roberto Pereyra is yet another example of the club being mentioned in the same breath as a Serie A midfielder.

It’s once again Tuttomercadoweb that brings us this latest rumor. They claim that West Ham’s attempt to sign the Argentine could be complicated if Tottenham also enter the fray. Pereyra is even said to be more interested in north London.

How much of this is the result of genuine interest and how much is the result of an overzealous Italian media is difficult to say.

To the latter point: rumors like this and similar ones linking Tottenham to Inter’s Marcelo Brozovic and AZ striker Vincent Janssen were inevitable, especially after Mauricio Pochettino successfully guided the club back into the Champions League. The media knows Tottenham’s weaknesses, and it’s relatively easy to make educated guesses as to the type of players the club needs: a striker, a omnidirectional midfielder, etc.

To the former point: interest in Pereyra and other players — be if from West Ham, Tottenham or anyone else seriously looking to add quality to their roster — suggests that Serie A, the Eredivisie and other “lesser” leagues are returning to prominence. That a bench player like Pereyra could be attracting this level of interest from clubs outside Italy is proof enough that something’s breaking right in a league that was once, not too long ago, considered the best in the world.

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But what of Pereyra himself? If he’s so worthy of attention from Tottenham, why doesn’t he play more for Juventus?

The answer to that question lies mostly in the form of Paul Pogba. The incredibly talented French international more or less occupies the space Pereyra would operate in, and does so on a much higher level. To include Pereyra in the starting lineup would be to severely imbalance a side that does relies heavily on the influence of its midfield.

When Pereyra does start — a relative rarity at this point with only nine starts in all competitions this past term — he’s proven himself to be a hard-working shuttler of the ball, even if he’s never quite been known for his finishing.

In that way Pereyra fills a role similar to Tottenham winger — and fellow Argentine — Érik Lamela. He threads together the midfield and attack in such a way that can be difficult to appreciate because of relatively low scoring and assisting records. There’s no denying his workrate and unique ability to stretch play vertically and horizontally. He would, should he arrive at Tottenham, perform in a similar role as Lamela — distinct only in how wide he’s willing to get in pressing up field.

While it would be a stretch to say that Juventus attempt a press at the same level as Tottenham, it’s easy to imagine Pereyra making that transition nicely. He might not start over Lamela — just as Brozovic wouldn’t be starting over Mousa Dembélé — but he would be a valuable rotation option, especially in situations that might require a bit more width.

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For his rumored price — roughly £13 million — it appears as if Pereyra would be worth it. As we’ve said before, Tottenham’s goal this transfer window should be to bolster — not replace — an already impressive squad. Rumors linking the club to clear starters or big money buys should therefore be taken with more grains of salt than rumors like this one with Pereyra.