If Tottenham only make one signing this summer who should it be?
Mauro Icardi. It should be Mauro Icardi without a doubt.
If Tottenham sign one player this summer it should be the outgoing Internazionale center-forward and former captain Mauro Icardi. He’s exactly the sort of player that Tottenham never used to sign. That they didn’t even chase. He has a release clause that would break the teams transfer record and they still shouldn’t even think about it.
The good news is that Icardi’s relationship with Inter appears to be over. He was stripped of the captaincy and refused to travel with the team so there’s a chance that they can negotiate his fee down substantially. Even if they couldn’t it would be worth it.
Here’s why:
Tottenham have spent too long allowing themselves to be embarrassed financially by the other clubs in the Premier League. It’s a testament to the clubs spirit and the managers ingenuity that it hasn’t held them back as much as it could have but at some point that has to end and Spurs need to play on the same playing field.
When the stadium is open and Spurs are playing their first full season in it a true bonafide superstar is the sort of thing that they need and Icardi would provide that.
He and Harry Kane beside each other would be the best strike force in the world. Not in England and not in the UK or Europe the world. They have complementing styles of play in that Harry Kane is a complete forward who drops deep and also pushes the line forward. He moves the play around and creates holes with his shooting and passing and paralyzes defenses simply with his being. Icardi is the best goal box poacher in Europe. Period. Every single scrap and piece of play that Harry Kane creates that isn’t poached upon at the moment would turn into another goal for the cause.
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There’s the potential that Spurs could get up to 50 goals out of two players if they signed Icardi and played him alongside Kane.
That’s not even the best part. It would be impossible for Pochettino to leave that team. Icardi being his countryman has to be an alluring prospect for Pochettino to manage. He’s never had a manager of the quality of Spurs’ manager and for a manager as forward thinking, attacking and inventive as Pochettino is this could be the most enticing proposition of his career.
It’s not how Spurs play now but it is something that they could evolve into. The team that wins the Premier League every year usually has an added tactical edge that the manager was able to use to jump out ahead of their rivals if not simply being richer than everyone. For Leicester it was bucking the modern football trend and returning to football roots with 4-4-2 in the most classic sense. For Chelsea it was 3-4-3 for the first time since Hoddle did it at Tottenham. Giving Pochettino a tool like this to create havoc in the league could be the one thing that put Spurs over the top.
A two striker system that doesn’t allow the usual two center backs in most teams system to double-team the attacking players would change things. Spurs would start to turn the tide if they did this.
That then coupled with the fact that don’t the supporters deserve a big name? Something glorious to cheer for in the new stadium that they’ve given up so much while waiting for? Tottenham can do it, they can afford it and they should do it.
If Spurs want to make history then this is the sort of thing that does it for them.