Do Tottenham want Sporting Lisbon captain Adrien Silva?

Transfer rumour hysteria is once again taking off, this time with reports out of Portugal saying that Sporting Lisbon captain Adrien Silva is a potential Tottenham target.

Portuguese paper Record broke the story today but no other reputable media outlet (The Express doesn’t count) have thus far reported the unsubstantiated claims.

Would Silva, a Leicester target after their title-winning season a year ago, fit in well at Spurs and is he the type of player who could thrive under Mauricio Pochettino’s style?

Silva is a loyal leader and ambassador for Sporting Lisbon. Spending 15 years with the club – including five in the youth system – Silva has been with the Portuguese side since he was 13 years old.

Now 28, he is known for his accurate distribution and meaty,  no-nonsense tackling ability. Silva has the propensity to play quick, short balls and breaks down attacks in a similar fashion to Victor Wanyama. He also commits his fair share of fouls but lacks Wanyama’s physical prowess.

While experienced, skilled and handy in possession, Silva is nearing his 30s and has never plied his trade in one of the world’s élite leagues. He’s what you would get if you put Wanyama, Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier into a blender, coagulated the resulting concoction and tossed him on the pitch.

He doesn’t amass prolific offensive numbers, scoring only two goals while chipping in with four assists in 26 league appearances last season. And he’s not as good defensively as Wanyama or Dier and pales in comparison to Dembele’s dribbling ability.

His distribution, however, is top notch and the Portuguese international doesn’t lack commitment, grittiness or passion. He also has a major trophy to his name, helping Portugal win the 2016 European Championships.

But Spurs are already blessed with Christian Eriksen’s otherworldly passing nous while Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min both have knack for finding an incisive pass.

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So unless either star jumps ship, as improbable as that is during this particular offseason, I see no real long-term merit in bringing another comfortable-in-possession, defensively endowed player to north London, especially considering Silva’s purported £26 million price tag.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but this particular transfer rumour doesn’t have the legs to merit serious consideration.